The House Next Door

by Ellen Oh

Overview

For fans of Not Quite a Ghost and Ghost Squad, acclaimed middle grade author Ellen Oh of Spirit Hunters and an APALA Honoree delivers a new spooky novel about young hero Rory and the creepy house next door. Filled with scary spirits, mysterious noises, and malevolent forces, the house has tormented many souls, and Rory must do everything he can to prevent the new neighbors from becoming its next victims. We Need Diverse Books cofounder Ellen Oh delivers another heart-pounding story that you won’t be able to put down. 

Home is where the sinister lives. Rory Parker knows not to step a foot in, on, or around the house next door. He’s seen things creeping in the shadows, has had encounters with spirits, and lost a best friend to the house’s malevolence. But when his new neighbors, Jack and his lovable family, move into the house next door, Rory makes it his duty to protect them at all costs.

But the vicious forces lying within the house are plotting something evil, something that puts Jack’s little sister in extreme danger. Soon, Rory understands he’ll need the help of his new friend and some friendly ghosts in order to stand a chance at defeating whatever lurks within its walls for good. But what exactly lives in the house next door, and will Rory and Jack find out in time to save the day, or can its evil never be evicted?  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798228480278
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/30/2025
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Ellen Oh is the cofounder of We Need Diverse Books and author of the award-winning Spirit Hunters series for middle grade readers and the Prophecy trilogy (Prophecy, Warrior, and King) for young adults. Originally from New York City, Ellen is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian history. Ellen lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband and three children and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel. You can visit her online at ellenoh.com.

Editorial Reviews

"An inspired take on the haunted house trope and delivering a message that friends working together can defeat the greatest of challenges. Her novel is rife with creepiness and peril, leavened by moments of levity, making this an ideal tale for newcomers to the genre. Spooky fun for novice horror fans." — Kirkus Reviews

"An eerie, fast-moving tale of ghosts, creepy critters, and resourceful heroes with horror elements that induce just the right amount of shivers." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2025-05-30
Two 12-year-old boys join forces with unexpected allies to defeat malevolent creatures.

Japanese American Rory Parker watches uneasily as movers unpack his new neighbors’ belongings next door. The house has a tragic history—and it’s haunted. Rory’s former BFF Joey used to live there, and Rory saw a ghost and other small shadowy beings skulking around with his own eyes. Though reluctant to enter the house, Rory becomes fast friends with its new inhabitants, Korean American Jack and his younger sister, Mira. When Rory discovers that the same evil that afflicted Joey years earlier is targeting Mira, he resolves to keep her and her family safe. Rory and Jack will need the help of Jack’s plucky corgi, Rory’s ragdoll cat, and the benevolent spirits residing in the house to vanquish the monsters living beneath it. Oh, founder of the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books, treads familiar territory, offering an inspired take on the haunted house trope and delivering a message that friends working together can defeat the greatest of challenges. Her novel is rife with creepiness and peril, leavened by moments of levity, making this an ideal tale for newcomers to the genre. Elements of Japanese and Korean culture are integrated, especially through detailed descriptions of foodways.

Spooky fun for novice horror fans.(Horror. 8-13)

Kirkus Reviews