Night of the Gray Walker

Looking for a wholesome, spooky read the whole family can enjoy together this Halloween? This cozy autumn short story is the perfect seasonal read for middle-grade readers and family storytime! On Halloween night, ten-year-old Owen is dressed as a knight: cardboard armor from a moving box, a soup-pot lid for a shield, and a flashlight that's running out of battery. His big sister was supposed to take him trick-or-treating. Instead he's alone, taking a shortcut across a dark field, when the fog rolls in.When it clears, the pavement is gone. There's a dirt road, a line of old trees, and one warm window glowing at the top of a hill.At The Ember and the Oak, it's Lantern Night. The children of the town are carving turnip lanterns to light from a hearth that has never gone out. But this year nobody wants to walk home. Something has been screaming in the old mill. A pale shape has been gliding over the orchard. And the one window every child walks toward on the way home has gone dark.The kids whisper that the Gray Walker is out.Night of the Gray Walker is a gently spooky, warm-hearted adventure about courage, friendship, and the light we carry for each other. It's a stand-alone story from The Hearth and the Road, for readers 8 to 12.