The Night the Trolls Came to Town by Tim Kreher

The Night the Trolls Came to Town Arriving at a town called Emersonville to start a new life, junior high student Ben Bell notices two oddities right off the bat. One: the population sign does not match the actual number of residents. Two: the shops along Main Street are nearly vacant of life with many hosting 'Out of Business' signs. Upon meeting a crazed girl named Mindy and her conspiracy theorist friend Koji, Ben discovers there is more to the dwindling numbers than just the closing of a nearby mine. The duo is convinced it is the work of trolls, but Ben finds the theory of monsters hard to believe. That is, until a classmate crush disappears. With the help of his new friends, Ben is determined to find the missing student. Will they succeed or will they be added to the number of vanishing community members?

Middle Grade • Children’s Fiction/Science Fiction and Fantasy • Science Fiction/Parallel and Alternate Universe • Fantasy/Sword and Sorcery • Science Fiction • Fantasy/Portal