Shady Neighbors

Themes: Overactive Imagination, Fiction, Tween, Emergent Reader, Chapter Book, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Books, Hi-Lo Solutions, High-Low Books, Hi-Low Books, ELL, EL, ESL, Struggling Learner, Struggling Reader, Special Education, SPED, Newcomers, Reading, Learning, Education, Educational, Educational Books. The Moore family lives in a neighborhood where people greet new neighbors with fresh baked cookies. But the new people are never home. Marlon's imagination runs wild. He sees lights coming from the back of house in the middle of the night. Then he overhears a loud argument. What's going on with those shady neighbors? Marlon enlists his friends as spies. The boys decide to take a closer look when they notice the front door is unlocked. Then they go in a second time. That's when Ashley, Marlon's sister, catches them. But Marlon is determined to find out why the neighbors are so odd. What's with the digging in the backyard? Why is there no furniture? And what about the yelling? Nothing good could be happening, for sure! Walden Lane is a quintessential small city. And these chapter books describe a typical American family, with busy schedules and the usual problems. The series explores suburban life in a fun way, with topics appropriate for younger readers. These gentle reads are innocent, hopeful, and sometimes funny, with no unsettling surprises or storylines. Each book is 5,000 words (approx.) and 10 chapters.