Hello, teacher & librarian friends! Want to get your readers excited about writing everything from spooky stories to poetry and songs? We’re partnering with New York Times bestselling author Kate Messner to offer a virtual author-in-residence program as a thank you gift for everyone who pre-orders her new novel from us. Recommended for readers in grades 4 and up, KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON comes out in February 2027. It’s a multi-modal Broadway ghost story, told through traditional narration as well as text messages, song lyrics, historical documents, and musical theater scenes directed by the ghost. Kate’s Virtual Author-in-Residence Program for 2026-2027 is perfect for classrooms, libraries, and homeschoolers who are excited about KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON as well as those reading and loving Kate’s novel THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES. Here’s how it works… KATE MESSNER’S VIRTUAL AUTHOR-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM Offered at no cost with your pre-order of one or more copies of KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON from our store, the program includes: - An exclusive pdf excerpt with the first 40 pages of KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON delivered to your inbox on October 1st. - Writing Scary Scenes – a 20-minute on-demand writing workshop for grades 4-8 with author Kate Messner - Songwriting is Poetry – a 20-minute on-demand workshop for grades 4-8 with author Kate Messner & Broadway music director and composer Haley Bennett, who wrote music to go along with the song lyrics in KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON.
- A Live Virtual Author Visit on February 11th – A 45-minute virtual author visit sharing Kate’s research and writing process for her NYT Bestseller THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES and her new novel KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON, including live Q&A with readers. (Each pre-order provides access to the live webinar for one device. A recording will also be available after the live event, with unlimited access through the 2026-2027 school year.) Just pre-order your copy from us today, and you’ll automatically be signed up for the virtual author-in-residence program. You’ll get an email from Kate on October 1st (or on the first of the next month after you order, if it’s later) with the excerpt and links to the on-demand writing workshops as well as your invitation to register for the live Zoom author visit.
About the book:
"This one will haunt me for a long time." --R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps and Fear Street series New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Kate Messner crafts a fast-paced ghost story. A haunted Broadway theater. A ghost demanding justice. Three kids who must follow the clues to unlock the past . . . When Daphne, Luna, and Felix break into a shuttered theater to produce their own musical, they find it haunted by the ghost of an angry showgirl who makes a cryptic demand: TRUTH Daphne is already struggling with her own truth, ever since a cute older boy humiliated her in front of the drama club last spring. Now her heart is full of secrets, and she hasn't written a new song in months. But the ghost is persistent, and the friends find themselves sleuthing through empty research libraries and abandoned theaters in a search for answers. As the hauntings escalate from spooky to deadly, can they uncover the truth of what happened a century ago and finally free their ghosts? Told via stage play, song lyrics, letters, and more this fast-paced, accessible novel will capture any reader.