What kinds of mysteries lie deep in the woods? Readers will have to pick up this book to find out the answer to that question. Along the way, they'll complete activities and puzzles that will help them build important problem-solving skills. Accessible text provides helpful hints, while captivating illustrations give readers further guidance to complete each featured puzzle. Upon finishing the book, readers will feel a sense of accomplishment, an important aspect of keeping young readers motivated.

Big and Small are searching for their ball in the mysterious woods. It's a big, big adventure -- perhaps the adventure of a lifetime! Are there really alligators and gremlins in the woods? Will Big and Small get back safely with their ball?

A book much like the mysterious, inviting woods it describes. Step in to find friendship, magic, and surprises.

When children start to go missing in the local woods, a teen girl must face her fears and a past she can't remember to rescue them in this atmospheric YA novel, Lost in the Never Woods from the author of Cemetery Boys. It’s been five years since Wendy and her two brothers went missing in the woods, but when the town’s children start to disappear, the questions surrounding her brothers’ mysterious circumstances are brought back into the light. Attempting to flee her past, Wendy almost runs over an unconscious boy lying in the middle of the road... Peter, a boy she thought lived only in her stories, asks for Wendy’s help to rescue the missing kids. But, in order to find them, Wendy must confront what’s waiting for her in the woods. Praise for Aiden Thomas and Cemetery Boys: “This stunning debut novel from Thomas is detailed, heart-rending, and immensely romantic.” —Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift “Aiden Thomas masterfully weaves a tale of family, friendships, and love in a heartwarming adventure full of affirmation and being your best self." — C.B. Lee, author of Not Your Sidekick

Gothic gay romance in the stormy coastal woods of the Pacific Northwest. On a downward spiral after a horrifying loss, wealthy New York photographer James Worthington Crane flees to the rural Oregon Coast in search of a puzzling inheritance. But when he pulls into the decaying seaside town of Brooks, everyone seems to mistake him for a bad boy named Beau. Now James must push through his grief to unravel a tangled web of family secrets...with help from a soft-spoken local contractor by the name of Hunter. Hunter Quaid’s been on his own since the age of fifteen. It’s taken years of hard work and healing to build the simple life he has now, fixing up seaside houses while living alone by the river. Then James blows in like a winter storm, disturbing the peace and stirring up dreams Hunter thought he’d given up. As their lives and histories intertwine in unexpected ways, they find out what it means to know where you belong. From the author of Merrick and Hidden Talents comes an eerie, sensual romance inspired by the rugged beauty and offbeat history of Pacific Northwest timber country. In Strange Woods moves through ancient old-growth forests, abandoned logging roads, ramshackle seaside towns, decaying homesteads, coastal highways, and the stories hidden in the trees. This book contains references to grief, mental illness, alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, suicide and murder. A detailed list of content warnings can be found on the author's website. Reviews for In Strange Woods "I was dragged into the forest and lost among the trees until the very last word ... a mystery and a thriller and a romance all woven together in a stunningly well written story." -Wine Drunk Reviews "Enthusiastically recommended." -Boy Meets Boy Reviews "A really well-written hurt/comfort mystery story that provides a well-deserved happy ending." -Love Bytes "Refreshingly different, with characters who are real, but at the same time straight from our fantasies. Most of all for me, it is fantastic how it utterly transforms soul-sucking devastation to a new beginning, full of love, promise and joy." -Kimmers Erotic Book Banter "The book feels both special and unusual and the characters are real and raw and flawed--and wonderfully relatable. The writing borrows from the Gothic tradition; the descriptions of coastal Oregon are dark and eerie and there is a fabulous sense of claustrophobia despite the immense open spaces." -Wicked Reads "In Strange Woods has exactly what I love in a book -- a bit of everything. Offering suspense, surprising reveals, a quiet romance with undeniable chemistry, great characters, poignant moments, and some heartbreak, this story completely ensnared me." -Bayou Book Junkie "Both James and Hunter's characters were so easy to become attached to with every page read ... and don't even get me started on their incredible chemistry physically. It will have you rooting for them to stay together permanently just like I was." -Making it Happen "This intriguing adult gothic gay story has interesting twists that keep one turning the pages, and beautiful imagery that immerses one in the unique area of the Northwest ... an eerie and entertaining read." -The Reading Addict

"A supernatural wonder of a book. This Grimm-like fantasy is vividly detailed and will appeal to young and old readers alike." --School Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW) "Toalson intersperses Lenora's story with Richard's journal excerpts and an enigmatic, menacing character's first-person narrative, all of which lends context and dimension. The seamless blend of fantastical and realistic elements is particularly effective at exploring the multifaceted impact of tragedy and loss." --Booklist "Mysterious and beautifully rendered, R.L Toalson's THE WOODS is a heartbreaking story of family, magic and grief that will touch readers' hearts." --Samantha M Clark, author of THE BOY, THE BOAT, AND THE BEAST After a tragic explosion causes Lenora to lose her family, she goes to live with her estranged uncle at his estate. There, Lenora is drawn to the nearby woods and the magic she discovers within them. Can this magic reunite her with her family, or is it more sinister than she realizes? Twelve-year-old Lenora's world is turned upside down after an explosion makes her the lone surviving member of her immediate family. She has nowhere to go, until her estranged Uncle Richard shows up and takes her away to live with him in his lonely mansion. Quiet and stern, he spends most of his time in his study conducting research and experimenting. Lenora is able to explore parts of the mansion and its lovely gardens, but Uncle Richard has one rule for her: Stay out of the woods. Years ago, Lenora's cousin, Bobby went into Gilgevnah Woods and never came out. Now, Uncle Richard will do anything he can to destroy them. Lenora knows she is meant to stay away, but her grief and loneliness draw her in. Upon entering the woods, she finds a world full of enchantment and beauty. Lenora befriends Bela the Scorlaman, keeper of Gilgevnah Woods, who shows her the wonder and the mystery of the place, but also promises to reunite her with her family. Is it too good to be true? Will Lenora find peace in the magic of Gilgevnah Woods, or will she find something darker? The Woods is an entrancing magical realism novel from author R.L. Toalson that tackles profound loss, grief, and finally, acceptance.