Fall 2025 BookFest Award Winner First Place: Juvenile – Mysteries First Place: Juvenile – Action & Adventure First Place: Juvenile – Fantasy & Magic When Ollie walks through the woods on his way back from school one day, he notices a scarf and a baseball cap caught on a bush on the side of the path. Ollie thinks nothing of them and walks on. But then he finds a pair of gloves under a small rock the next day. This isn't right, he reasons with himself. Who could have left their belongings in the woods? And why? In The Legend of the Serpent Witch, Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty stumble upon a new mystery when they learn that the clothes belong to two boys who mysteriously vanished. Nothing is as it seems when the trio confronts an evil witch with snakes as pets who casts scary spells and wicked curses, trying to stop them from finding the missing boys. Delving deeper, they realize the witch may not be acting alone and that there could be a larger, more sinister plot at play. Ollie, Mellie, and Scotty know that they must act quickly to save not only themselves but the entire town. Will they survive long enough to solve a mystery centuries in the making? FPLaRue.com ScaryShivers.com Facebook: FPLaRue Here are what readers are saying about The Legend of the Serpent Witch (from Amazon Reviews): “The eerie atmosphere, creepy witch, and thrilling mystery kept me hooked the whole time.” “A terrific, well-plotted, well-written story for kids in the targeted age group, 9–12 (although I'm much, much older and I also enjoyed the story).” “A fantastic book for children, filled with suspense and an unexpected conclusion.” “I'd give it more than five stars if I could.” “This is a really fast and frightfully fun read that is absolutely perfect for middle grade readers!” “My daughter is in middle school, and this fun, action-packed book had her intrigued and glued to the story.” “This book is perfect for anyone who loves suspense, adventure, and eerie surprises!” F. P. LaRue is the author of the Scary Shivers mystery series. These adventure mysteries are written for middle-grade children and are designed to show them that reading is fun! She loves scary stories and particularly enjoys sharing her own frightening tales. F. P. is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and The Curse of Shadow Park won a First Place Award for Best Juvenile Action & Adventure in the Fall 2024 BookFest Awards. Before writing children’s books, F. P.’s career was in education. She progressed from being a teacher to the dean of academic affairs for a small Michigan college. When not writing, F. P. loves to travel, having visited all fifty states and fifty-four countries worldwide. F. P. hopes her stories inspire children to discover the wondrous adventures reading can bring―no matter their age. You can find out more about F. P. LaRue and the next Scary Shivers Mystery below. www.FPLaRue.com www.ScaryShivers.com Facebook: FPLaRue