Hidden Hollow Five--The Secret of Annabelle
Page 10
“Me too,” she said, giving Kim a high five.
The officers handcuffed Smith and placed him in a squad car while Erin, Kim, and Annabelle told everyone what really happened. Mom and Dad couldn’t stop hugging the girls. They were so happy to know they were safe, but the girls knew they were in for a long discussion about all the secrets they had kept from them.
The next day, the story and their pictures were all over the news. Erin and Kim invited Annabelle up to her old playroom for a visit. They each presented her with a beautifully wrapped gift. Inside one was her diary, and inside the other was Kristina’s tea set. Annabelle could not hold back the tears of joy as she hugged her new friends.
Annabelle had promised to build them a new boathouse and asked Erin and Kim’s dad to find a good contractor.
“We still have about a month of summer left before we have to go to our new school,” said Kim.
“I’m really looking forward to going there and meeting new kids.”
Erin wasn’t so sure about the new school yet, but she thought that Matt from the drug store seemed pretty nice, so at least she would sort of know somebody.
One week later, Annabelle held a dinner party for Erin and Kim’s family at her home. At the party, she told them that the Peterson fortune was estimated to be worth over twenty-million dollars.
“I owe my whole fortune to Erin and Kim,” she said with a smile. “For many years I shut myself away in my home, not allowing myself to have much contact with the outside world.”
As she spoke, she held out her arms for Erin and Kim to come closer. They got up and gave Annabelle a big hug. Tears formed in the corners of Annabelle’s eyes, and her voice shook as she continued. “Erin and Kim have shown me that I need other people.”
Patting each of them on the back, she looked at Laurie and Jim. “These two girls saved my life and gave an old recluse a reason to come out and participate in the world again.”
She smiled and gave them another hug. They both knew that from that day forward, they had found themselves a friend that they could always count on.
The End
Chapter 12 Discussion Questions
K – 2nd Grade
Who became Kim and Erin’s friend at the end of the story?
Do you have a friend you can always count on?
3rd & 4th Grade
What did Annabelle learn about friendship at the end of the story?
How do you think Mom and Dad felt about their daughters at the end of the story? Describe their emotions.
5th & 6th Grade
Erin and Kim make a great detective team! How did the girls work together throughout the book to solve the mystery?
What lesson did Annabelle learn at the end of the story and why is that lesson significant?
Youth Illustrators
(bios appear in order of their illustrations in the book)
Angle Zhou, Age 12 – New Jersey
Cover & Chapter 2, 6, 7, & 12 Illustrations
Angela is a 7th grader who lives in New Jersey with her beagle puppies Avocado and Nutmeg, her twin sister Leila, and her wonderful mom and dad. She is an avid artist whose technique shows a painstaking attention to detail. Some of her other hobbies are dancing, reading, and baking. Angela loves candies and bubble tea. She is also a fearless adventurer who loves nature and spending time outdoors.
Ishitha Panguluri, Age 14 – Florida
Inside Cover & Chapter 2 Illustrations
Ishitha is a 14 year old girl who lives in Florida. Ishitha has always loved to doodle and express herself through art. She has been getting her hands on crayons and colored pencils ever since she was four, and she is expanding her art collection ever since. Ishitha LOVES a good book to read and in her free time (when she is not doing art) she grabs a book for her ever expanding bookshelf and enjoys a good tale. She wants to publish a book one day with her own illustrations to show that you can do anything, regardless of how old or how young you are.
Leila Zhou, Age 12 – New Jersey
Chapter 1, 3, 4, 8, 11, & 12 Illustrations
Leila Zhou is a 7th grader from New Jersey. Her hobbies include creating art, reading graphic novels, video editing, gymnastics, dancing, and playing with her beagle puppy Avocado. When she is not busy drawing, reading, editing, back-flipping, leaping or running with her beagle, she loves making funny skits and playing made-up games with her twin sister Angela and their friends.
Abigail Rater, Age 14 – Pennsylvania
Chapter 1 Illustration
Abigail’s family describes her as a hardworking homeschool student who comes from a large family. Abigail is the second oldest of eight children and she loves drawing, painting, writing, and taking advantage of nature.
Emma Lee, Age 16 – Pennsylvania
Chapter 4 Illustration
Emma is currently in 11th grade and enjoys making art in various mediums. Her favorite right now is digital art.
Nazifa Talukder, Age 17 – New York
Chapter 5 Illustration
Nazifa is a high school senior who loves drawing and doing arts and crafts as a hobby. She aims to be a software developer who will use her passion for art and combine it with her interest in Computer Science. Nazifa’s favorite genres to read are mystery, fantasy, action, and adventure.
Abigail Regnier, Age 15 – Missouri
Chapter 7 Illustration
Abigail (who likes to be called Abby), is a homeschooled student and she lives with her parents, older sister, and her dog. Abby’s pastimes include creating art and ice skating.
Catherine Latham, Age 15 – North Carolina
Chapter 10 Illustration
Catherine has spent her entire life so far in North Carolina. She is passionate about her art, her cats and dog, reading mysteries, and exploring the forests and fields around her house.
Joshua Garretson, Age 13 – Kansas
Back Cover Illustration
Joshua lives on a farm in Kansas. His favorite pastimes are drawing, eating chocolate, sleeping, and playing basketball. He hopes to become a concept artist someday.
Runner-Up Cover Illustrations
Row 1:
Leila Zhou, 12, New Jersey
Catherine Latham, 15, North Carolina
Emma Lee, 16, Pennsylvania
Faustina Sena, 10, New Mexico
Ishitha Panguluri, 14, Florida
Row 2:
Hsing-Yu Liu, 9, California
Parker Lewis, 8, California
Melina Kassurova, 9, Georgia
Ying-Chen Liu, 12, California
Row 3:
Ipsita, 11, Maryland
Vivian Kassurova, 7, Georgia
Iris Tsai, 14, California
Kaarunyaasree Santhanakumar, 11, Virginia
Row 4:
Bryce McLoud, 11, Oregon
Joshua Garretson, 12, Kansas
Marnie Black, 12, Florida
Abigail Regnier, 15, Missouri
Nazifa Talukder, 17, New York
Looking for more adventures with Erin & Kim?
Follow the girls in book number two as
they uncover The Mystery of Old Coontz Mill.
In this story, they explore an old mill on the
edge of town that is full of secrets and meet
new friends along the way. The group of friends
find themselves solving an exciting mystery
and forming the Hidden Hollow Five
.
Hidden Hollow Five
The Mystery of Old Coontz Mill
(Book 2)
James R. Lewis
YIPublishing.com