Ally is the author of It Came from the Trees, Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, Down Came the Spiders, and Book of Outcasts (Wednesday). She grew up on a steady diet of Halloween parties, horror films, Unsolved Mysteries, and Goosebumps books. She has always loved scary stories, and got her MFA from Simmons University and, eventually, a job working in children’s publishing. She hails from Pittsburgh—ground zero for the zombie apocalypse. Ally lives with her husband and her two black cats, Nox and Fury. She’s afraid of the woods, the dark, and heights. For more spooky facts and info about Ally and her books, visit allyrussellbooks.com.
Praise for It Came from the Trees
- JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION
- NOMINEE 2026 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
- NOMINEE 2025 Texas Bluebonnet Award
- 2025 CHILDREN’S BOOK COUNCIL FAVORITES
“A spine-chilling debut. [An] adroitly crafted horror novel whose heroine perseveres in the face of malice both supernatural and man-made.” —Publishers Weekly
“The fast-paced plot will keep the pages flying…Enticing campfire thrills and chills.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Russell cooks up a campfire-worthy tale that delivers chills (including a formidable cryptid) and is fortified by a strong emotional core.”—Booklist
“The perfect late-night story.”—The Seattle Times
About It Came from the Trees
When her best friend is taken by a creature in the woods, Jenna is determined to save her in this scary story perfect for fans of Daka Hermon and Claribel A. Ortega!
The wilderness is in Jenna’s blood. Her Pap was the first Black park ranger at Sturbridge Reservation, and she practically knows the Owlet Survival Handbook by heart. But she’s never encountered a creature like the one that took her best friend Reese. Her parents don’t believe her; the police are worthless, following the wrong leads; and the media isn’t connecting the dots between Reese’s disappearance and a string of other attacks. Determined to save her friend, Jenna joins a new local scout troop, and ventures back into the woods.
When the troop stumbles across suspicious signs: huge human-like footprints near the camp, scratch marks on trees, and ominous sounds from the woods, Jenna worries that whatever took Reese is back to take her too. Can she trust her new scout leader? And will her new friend Norrie—who makes her laugh and reminds her so much of Reese—believe her?
After the unthinkable happens, the scouts, armed with their wits and toiletries, band together to fight the monster and survive the night.
Praise for Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave
- JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD GOLD STANDARD SELECTION
“Fast-paced and deliciously thrilling.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The eerie, thrilling plot moves rapidly leaving breathless readers eager for the next chapter. Some unfinished threads by the end of the novel will have tweens awaiting the sequel.”—SLJ
“Russell crafts an engaging blend of supernatural adventure and classic whodunit with a Faustian twist…this will surely satisfy the curiosity of well-rounded Tim Burtons in the making.”—The Bulletin
“A great addition to the middle-grade horror canon.”—Booklist
“A new middle grade heroine you’re going to love.”—BookRiot
About Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave
Abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, a girl who can see and smell the supernatural must solve the mystery of a priceless heirloom stolen from her family’s business. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Wednesday and Beetlejuice!
13-year-old Mystery—who was abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home—is plagued by sleep paralysis and the smell of ghosts, but she’s used to that. Even though her life might seem “strange” on the outside, she loves it.
That is until a priceless heirloom goes missing and her family’s funeral home is in danger of being shut down. To clear her Tia’s good name, Mystery embarks on an adventure to figure out what really happened to the misplaced necklace.
But to do so, she must contend with the angry patriarch of the town’s wealthiest family, a sleep paralysis demon, a graverobber, and the ghastly half-vampire, half-ghost that’s lurking in the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery.
About Down Came the Spiders
Arachnophobia meets Five Nights at Freddy’s in this middle grade horror novel perfect for fans of K.R. Alexander and Mary Downing Hahn.
Can you outrun eight legs?
Twelve-year-old Andi loves everything about spiders ― they’re endlessly fascinating creatures. So when she finds a species she’s never seen before at a classmate’s Halloween party, she’s over the moon. Until the spiders start to behave in unusual and threatening ways, that is. They can camouflage themselves incredibly well, they can jump higher than she’s ever seen, and their webs are strong. Maybe even strong enough to trap a person . . .
Andi and her friends Carly and Devon try to find an adult to help, but make a terrifying discovery: the parent chaperones have been immobilized by the spiders. As the only ones who know what’s going on, Andi, Carly, and Devon will have to take on the spiders themselves ― before it’s too late!
Spooky Middle Grade 