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Closed for the Season
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A contemporary thriller by the bestselling author of The Old Willis Place.
Two 13-year-old boys, Arthur and Logan, set out to solve the mystery of a murder that took place some years ago in the old house Logan's family has just moved into. The boys' quest takes them to the highest and lowest levels of society in their small Maryland town, and eventually to a derelict amusem ...more
Two 13-year-old boys, Arthur and Logan, set out to solve the mystery of a murder that took place some years ago in the old house Logan's family has just moved into. The boys' quest takes them to the highest and lowest levels of society in their small Maryland town, and eventually to a derelict amusem ...more
Hardcover, 192 pages
Published
June 15th 2009
by Clarion Books
(first published January 1st 2009)
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what the hell possessed me to give this 5 stars???
what the fuck was i high on???? no, srsly bc reading this book was the most boring-est and shittiest experience ever.
i didn't think it was possible for me to give a book by Mary Downing Hahn less than three stars, but here i am rating this boring piece of garbage one star.
the writing and story was extremely childish and unrealistic for me. I KNOW, this is middle ...more

Jun 04, 2014
Ivonne Rovira
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
all mystery lovers
Shelves:
children-literature
Twelve-year-old Logan Forbes moves from Richmond, Virginia, to the small-town suburb of Bealesville the summer before seventh grade. A bookish boy, he’s looking forward to a fresh start and hopes of, for once, connecting with the in-crowd. No such luck! His next-door neighbor is Arthur Jenkins, a socially inept, slovenly misfit who’s the most unpopular kid in town. In addition, thanks to a slick real-estate agent, the Forbes have moved into the notorious “murder house,” where Myrtle Donaldson wa
...more

Are you looking for a bone-chilling story? Well, this is not for you. The cover may look scary, but it really is not. The only really scary part about this book is the cover itself, and how come the author put such a goth picture on a book that didn't even give me goosebumps? Well thinking back, I do remember where I got it, it was the school's book fair. No wonder, because that is public school for you, always trying to order preschool-friendly chapter books for 5th graders.
...more

Closed for the season is a very interresting book is a very fast read and you just get hook on it its a mistory book about a kid named Logan and his family who just move to this old house and he meet another kid named Arthur and he tell him that the oldlady that owned that house before him was muter in that house and then at first he thought that Arthur was this lame kid and he used to by a nerd boy in his old school so LOgan wanted to started a new life and get friend but the they started to lo
...more

Prolific children's author Mary Downing Hahn is a master at crafting thrilling tales of suspense and mystery for young readers. While there's no ghosts in this one (as there are in many of her novels), I liked how she wrote from a boy's point of view and how themes like friendship and integrity come to the forefront. Also, there's a pretty awesome dog.
...more

Closed for the Season
by Mary Downing Hahn
What would you do if you moved into a new house and you found out that an old lady was found murdered inside? That's what happens to Logan when he and his parents move to a new house in a small town. The good part about this mystery is that Logan's new friend, Arthur (who he really doesn't want to be friends with), is a very strong character. He's funny (without knowing it), gutsy (he stands up to bullies), has no manners (as evidenced by his tendency to ...more
by Mary Downing Hahn
What would you do if you moved into a new house and you found out that an old lady was found murdered inside? That's what happens to Logan when he and his parents move to a new house in a small town. The good part about this mystery is that Logan's new friend, Arthur (who he really doesn't want to be friends with), is a very strong character. He's funny (without knowing it), gutsy (he stands up to bullies), has no manners (as evidenced by his tendency to ...more

So.
My middle child was struggling to finish her summer reading.
She likes books. And loves to be read to. And enjoys writing and telling stories. But summer work upsets her.
Which I get.
To help her out, I encouraged her to choose a mystery from the library. She chose this one and we decided we would solve the mystery together as a family.
For several days, my kids have been reading or listening to me read chapters, taking notes, making a crazy wall/murder board of suspects and settings, talking thr ...more
My middle child was struggling to finish her summer reading.
She likes books. And loves to be read to. And enjoys writing and telling stories. But summer work upsets her.
Which I get.
To help her out, I encouraged her to choose a mystery from the library. She chose this one and we decided we would solve the mystery together as a family.
For several days, my kids have been reading or listening to me read chapters, taking notes, making a crazy wall/murder board of suspects and settings, talking thr ...more

A boy named Logan moved into his new house. His neighbor Arthur, that he just met is kind of the annoying kid no one hangs out with, but Logan doesn't have the heart to tell him. Logan finds out because of Arthur that a murder had occurred there, or that's what Author thinks anyway. Everyone else in the small town thinks the old lady killed herself. Well Arthur and Logan start investigating to see if she committed suicide or if she was murdered.the boys put themselves in a bunch of danger by jus
...more

Most of the time I don't read reviews or even synopses, and this is a case when I really should have, because I was expecting another Downing Hahn ghost story. Instead, this is more of a mystery/whodunit. It's well-written and interesting, just not what I was looking for as Halloween draws near.
...more

Sep 22, 2011
Anna Vizzini
added it
Closed for the Season
Mary Downing Hahn
Publication date: 2009
Genre: Mystery
"Closed for the Season" is an amazing book. It takes place in a small town called Bealesville. It's about a boy named Logan Forbes and his family. They move to a house where a women, named Myrtle Donaldson, was murdered. She worked at a place called the Magic Forest, an amuzement park that is run down and very creepy. It is now closed and going to be torn down. People believed that Mrs. Donaldson embezzled money from the ...more
Mary Downing Hahn
Publication date: 2009
Genre: Mystery
"Closed for the Season" is an amazing book. It takes place in a small town called Bealesville. It's about a boy named Logan Forbes and his family. They move to a house where a women, named Myrtle Donaldson, was murdered. She worked at a place called the Magic Forest, an amuzement park that is run down and very creepy. It is now closed and going to be torn down. People believed that Mrs. Donaldson embezzled money from the ...more

Here is the blurb from the back of the book.
Closed for the Season
by Mary Downing Hahn
Sandpiper Publishing
978-0-547-39853-2
YA Mystery/Suspense
$5.99
Rating 4 Blood Drops
The weather-beaten sign on the gate of the Magic Forest says:
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON
But when the boys ride up to it on their bikes, Arthur tells his new friend, Logan, that the old amusement park hasn't been open for years. The overgrown park looks sinister even in broad daylight, so Logan is reluctant to go inside, but Arthur urges h ...more
Closed for the Season
by Mary Downing Hahn
Sandpiper Publishing
978-0-547-39853-2
YA Mystery/Suspense
$5.99
Rating 4 Blood Drops
The weather-beaten sign on the gate of the Magic Forest says:
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON
But when the boys ride up to it on their bikes, Arthur tells his new friend, Logan, that the old amusement park hasn't been open for years. The overgrown park looks sinister even in broad daylight, so Logan is reluctant to go inside, but Arthur urges h ...more

This book is about a boy named Logan who moves into a house in a little town called Bealesville. When his parents bought the house they didn’t know that the owner of the house had been murdered there, but soon after they move in their next-door neighbor a boy name Arthur told Logan that someone had broken in and ripped the whole house apart looking for something. Arthurs Grandmother was the one who found Mrs. Donaldson (the houses owner) dead at the bottom of the cellar steps. “Mrs Donaldson wa
...more

I would rate the book Closed For The Season by Mary Downing Hahn a 4 out of 5 stars.
This book is about a kid named Logan and Arthur trying to solve the mystery to a murder. Logan is the new kid who just moved in next to Arthur, Logan’s parents did not know that a woman was murdered there a couple years ago. Logan and Arthur find a lot of trouble trying to find who killed Mrs. Donaldson. They narrow it down all the way to an abandoned amusement park that makes the book have a scary edge. (Beside ...more
This book is about a kid named Logan and Arthur trying to solve the mystery to a murder. Logan is the new kid who just moved in next to Arthur, Logan’s parents did not know that a woman was murdered there a couple years ago. Logan and Arthur find a lot of trouble trying to find who killed Mrs. Donaldson. They narrow it down all the way to an abandoned amusement park that makes the book have a scary edge. (Beside ...more

I decided to read this book mainly because the title and the cover of the book intrigued me. The story is about Logan and his family and how they move into a house which people claim to be where an old woman was murdered. Logan and his neighbor, Arthur, try to uncover the mysteries of her death, revealing more mysteries to solve, and more danger. My favorite quote from the entire book was, "Grandma and I knew there was something wrong. It was one of those weird feelings-you know what I mean?" by
...more

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn is a wonderful mystery.
Logan is a kid who moves with his parents into a house in Virginia only to find out that the woman who lived there before his family was murdered. Logan meets his neighbor next door, a kid the same age, named Arthur. Arthur tries to convince Logan that the clues to the murder have to be hidden inside the house and if they find the clues maybe they can solve the murder mystery. While searching for evidence they come to an abandone ...more
Logan is a kid who moves with his parents into a house in Virginia only to find out that the woman who lived there before his family was murdered. Logan meets his neighbor next door, a kid the same age, named Arthur. Arthur tries to convince Logan that the clues to the murder have to be hidden inside the house and if they find the clues maybe they can solve the murder mystery. While searching for evidence they come to an abandone ...more

In the novel, Closed for the Season, Logan Forbes, a 13 year old boy realizes that his new house in Richmond, Virginia was where someone was murdered. His next door neighbor, Arthur Jenkins helps him on this mystery novel to find out who the murderer was. But it isn't easy. They have to make numerous trips to the Magic Forest,an amusement park that hasnt been open for decades,risking their life and tracking down clues. Then one night, they have to take a secret trip to the Magic Forest, meeting
...more

The reason I chose this book was because I had nothing else to read. I thought that the book would be really interesting because if you look at the cover it seems interesting.
Logan is a kid that just moved into town and was told a mysterious story about the house he lives in. Rumors were said that someone's grandmother was murdered in the house. Logan starts befriending Arthur, but Logan's mom despises that kid. I was really impressed on how an author can make a kid really unlikable. In the book ...more
Logan is a kid that just moved into town and was told a mysterious story about the house he lives in. Rumors were said that someone's grandmother was murdered in the house. Logan starts befriending Arthur, but Logan's mom despises that kid. I was really impressed on how an author can make a kid really unlikable. In the book ...more

Closed for the season
Closed for the season is a book about a family who just moved into a house where the previous owner died. Logan, the 13 year old boy who moved into the house, is not interested in what most boys his age would be interested in. Arthur, the next door neighbor who has a reputation for being weird, becomes Logan’s new best friend. He talks Logan into going in to the forest where an old amusement park lays. The forest was supposed to have the lady, who died in Logan’s house, mon ...more
Closed for the season is a book about a family who just moved into a house where the previous owner died. Logan, the 13 year old boy who moved into the house, is not interested in what most boys his age would be interested in. Arthur, the next door neighbor who has a reputation for being weird, becomes Logan’s new best friend. He talks Logan into going in to the forest where an old amusement park lays. The forest was supposed to have the lady, who died in Logan’s house, mon ...more

I chose to read this book because it looked like a good mystery story, and it looked scary. The genre would be mystery. The stetting would be the amusement park. Logan Forbes 12 years old. The beginning of the book Logan moves in to a new town and he is living in a house that this old lady got murdered in. then in the middle of the book they are at the store with Mrs. Donaldson’s daughter and she has a friend that goes to the store and makes a scene. The main problem is that they don’t know how
...more

"Closed for the Season" by Mary Downing Hahn is the 2011-2012 Golden Sower Winner in the Intermediate level. The ideal audience for this book is both boys and girls in the fourth and fifth grades. The appeal of the book is that it is a mystery which is solved by soon to be fifth grade and sixth grade students. Some students are reluctant to read Mary Downing Hahn books because she mainly writes about ghosts and hauntings. This book is about a murder mystery and does not contain ghosts or hauntin
...more

Intermediate
Youth Chapter Book- Mystery
Bloom's Questions:
1.Where did the boy's find the map for the Magic Forest?
2. How would you describe Logan's relationship with Arthur?
3. Using what you know, how would you convince Logan's mother to allow him to continue being friends and hanging out with Arthur?
4. What was the most exciting part of the book to you?
5. What is your opinion of Danny? Why does he act the way he does?
6. What do you predict will happen to the Magic Forest after Mr. Desilvio and S ...more
Youth Chapter Book- Mystery
Bloom's Questions:
1.Where did the boy's find the map for the Magic Forest?
2. How would you describe Logan's relationship with Arthur?
3. Using what you know, how would you convince Logan's mother to allow him to continue being friends and hanging out with Arthur?
4. What was the most exciting part of the book to you?
5. What is your opinion of Danny? Why does he act the way he does?
6. What do you predict will happen to the Magic Forest after Mr. Desilvio and S ...more

This story is a great pick for those readers who are a little reluctant to pick up a book! This has a mystery waiting to be solved by every turn of the page. You stay interested and ready to find out what happens. This book would be great for fourth to sixth graders and either boys or girls. I found this book appealing because it was an easy read, kept you interested in the story, and had a great story line. This story was a Nebraska Golden Sower nominee for 2011-2012.

Mrs. Hahn is such a great local kids author. This book was based on the old Enchanted Forest theme park that I visited frequently as a kid--and once when it was run down and had long been closed. With many specific references to that exact park and even three original photos blended in on the book's cover, I was hooked for a spooky twist on my nostalgia.
...more

Two boys are trying to find out a serious mystery about who stole the "murdered lady's" money. I liked this book because it was full of secrets and just a great book in general. I recommend this to kids who like mysteries because it is all about one GIANT mystery.
...more

An age-appropriate mystery/thriller that will keep younger readers engaged.

A cute little middle grades "horror" story, though to be fair there really wasn't much horror to it. It's more of a murder mystery type tale, but I still had a good time reading it. Was it alluring and wild and wonderful? Nah, but I was entertained.
...more

I liked this book because it had a good mysterious feel, but it was pretty short. It lacked some description. But, overall it was a good book. It was basically a murder mystery. Logan and Arthur tried to figure out who murdered the previous owner of Logan's house and how the abandoned amusement park had to deal with it. They met a lot of different people and suspects along the way. But, in the end they got the men arrested and they became popular at school. The story ended happily.
...more

The book Closed For The Season by Mary Downing Hahn is a novel about two boys named Logan and Arthur, and they try to solve the mystery hidden in the abandoned amusement park. This book has a few edges of it being a fictional book, but also being a mystery novel, and having not the major but changes the story plot twists. My overall reaction to this book is that I enjoyed reading it, that was my type of book, and I would read it over and over again to get that same feeling that I had when I read ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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closed for season | 10 | 30 | Nov 01, 2013 09:33PM | |
Mansfield Public ...: Closed for the Season Review by Ann Pedro | 1 | 4 | Jul 01, 2013 10:45AM | |
Mystery | 1 | 8 | Oct 01, 2012 05:26PM |
I grew up in a small shingled house down at the end of Guilford Road in College Park, Maryland. Our block was loaded with kids my age. We spent hours outdoors playing "Kick the Can" and "Mother, May I" as well as cowboy and outlaw games that usually ended in quarrels about who shot whom. In the summer, we went on day long expeditions into forbidden territory -- the woods on the other side of the t
...more
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