A new locked room scary story about thirteen-year-old Avery, who plans a séance at a deserted theater to bond with her friends, only to realize they’re locked inside with someone—or something —else. This spine tingling read is perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Lindsay Currie! When Avery returns to her hometown after moving away a year earlier, she is hoping to jump back into her friend group as if nothing’s changed. Unfortunately, new interests, secret crushes, and changing dynamics get in her way. To reunite her BFFs, she suggests they host a séance at an abandoned theater that was the site of a horrible tragedy. What starts as a fun outing, soon becomes a fight for survival after the group gets locked in…and discovers they’re not alone. Praise for STAGE FRIGHT: " Stage Fright is spine-chilling fun !"—Lindsay Currie, New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Locked Rooms “This one left me breathless and turning pages frantically into the night. Wendy Parris’s latest is a scary treat and deserves a standing ovation!”—Dan Poblocki, #1 New York Times bestselling author of More Tales to Keep You Up at Night " Stage Fright is the book for your MG reader who loves a good scary locked room story!"—Fleur Bradley, award-winning author of Daybreak on Raven Island and Midnight at the Barclay Hotel. "A spooky read full of authentic friendships—the good parts and the hard parts."—Lora Senf, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Clackity "I couldn't put it down. Friendship drama that pulls you in, makes you laugh and breaks your heart? Check! Creepy ghost girl in a haunted theatre with odes to Hamlet? Yes please! Just make sure you read this one with the lights on."—Lorien Lawrence, author of the Fright Watch series "It's a long night in a haunted theater, and the spotlight is on terror! "—D.W. Gillespie, author of Give Me Something Good to Eat "Parris creates a haunting tale of ghosts, fractured friends, and malevolent evil that lingers long after the the final page."—Matt McMann, author of the Monsterious series "A fast-paced , spooky tale exploring adolescent tumult and the uncertainty that comes with change."— Kirkus Reviews "Parris hastens to the creepy goods in this middle grade horror that surely earns its shelf space near the Goosebumps series. Beyond its well-executed tropes , however, this selection also brings some sophistication , dabbling in more mature literary nods to Shakespeare, as Parris cleverly links an ominous skull and a ghost to Avery’s internal tug-of-war."— The Bulletin Wendy Parris has always loved telling stories. So she studied film at Northwestern University, acted in small Chicago theaters after graduation, and even made up tales on the spot as part of an improv comedy troupe. Now she writes spooky books for tweens and teens. She lives in Illinois with her family in an old house that is probably not haunted. Her debut novel, Field of Screams, was a Junior Library Guild Gold Star Selection. Chapter One As the small plane descended, breaking through the dark thunderclouds, Avery O’Reilly finally got a good look out the window. Below her spread a patchwork quilt of Midwestern farm fields, the green squares defined by gray roads and dotted with the occasional white house and red barn. Her eyes followed the watery squiggle that was Clear Creek as the landscape gently gave way to the familiar landmarks of her hometown. She pressed her palm to the glass. There was the shockingly turquoise rectangle of the local pool where she and Paige used to have swim meets. Nearby, its trees looking like broccoli tops, was Center Park, where she and Jaylen had gotten stuck atop the carnival Ferris wheel. And beyond that, the L-shaped black tar roof of Lincoln Elementary, where she and Tyler had partnered on every school project from kindergarten through fourth grade. “I’m back!” Avery whispered. The plane banked and tilted. From beneath her came the rumbling vibration of the landing gear going down. Ms. Choi, the middle-­aged businesswoman seated next to her, smiled. “Someone will be here to meet you, right, hon?” “Oh yes.” Avery pushed her tortoiseshell glasses up the bridge of her nose. “My best friend, Paige, and her sister.” “Well, I hope you have a wonderful vacation. There is something special about spending time with the people you grew up with.” Ms. Choi closed her laptop and stowed it in her briefcase. “You know the saying—­‘Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.’ ” Avery considered this. She agreed . . . sort of. Her old friends were definitely gold. But since she’d moved to Philadelphia, she hadn’t made any friends she would rate as silver . . . or even bronze. Maybe plastic? Nobody new would ever measure up to Paige, Jaylen, and Tyler. The four of them had been inseparable since before she could remember. If only her parents hadn’t ripped her away from them,