THE ORPHAN OF AWKWARD FALLS

When thirteen-year-old Josephine moves to Awkward Falls she can't help but snoop around the dilapidated mansion next door.

Inevitably, she is captured by the house s strange inhabitants: an ancient automaton who serves as a butler, a cat patched together with a few odd parts, and most surprising of all, a boy named Thaddeus Hibble. Meanwhile, Fetid Stenchley the most feared patient in the Asylum for the Dangerously Insane is on the loose after making a dramatic escape, and there is only one thing on his mind...revenge. Unfortunately for Josephine and Thaddeus, he s headed their way. Can these unlikely friends stop Stenchley before it's too late? With a penchant for spooky details, surprising twists, and haunting illustrations, Keith Graves delivers a suspenseful and engaging first novel.

Keith Graves grew up long ago in a strange, humid land called New Orleans. And if you don't think it really is a strange place, then you haven't been there for Mardi Gras. He is the author and illustrator of a bunch of nutty books for children including Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance, Chicken Big, and Three Nasty Gnarlies. Keith lives in Austin, Texas with his wife Nancy and twins Max and Emma.