Great supernatural fun for fans of Eerie Elementary! Lots of kids reading chapter books at our library enjoy spooky ones--so this is a great one to recommend.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is a cute series for middle grade kids. Loved the illustratios. It has mild scares and includes STEAM themes which as a former teacher I appreciate. I recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I can see the value here. The plot is straightforward, the vocabulary accessible. It's just entirely lacking in nuance. A little bit spooky with a solid inclusion of social issues.

This is a good book for middle school readers to get to learn about the scientific methid. it also gives a good example of what good friends look like, which is important for that age group. There are illustrations and adventures throughout the book to keep the reader engaged.

This was a really good beginning to a new spooky MG series! The characters were great. Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this book!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I have been looking for spooky stories for my younger readers and this fit the bill. Even read a second grade class the first chapter and they loved it. I would have purchased the book, but the teacher is non-binary and I can’t open that can of worms in my incredibly conservative, semi-rural community. I understand the need to be seen and don’t personally have a problem, but I know our school board would have my head if this was a purchase. Great book for open-minded, forward thinking communities.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. When a class of students take a field trip one day, someone stumbles upon a scary looking tree. They try to tell their friend about it, but they don’t believe them at first. Once they both see it, Rokshar wants to find some scientific explanation for it. When it continues to get bigger they decide this tree must be destroyed. As this tale comes to a close life for these kids will never be the same.

Loving this early middle grade book with mild scares and STEAM related themes. It has a nice introduction to global folktales and cultural lore. There’s good non-binary representation in the form of the class teacher, and it is simply matter of fact and accepted. Love that! The plot is a little loose and so,ple, but I also do my best to remember I’m an adult, so the plot is fine for kiddos. I appreciate the illustrations helping the story along, and it reminded me a little bit of “last kids on earth” in that way? Good for kids who prefer ,older scares and are too sensitive for the likes of creep over or goosebumps or the scary stories series.

A great book for middleschoolers! Just the right amount of spooky and adventure with good characters. The illustrations are a great addition too! And if you don't want to believe in the supernatural, you don't have to. There just might be a scientific answer to everything. If nothing else, it will introduce kids to the scientific method.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.

This was a great start to the Spooky Sleuths series, it had what I was looking for in a spooky children's series. Natasha Deen had a great writing style and I really loved the way she wrote characters and how they deal with the paranormal. I loved the artwork in the book and it left me excited to read the next book in the series.

"It stood six feet tall, thick, with dark green leaves in the shape of tears. The soil around the tree was black and wet, but the grass was dead and brown. My breakfast rolled in my stomach as the smell of mold wafted my way. It seemed as though there was a face in the tree, staring at me. A prickle of unease skittered up my spine."

I thought this story was delightful! It wasn’t scary (for me). I do believe it would be a great story for middle grade students, maybe not lower elementary students!

Grounded in traditional folklore, this book hooks students in through creepy stories -- a big hit with many middle grade readers right now. Its strengths are that it remains creepy and suspenseful while also using shorter sentences, earlier vocabulary, and being accessible to a wide range of kids -- appropriate for any high-low collection. However, I really struggled to understand the science pieces of this story... Is the purpose of the story to share folklore? To disprove folklore? I didn't feel like the scientific method, etc, that it described was represented accurately in the attempts to do both. But I would be open to reading more from the series to see how it works out over the series as, like I said, this may be of high interest to students who struggle to find the right book for themselves.

A welcome addition to transitional chapter book collections. The Guyanese folklore, diverse cast, great use of vocabulary and spooky illustrations make this a must purchase for libraries that serve emerging readers. Give to kids who've finished Eerie Elementary. I can't wait to introduce my students to this creepy town!

The first in a new middle grades series! Asim is new to town and headed to his first day at his new school. On his way, he has to pass a cemetery. After having a mishap and seeing a spooky tree, he becomes convinced the cemetery is haunted. His new friend Rokshar is not as convinced as she is a budding scientist. However, as people start to be infected by the tree, Asim and his new friends must investigate and put a stop to this haunted tree before it infects the whole town.

I found this story to be delightful! It was easy to read and spooky, while not super scary. I think it is a great book for young readers.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. It was fast paced, humorous and had just the right amount of spooky/creepy elements. I also appreciated the representation in this book. This would be an excellent choice for readers that like scary stories and that are beginning to read chapter books on their own. I would also recommend it to those that enjoyed the Goosebumps books and/or Eerie Elementary books.