ZACK, HIS DAD, and new stepmother have just moved back to his father’s hometown, not knowing that their new house has a dark history. Fifty y...
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Aug 18, 2008
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
There's a tree that stands watch over the crossroads of County Route 13 and Connecticut State Highway 31. There's a memorial on the tree. Someone leaves a dozen fresh roses there every Monday. And the tree is at the back edge of Zack Jennings's new yard.
Zack, his father, and his new step-mother have left the city and moved to Connecticut. Zack lost his mother to cancer, and now that his father has remarried, the family is making a n More...
There's a tree that stands watch over the crossroads of County Route 13 and Connecticut State Highway 31. There's a memorial on the tree. Someone leaves a dozen fresh roses there every Monday. And the tree is at the back edge of Zack Jennings's new yard.
Zack, his father, and his new step-mother have left the city and moved to Connecticut. Zack lost his mother to cancer, and now that his father has remarried, the family is making a n More...
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Jun 29, 2008
Ruth
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Zack Jennings, his dad, and his new step-mother move to a new house in Connecticut. He and his new puppy, Zipper, run into many ghosts--and they all seems to deal with the crossroads of Route 13 and Highway 31 where a terrible accident happened many years ago involving a bus and Clint Eberhart. Miss Gerta Spratling and her elderly chauffeur every Monday visit the huge old oak tree near the crossroads, and on the Jennings property, where Miss Spratling has a memorial to her fiance, Clint Eberha
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Dec 27, 2011
Becky
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Here's a good tween ghost story with a lot of plot twists and some creepy/somewhat-violent moments. It took me a while to get used to the main character Zack's shyness and introversion after just having read the confident, cocky narration of the boys in "Frindle" and "Swindle." Also, I read this one in spurts, and lost track of some of the characters and their...state of being living. So you might want to read this uninterrupted. I liked that there was an evil old lady, but N
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Feb 26, 2011
Gail
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I started reading this book as I normally do at 9 p.m. I always read prior to going to bed. Unfortunately, I couldn't go to sleep after reading a few chapters. You would think that if a book made you a little jumpy, that you wouldn't keep reading it, but I couldn't stop thinking about this book and so the next night I finished it. It was good. Ghost stories are kind of spooky to me, but this one was full of twists and turns. The story is about a boy who sees things in trees. His mother hate
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Feb 12, 2010
Marlyn
rated it:
This YA book is a ghost story, and it's fairly spooky.
But it's also a self-realization story, and a very good one, at that.
The town of North Chester has an unhappy history. In 1958, there was a bus accident at the edge of town, and 41 people were killed, including the bus driver, the driver of the car that hit the bus, and a local policeman.
The only bus passenger who survived the accident was Mary O'Claire, who is now in a nursing home in North Chester, and is looke More...
But it's also a self-realization story, and a very good one, at that.
The town of North Chester has an unhappy history. In 1958, there was a bus accident at the edge of town, and 41 people were killed, including the bus driver, the driver of the car that hit the bus, and a local policeman.
The only bus passenger who survived the accident was Mary O'Claire, who is now in a nursing home in North Chester, and is looke More...
Feb 15, 2009
Patty
rated it:
Wow, Chris Grabenstein can write as well for young adults as he does for adults. The Crossroads has a young teen as the main character and his ability to see inside trees to the people who are trapped there is fascinating. Sounds a bit strange but the way it is woven into the life experiences of this young man makes it all totally believable. A ghost story of top caliber. I'll be waiting for the next entry in this series with as much anticipation as I do the entries in the Ceepak series.
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Jan 06, 2009
Jackie
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Zack Jennings has a lot to deal with...a mother who died from cancer; a disease she blamed on Zack, a new step-mother, and a move to Connecticut leaving his friends behind in New York. Zack is shy and lonely at first with the move to his new house. But, just as in New York, he seems to be haunted by ghosts and odd, eerie voices. The new town they've moved to appears to have a very sordid history. Fifty years ago, an accident of epic proportions happened at the crossroads of Rtes. 31 and 13. Judy
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Jan 25, 2012
Amy M
rated it: 
There were a number of things I enjoyed about The Crossroads but, overall, my disappointment outweighed my enjoyment.
Some of the things that Zach said and did not, in my opinion, fit with his age. In addition to working with teens at my job, I also work with tweens. From that experience and from hanging out with my niece, who is 11 1/2 years old, Zach acted a bit young at times. However, that is kind of nit-picky of me.
I loved that Zach's stepmom was a positive influence on h More...
Some of the things that Zach said and did not, in my opinion, fit with his age. In addition to working with teens at my job, I also work with tweens. From that experience and from hanging out with my niece, who is 11 1/2 years old, Zach acted a bit young at times. However, that is kind of nit-picky of me.
I loved that Zach's stepmom was a positive influence on h More...
Dec 08, 2011
Erin
rated it:
The Crossroads
by Chris Grabenstein
Did you know that criminals used to be buried at crossroads in some cultures because they weren't allowed to be buried in regular “consecrated” cemetery grounds? Crossroads were the closest thing to a cross shape, so people figured the cross shape would keep the evil dead from coming back to haunt the living. In this book, the crossroads are indeed haunted, by many, many ghosts. Some good and some very, intensely evil. The fun part of this book isn't More...
by Chris Grabenstein
Did you know that criminals used to be buried at crossroads in some cultures because they weren't allowed to be buried in regular “consecrated” cemetery grounds? Crossroads were the closest thing to a cross shape, so people figured the cross shape would keep the evil dead from coming back to haunt the living. In this book, the crossroads are indeed haunted, by many, many ghosts. Some good and some very, intensely evil. The fun part of this book isn't More...
Feb 27, 2009
Julia
rated it:
A good ghost story for upper elementary to early middle school students.
Zach's dad is getting remarried. He's pretty happy with his new stepmom, but can't quite get rid of the "ghost" of his less kind mother from his memories. That's why he's content to be moving from New York to the small Connecticut town that his father grew up in. They move to a brand new subdivision and in his back yard is a huge oak tree, which has been made into a shrine for someone's dead loved on More...
Zach's dad is getting remarried. He's pretty happy with his new stepmom, but can't quite get rid of the "ghost" of his less kind mother from his memories. That's why he's content to be moving from New York to the small Connecticut town that his father grew up in. They move to a brand new subdivision and in his back yard is a huge oak tree, which has been made into a shrine for someone's dead loved on More...
May 10, 2009
Doris
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I loved this book. In the "old days" when I was cataloging, I read a lot of Juv. and YA books. I bought four copies of CROSSRODS...three went to libraries and I kept one. The only problem that I see with this book is that I think...for subject matter, writing, etc., it should be YA, but the protag is only 11.
Chris is a very good writer (if you haven't read his Ceepak series...do so at once). He is also a really great guy. I would love him as a "son" or brother. If More...
Chris is a very good writer (if you haven't read his Ceepak series...do so at once). He is also a really great guy. I would love him as a "son" or brother. If More...
Jan 23, 2011
Jane
rated it:
Grade 5–8—A well-told ghost story with plenty of twists and chills. Eleven-year-old Zack believes that his mother, who died from cancer, haunts his New York City apartment, continually disapproving of his behavior. He is immensely relieved when Dad marries Judy, a kind woman, and they move to Connecticut. Unfortunately, Zack cannot seem to escape the dead. Shortly after arriving in North Chester, they meet Gerda Spratling, the last survivor of the town's founding family. The abrasive woman mourn
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Jun 09, 2011
Kimberly
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Humorous, fun filled writing is abundant in the novel "The Crossroads", while still dealing with some serious topics. Zack, our new boy in town, is suspicious about that old tree that stands at the corner of the intersection in his large backyard. Mysterious things have been happening and Zack and his best friend Davy, who talks charmingly as a boy from
Kentucky, investigate to find out why. Meanwhile, we have step mom named Judy who is also investigating and trying to find her fo More...
Kentucky, investigate to find out why. Meanwhile, we have step mom named Judy who is also investigating and trying to find her fo More...
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Jan 11, 2009
Matthew
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NO for black-eyed susan.
NO for our library.
This book is definitely a Young Adult title and not appropriate to be read by students in grades 4-6.
A ghost is trapped in an old tree and determined to kill a list of people whom, I assume, have something to do with the wrongs committed toward him when he was living.
To be fair, I only made it to page 37. But in that short amount of time one man was in a near accident while driving in which the narrator comments More...
NO for our library.
This book is definitely a Young Adult title and not appropriate to be read by students in grades 4-6.
A ghost is trapped in an old tree and determined to kill a list of people whom, I assume, have something to do with the wrongs committed toward him when he was living.
To be fair, I only made it to page 37. But in that short amount of time one man was in a near accident while driving in which the narrator comments More...
Aug 31, 2008
Brandi
rated it:
While I'm not the intended demographic target for this book, I really enjoyed it, almost more than the Ceepak books. Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read, but I would've loved to delve further into the stories of the other ghosts. Were I 13 instead of 33, this book probably would've scared the pee out of me.
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Dec 04, 2011
Chris
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If I'd read this this at a different time or in different circumstances I most likely would have given it four stars instead of five, but I'm inflating the rating because it did such a good job of engaging me. I have a lot going on in my life right now that's keeping my mind very occupied, and often when I listen to an audiobook in this mindset it will never fully grab my attention or focus because of all the noise in my head distracting me. This one did the opposite, giving me a break from th
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Mar 09, 2010
Mallory
rated it:
Awards Won: Agatha and Anthony
Have you ever wondered if one action can set off a series of events? This book uses imagination to address such a question. The Crossroads does contain some passages that may not be suitable for younger readers.
Have you ever wondered if one action can set off a series of events? This book uses imagination to address such a question. The Crossroads does contain some passages that may not be suitable for younger readers.
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Oct 05, 2010
Erin
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What a great, spooky kids book! Zack is a 10 year old boy who moves to North Chester, Connecticut into a new house just outside of town. His house backs up to an intersection marked with a flashing red light, and a large old oak tree that sits on the corner. Although Zack doesn't know it immediately, he is visited by several ghosts. Several are helpful ghosts, trying to look out for him, and others passing through the intersection. But one is evil, and his soul lives within the oak tree. The tal
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Mar 28, 2010
Sheila
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In this thrilling ghost story for middle-graders, 11-year-old Zack Jennings, who has quite an active imagination, is moving from New York to North Chester, Connecticut, with his dad and his decidedly unwicked new stepmother, Judy, who writes the "Curiosity Cat" children's books. When they arrive, Zack finds, to his surprise, that he also has a new dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Zipper.
The crossroads of the title is an intersection where a fatal bus crash occurred 50 year More...
The crossroads of the title is an intersection where a fatal bus crash occurred 50 year More...
Jul 09, 2008
Monae
rated it:
I loved this story. It only took a few hours to read, but it was a page turner that took me back to being a kid listening to the teacher read after lunch. It was funny, a little weird, and very enjoyable.
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Oct 26, 2010
Jennifer
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Zach is a normal kid with a new house and a new stepmom and the ability to see ghosts. He's managed to keep it mostly a secret. He's also harboring a major guilt thing because his real mom blamed him for everything - her cancer, her unhappiness, and probably her death. Zach's new stepmom is the opposite, and he really wants to relax with her. But...their new house is on the same property where a terrible accident occurred. Spirits are not at rest, and a certain human individual is trying to
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Jan 14, 2012
Leaf
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When Zack Jennings mother dies his father remarries Judy and they move to a new place to start over again. At first everything seems all right but then Zack finds out that the tree in their backyard hosts an evil ghost. Then one night there's a thunderstorm and a bolt of lightning strikes the tree and releases the ghost of Clint Eberhart. Now he's free and wants to kill Zack for what his grandfather did to his son more than fourty years ago.
I picked this book up because I wanted to re-read More...
I picked this book up because I wanted to re-read More...
Sep 23, 2011
Natalie
rated it:
This was a amazing book! It was very spooky and thrilling at the same time. The book is about a boy named Zack Jennings who moves into a new house. In his back yard theres a old oak tree that will soon cause him much trouble. In his first days of living in his new house he starts to see ghosts. He is set with a challenge to free all the ghosts trapped by a old bus crash and not able to go up to heaven. They can't go up cause somebody still honors the guy that was in the other car and caus
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May 02, 2008
Recommended to me by an e-mail from Booklist...sounds creepy!
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Dec 05, 2011
The story "The Crossroads" by Chris Grabestein is a below average story and I wouldn’t recommend it . The story goes by very slowly and when you think it picks up it doesn’t. On page 56 Zack and his dog ran into this spooky lady and she said “Now, scoot. Skedaddle. This is my tree. And don’t you dare let that mangy little mongrel piddle against it, you hear me boy?” It was getting intense at the time, but on the next page he changed topics. You thought it would make you put the book d
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Jun 16, 2011
Dawn
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Zach's mother has died from cancer and his father has just remarried. They are moving from NYC to Zach's father's childhood town in Connecticut to start over and build a new life together; however, there seems to be an evil presence following Zach. He first feels this evil vibe when he passes by a large tree close to his house. Later, in Connecticut, he feels it again. Who or what is watching him?
If you like ghost stories, then this one's for you. Ghosts abound and the dead return t More...
If you like ghost stories, then this one's for you. Ghosts abound and the dead return t More...
Sep 20, 2010
Kylie
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I gave this book three stars because it was very intense, but so confusing at the same time. Some parts of the chapters were a little boring and to me didn’t make sense. It was also a book I couldn’t stand to read at night. It was very creepy and sent chills up your spine. I’m not a fan of ghosts so this book definitely wasn’t for me. It really got me confused in the beginning but once you read the book you understand why things happened the way they did. I wouldn’t recommend this book if you do
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Sep 25, 2009
Ronda
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My son was assigned this book as part of a reading group and I've got to say, he was totally pulled in from the very beginning. It's one of the first assigned readings I remember that he wanted to read through and didn't want to put down. As soon as he finished it, he put it in my hands and told me that I HAD to read it. I did--and loved it! It is seriously creepy, but funny too--and the mystery of what happened and what is going to happen next makes it awfully hard to put this book down. An
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Oct 04, 2009
Michael
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"The Crossroads" is the first in a new series (#2 is "Hanging Hill") of supernatural thrillers. High on tension and low on gore, it is a great intro the genre for 9-12 year olds. Zack Jennings is a character that readers will love to follow: brave despite his fears, cursed with an ability to see ghosts, and blessed with some secret strength to fight the ones that are bent on evil. The crossroads outside his new home are not just a meeting place for two roads, but a nexus of d
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Jan 28, 2012
Deborah
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Poor Zack! He is traumatized by his late emotionally abusive mom and feels he is still haunted by her. Luckily his dad remarries a wonderful gal and buys a new house in the town where he grew up to start over new. The house is right next to the town's crossroads that hold a tragic, horrific past.
While the story isn't wonderful, I like how Zack's step-mother is very involved in the story and how Zack overcomes the negative thoughts that his biological mom has put into his head.
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While the story isn't wonderful, I like how Zack's step-mother is very involved in the story and how Zack overcomes the negative thoughts that his biological mom has put into his head.
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