Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel

In this gripping ghost story by Bayron (Rise of the Wrecking Crew), a Black tween must uncover the origins of the apparitions haunting the carousel of a traveling circus. Whenever 11-year-old Olive Oakes’s parents—real estate agents who specialize in managing historic properties—are called away for business, Olive loves to tag along, hoping to find some mystery to solve within the sometimes creepy buildings. During her parents’ latest gig visiting a purportedly haunted house in nearby Whispering Woods, Olive, accompanied by her cousin Eli, explores the neighborhood. While some of the townspeople encourage the youths to attend the newly arrived annual carnival, others warn them to stay away, piquing the amateur sleuths’ interest. As they research the town and circus, they unearth a 1996 article about two children who disappeared after riding the carousel. Upon discovering that Olive can apparently see ghosts—and noticing that a few of the carnival’s current patrons appear to be apparitions—Olive determines to learn about what happened to the missing children. Interspersed throughout Olive’s tenacious first-person POV are handwritten, occasionally repetitive excerpts from the protagonist’s journal, which detail intriguing observations and provide a running list of case updates and people of interest. Scooby-Doo vibes are amplified by Eli’s well-timed comedic interjections, coalescing in an enjoyable mystery romp. Ages 8–11. Agent: Jamie Vankirk, Rainbow Nerds Literary. (Apr.)