He got up and grabbed a paddle and the ping-pong ball, and bounced it on the table.
“Sure,” said Kaya, hopping up and grabbing her own paddle. “You might win. After all, if you wish for something hard enough, anything can happen!”
Ben rolled his eyes, but he knew she was right.
Steve Brezenoff lives with his wife, Beth, and their small, smelly dog, Harry. Besides writing books, he enjoys playing computer games, riding his bicycle, and helping secondary school students to improve their own writing skills. Steve’s ideas almost always come to him in dreams, so he does his best writing in his pyjamas.
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Cynthia Martin has worked in comics and animation since 1983. Her credits include Star Wars, Spiderman, and Wonder Woman for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, in addition to work as a storyboard artist for Sony Children’s Entertainment and the Krislin Company. Cynthia’s recent projects include an extensive series of graphic novels for Capstone Press and two issues of Blue Beetle for DC Comics.
abandoned left alone and empty
alley narrow passageway between or behind buildings
bandits robbers, usually a group
captor someone who catches another person
condemned unsafe to live in
deserted empty, abandoned
imaginary something that exists in the imagination but not the real world
maintain keep in good condition
pew long bench that people sit on in church
preacher head of a church
straining trying very hard
unconscious not awake, not able to see, feel, or think
1. Has your family ever had to move? How did you feel? What did you like about your new place, and what did you miss about your old home? If you haven’t moved, how have you felt when someone new moved to your town, school, or neighbourhood? Talk about it.
2. Forrest teases Ben by saying that Kaya is his girlfriend. How would you respond if someone teased you like that?
3. Do you believe in things like out-of-body experiences? Why or why not?
1. The Youth Centre becomes an important part of Ben and Forrest’s lives. Do you have a place like that? Where is it? Who have you met there? Write about it.
2. In this book, Kaya dreams about meeting Ben. What else happens in her dream? Who else does she dream about? Write a page that describes another part of Kaya’s dream.
3. Ben and Forrest’s old home was in a smaller town, but they move to a large city. Would you rather live in a small town or a big city? Explain your answers.
A coma is a condition in which a person cannot wake up, often as a result of a serious injury. Of course, when a person is in a coma, she cannot speak and cannot make her thoughts known to her friends and family.
Then how did Kaya meet Ben on the stairs of his new block of flats? How did she call to him from the alley in the middle of the night?
Well, this was just a story, of course. But for thousands of years, many different societies believed that some people could actually leave their bodies and enter a spirit realm. This is often called “astral travel,” but you might have heard the term “out of body experience.”
In ancient China, for example, people known as shamans claimed to enter the spirit world to affect the weather or to help a sick person.
Among some Native American tribes, people leave their bodies in search of the solution to difficult problems in their lives, often following special spirit guides through the weird and scary spirit realm.
Some people from all walks of life believe they have left their bodies during a very vivid dream. Often they have dreamt of a loved one who has passed away. When they wake up, they are certain they have had a nice visit with that person.
So who’s to say if Kaya would be able to contact Ben? She might have been so angry and so in need of help that she was able to do something magical. After all, Kaya wanted those Preacher Bandits caught!
Rock Art Rebel
by M. J. Cosson
ISBN: 9781406254754
Beto’s urban art is labelled graffiti by the police, so the boy is sent to spend the summer with relatives. Then Beto discovers art in an unexpected place, and he’s the only one who can save it.
The Ghost’s Revenge
by M. Peschke
ISBN: 9781406254716
The ancient Comanche warrior that Zack sees in his dreams has begun to appear in real life. As the line between real life and Zack’s dream world blurs, he embarks on a dangerous journey of terror and discovery.
Poison Plate
by M. Sobel Spirn
ISBN: 9781406254747
When Mark moves in with a family who owns a restaurant, he is wrongfully accused of whipping up a diabolically delicious dinner.
Missing
by M. Sobel Spirn
ISBN: 9781406254730
Sam’s constant lying makes it hard for people to believe him when his dad is kidnapped. With the help of his friend, Josh, Sam gets closer to the truth – and to danger.
Curtains
by Michael Dahl
ISBN: 9781406254709
STARCUPS!, the Harrison Ford High School musical, is in danger. Everyone’s a suspect. Kyle Sutton and his only friend, Megan, have to work together to catch the crook. The show must go on!
I Dare You
by Steve Brezenoff
ISBN: 9781406254723
Gutter, Tad, Kayla, and May take turns giving each other dares. This time, Kayla is dared to sleep inside a creepy old house. The next morning, Kayla won’t wake up. She’s in a coma. Her friends will have to find out what happened.
Burning Secrets
by Steve Brezenoff
ISBN: 9781406254693
More than four hundred years ago, a young woman stole a log from a burning fire. Then she fled into the dark woods. Years later, two young boys and their mother return to those same woods to fix up a spooky old mansion that belonged to their great-great-uncle Mark.The secret of the woman’s mysterious theft lies somewhere within that sealed-up house. The secret may also explain the weird old man who keeps following the boys … a man who looks like a living skeleton!
The Runaway Skeleton
by Kathleen M. Muldoon
ISBN: 9781406254761
Fourteen-year-old Topo and his little brother, Mono, are exploring the woods when they find an old shed. No one is inside the shed – but in the shadows, Topo sees a skeleton. The bones are the first clue in a wild mystery. Topo is determined to find out who the bones belong to – even if it means putting himself in danger.
Summer of Sabotage
by Bob Temple
ISBN: 9781406254778
Daniel and Aaron have spent a perfect summer hanging out at the water park. But when yet another accident threatens to shut the park down, the boys know something strange is going on. But who’s behind it? Mrs Parker, the child-hating woman who lives behind the park? Gabe, the worried manager? Janie, the park’s best lifeguard? Daniel and Aaron need to put the pieces together fast or they could be the next victims!
Alley of Shadows Page 4
