Sign at the entrance to South Milwaukee's Seven Bridges, which reads, "Enter this wild wood and view the haunts of nature"

The Haunted States of America

Whoo hoo! A short story I wrote will represent Wisconsin in a middle grade horror anthology!

THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA will be published by Henry Holt/Macmillan. HH joined forces with the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators to feature 52 spooky short stories, one from each state plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. All stories are inspired by local events or myths and written by SCBWI members with a connection to the place. I created a spooky tale of South Milwaukee’s Seven Bridges, a beautiful but supposedly haunted place  where I spent so, so many hours in my childhood. The pictures of it below show how lovely — and at times secluded — it is.

I’m guessing the book will come out in one to two years, which is the usual pace for book publishers. When it does come out, I’m hoping you’ll buy a copy and read all the creepy tales.

And isn’t life funny that I learned this news the same week that I left my job at Scholastic? haha. But book news is great, and I can’t wait to read about our Haunted States.

The entrance to South Milwaukee's Seven Bridges

The entrance to South Milwaukee’s Seven Bridges

Sign at the entrance to South Milwaukee's Seven Bridges, which reads, "Enter this wild wood and view the haunts of nature"

“Enter this wild wood and view the haunts of nature”

The Seven Bridges opening bridge, overlooking a deep gorge

The Seven Bridges’s opening bridge, overlooking a deep gorge

The opening bridge's drop

The drop, which is much steeper than this photo makes it appear