Closed for the Season

Closed for the Season is a very adventurous book that was very fun for me to read. I am usually not the type of person who would want to read a mystery/suspenseful book, but I thought this book was great. I think it is a very good read for fifth and sixth grade age children. They are old enough to really understand what is going on without the book frightening them. It can show this age children that it is okay to be yourself and show that they do not have to conform to other social groups just to be cool, just like Logan did with Arthur. Logan wanted to be in the "it" group and didn't want to hang around with a weird kid like Arthur, but once he saw the fun, genuine, loving, adventurous side of Arthur, he realized that being friends show more with him was what he wanted to do. He didn't like that the "it" group sat around and talked bad about Arthur because Logan understood Arthur like none of the other kids knew how too. I would recommend this book to anyone older than the fifth grade, including adults. show less

Twelve-year-old Logan Forbes moves from Richmond, Virginia, to the small-town suburb of Bealesville the summer before seventh grade. A bookish boy, he’s looking forward to a fresh start and hopes of, for once, connecting with the in-crowd. No such luck! His next-door neighbor is Arthur Jenkins, a socially inept, slovenly misfit who’s the most unpopular kid in town. In addition, thanks to a slick real-estate agent, the Forbes have moved into the notorious “murder house,” where Myrtle Donaldson was murdered three years earlier.

Mrs. Donaldson had been the ticket taker at the now closed Magic Forest Amusement Park. When a huge sum turned up missing, Mrs. Donaldson was presumed to have stolen it; however, Arthur and his grandmother show more don’t think so. Everyone presumes that Mrs. Donaldson was killed by someone looking for the stolen loot. But soon Logan and Arthur investigate Mrs. Donaldson’s murder. Will what they find bring justice for Mrs. Donaldson? Or put the boys into danger themselves?

Mary Downing Hahn has a special talent for weaving scary and suspenseful stories for the middle-school set. You won’t be surprised to discover that Close for the Season won the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. But books like Closed for the Season, The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall, The Old Willis Place, and All the Lovely Bad Ones are well crafted enough to keep adults on their edge of their seats. Highly recommended. show less

The weather-beaten sign on the gate of the Magic Forest says closed for the season. But when the boys ride up to the gate on their bikes, Arthur tells his new friend, Logan, that the old amusement park hasn't been open for years. Kudzu vines have grown over everything, making the park look sinister even in broad daylight, so Logan is reluctant to go inside, but Arthur urges him on. He's sure they'll discover important clues to the mystery they're trying to solve: Who killed Myrtle Donaldson? And what happened to the money she handled as head bookkeeper at the Magic Forest? Arthur and Logan's quest takes them to the lowest -- and highest -- levels of society in their small Virginia town. The boys must pay another visit to the Magic show more Forest, this time in the middle of the night. And this time they find the killer waiting for them among the shadowy kudzu vines. show less

This book is a fun, mysterious read for any age. Arthur and Logan bring us on a murder chase into an old amusement park that is closed for the season. The boys encounter bullies, friends, and trials along the way, but in the end, they may find something worth sharing. The friendship they make along the way is really the moral of the story, but it wasn't always that way. The boys really learn that their differences make them stronger and that it is OK to be different. They use their bond to help catch a murder. What adolescent wouldn't find that interesting? This book kept me intrigued the whole time. I would recommend this book for a 5th grade reading level.

Thirteen year-old Logan has just moved from Richmond to small, rural Bealesville. As soon as his family begins moving into their new house, the kid next door comes over and explains that the house has been sitting empty because the last owner was murdered there and found at the bottom of the cellar stairs. The boy, Arthur, is known as the weirdo of the neighborhood, but it turns out that everything he says is true, and soon Arthur enlists Logan in investigating the murder.

The cover looks dark and scary, but this is a straight-up mystery, and is a winner of the Edgar Award for best Juvenile Mystery. Just as much of the story involves the friendship between Arthur and Logan, and what part labels and peer pressure plays in their friendship.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

New to the neighborhood, Logan isn't exactly thrilled when Arthur, the weird kid next door, bustles over to welcome him. Right away, Logan can tell that Arthur is going to be a challenge.

The other less than thrilling thing that Logan learns about his new home is that its previous owner, Myrtle Donaldson, was murdered. How come his parents didn't check out something like that before they agreed to buy the rundown place?

At least it's summer vacation, so Logan has time to get to know the place before he's thrust into making friends at school. He's not much of an athlete, and if his past school experiences are any indication, making friends with the cool kids will probably be a show more disaster.

When Arthur shows up on Logan's doorstep and offers to show him around, he guesses his friendship is better than nothing. The two end up having a lot in common and finding Myrtle Donaldson's killer turns them into a sort of crime-fighting team.

The murder, the possibility of the killer's involvement in embezzlement, and the bulldozing of a local, historic amusement park all combine for some great adventure. Normally law-abiding Logan find himself following the lead of reckless Arthur as they investigate Logan's musty attic, the local library, and the overgrown grounds of Magic Forest. They are clever and creative enough to discover some clues that lead them into some dangerous territory.

Mary Downing Hahn is a master of mystery. As the author of novels for young people, she captures the spooky atmosphere of the old amusement park and the excitement of the chase as she reveals the clues to the years old murder mystery.

CLOSED FOR THE SEASON is an excellent addition to any middle grade mystery collection. show less

I listened to the book through audio option on a book app. I fell in love with this book. It was suspenseful. I had to go back and read it again while I was home later. The characters were written very well. The plot was organized and just when you though it wouldn't get better it did. I will have to say I would have a few words with that realtor if I were Logan's parents. My house would need to be blessed before I felt comfortable in it anymore. I do not have to repeat the plot like everyone else but it's an amazing read. Plus, if you love animals Bear is amazing.