We don’t go into the woods after dark.
Introducing a new horror series perfect for fans of Goosebumps and Haunted Canada.
Dani’s lived her whole life in Salmon River First Nation. All the rez kids know there’s one rule to follow: never go into the woods at night—or the Whistler will get you. When Dani brings home an old arrowhead she finds in the woods, she accidentally invites the legend into her life in a terrifyingly real way.
Soon, a crying ghost starts haunting Dani’s bedroom, and only her best friend Sam believes her. Dani has never used a spirit board before, but she and Sam are determined to talk to the ghost girl. Is she in danger? What does she want from Dani? Or are the answers hidden deep in the woods, where the Whistler waits after dark?
Book One in the Salmon River Shivers Series
The first book in the Salmon River Shivers series follows Dani and her friends as they confront the Whistler, a malevolent figure who’s been haunting the woods in their rez for decades.
Key Selling Points:
Goosebumps meets the Mighty Muskrats!
The Whistler in the Woods has nostalgic Goosebumps vibes, but it’s set in a Mi’gmaq community, with a young Mi’gmaw female protagonist. With this first book in a new middle grade horror series, author Jodie Callaghan aspires to be the Indigenous R.L. Stine!
The covers, logo, and spot illustrations of the Salmon River Shivers series will call forth a satisfying nostalgia for fans who grew up with middle grade horror series in the 1990s and 2000s, and will be a fun introduction to new young horror readers.
In addition to the colorfully creepy cover, the interior features spooky black-and-white spot illustrations at key plot points from illustrator Hannah McAvoy that meld modern graphic style with a classic horror feel—while also helping to bridge the transition to text-based MG for young readers used to graphic novels.
The novel is inspired by the cultural teaching of the danger of whistling in the woods at night, one that the author was taught growing up in a Mi'gmaw household. When a local girl goes missing in the woods, and twelve-year-old Dani sees a ghost in her room, she’s afraid this is the ghost of the missing girl. With the help of her best friend Sam and her sister Charlie, they try to find out the truth and set the ghost to rest.
Jodie Callaghan noticed that a lot of middle grade horror, and young horror in general, is written for boys or features male protagonists. She wanted to write a fun horror novel from a girl’s perspective, because young girls enjoy scary books too.
Will appeal to young readers who enjoy scary stories, mysteries, and are curious about the paranormal. The book has genuine scares, which is what kids want from a horror novel. From communicating with a ghost with a Ouija (spirit) board to a chase scene in the woods, the book features some high-stakes, scary moments. It also has a lot of humor and a compelling cast of characters to lighten the mood.
Dani is very close with her family, especially her older sister, father, and grandmother. It was important for author Jodie Callaghan to portray a healthy and strong Indigenous family unit. Although Dani and her sister Charlie are very different and butt heads sometimes, Dani knows she can turn to her for help. Dani’s family is solid, and they have so much love for one another.