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OLIVE OAKES
AND THE
HAUNTED CAROUSEL
April 7th, 2026
Cover Art by Briana Mukodiri Uchendu
Full of hijinks and heart, New York Times bestselling author Kalynn Bayron's new mystery series puts a modern spin on the classic Nancy Drew mystery.
Olive Oakes loves a good mystery. She keeps a notebook with her at all times, ready to jot down observations about anything that seems out of the ordinary. Along with her cousin Eli, Olive is always looking for her next mystery to solve.
When Olive and her family visit a town called Whispering Woods, she uncovers a strange backstory to the traveling circus that comes through the area once a year. With rumors of missing kids and ghost sightings, it's the perfect opportunity for Olive to investigate! The people of Whispering Woods are very secretive, but Olive is ready to solve the mystery of the haunted carousel.
A Note To Educators
I wrote the Olive Oakes series specifically for our young readers who may need a stepping stone between easy-readers and longer, more complicated middle grade novels. My goal is always to inspire a love of reading, and I think in light of recent challenges regarding literacy rates, we have to meet our young people where they are at.
Each Olive Oakes story is a self contained mystery in 150 pages or less with easy to understand plot points and relatable real-word protagonists.
My hope is to boost reading confidence in young readers by giving them short, snappy stories that eventually lead them to other middle grade titles. We are all in this together.
Happy reading!
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