Bumps in the Night - by Amalie Howard

About the Book

Sent to her grandmother's estate in Trinidad, Rika meets a group of kids with elemental powers called Minders, who reveal that her long-lost mom is in danger, sending Rika on a magical adventure where she must learn to believe in herself to destroy evil.

Book Synopsis

The creepy middle grade debut from USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard in which a girl stays with her grandmother in Trinidad for the summer and discovers that she comes from a long line of powerful witches.

"Filled with wonder, chills, excitement, and adventure. Fantastic fun from start to finish!" --Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of SPARK

* "This beguiling read is one to savor." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

Darika "Rika" Lovelace is in trouble. The kind of trouble that sends her to her grandmother's estate in Trinidad for the whole summer. But something about the island feels...different. As soon as she steps off the plane, strange things start happening!

Rika meets a group of kids called Minders, who seem to have elemental powers. Even worse, she can sense jumbies lurking in the shadows. Needless to say, she wants a ticket home. But when the Minders let slip that her long-lost mom is in danger, she knows she can't leave.

Thrust into a magical adventure involving bloodcurdling monsters, a supernatural silk cotton tree, and an endless maze, Rika must defeat the fearsome jumbie king to save her family and new friends. But unless she learns to believe in herself, she'll never beat him or escape his twisted maze.

Review Quotes

"An absolute page-turner! Kids will eat this up!" --Jennifer L. Holm, New York Times bestselling author of THE LION OF MARS

"Steeped in Trinidadian lore, Bumps in the Night is spooky and atmospheric. I loved it!" --Lindsay Currie, award-winning author of SCRITCH SCRATCH and WHAT LIVES IN THE WOODS

"Filled with wonder, chills, excitement, and adventure. Fantastic fun from start to finish!" --Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of SPARK

"A thrilling, hair-raising tale. [It] kept me spellbound!" --Wendy Parris, author of Junior Library Guild selection FIELD OF SCREAMS

★ "Combined with fantastical, climate-conscious scenarios and vivacious and illuminating Black Indo-Trinidadian diaspora folklore that springs from the pages, this beguiling read is one to savor." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Exciting, culturally rich fun and adventure." --Kirkus Reviews

"A fast-paced adventure." --The Horn Book

"An excellent read for those who crave adventure with a touch of spookiness." --Booklist

About the Author

AMALIE HOWARD is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of historical romance, including The Beast of Beswick, The Rakehell of Roth, and Always Be My Duchess, and has penned several critically acclaimed young adult novels. She is an AAPI, Caribbean-born writer whose work has been featured in publications such as Entertainment Weekly and Oprah Daily. When she's not writing, she can usually be found reading; being the president of her one-woman Harley Davidson motorcycle club, #WriteOrDie; or power-napping. She lives in Colorado with her family.