1-2-3-4, I Declare a Thumb War

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 4 to 7

#1 New York Times bestselling authors Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus deliver a slightly scary, extremely addictive, contemporary middle-grade book series. This first installment of Graveyard Girls is part mystery book and part friendship story, centered around five young teen girls in for the fright of their lives.

Meet Whisper, Frannie, Sophie, Gemma, and Zuzu, five friends who tell eerie tales by night and navigate middle school drama by day. In Misery Falls, Oregon, it is the 100th anniversary of the electrocution of the town’s most infamous killer, Silas Hoke, and the town is abuzz. When a mysterious text message leads the girls to the cemetery—where Silas Hoke is buried!—life can’t get any creepier. Except, yes, it can, thanks to the surprise storyteller who meets them at the cemetery, inspires the first-ever meeting of the Graveyard Girls, and sets the stage for a terrifying tale from Whisper that they’ll never forget.

Book one in a five-book series, Graveyard Girls blends popular scary books for kids (think: Goosebumps) with strong teen girl characters into a fresh, genre-blending middle-grade series. For kids ages 9­­–12 in search of girl friendship stories and mystery books, you’ll find horror and heartfelt relationships in 1-2-3-4, I Declare a Thumb War.

Hardcover with dust jacket; 256 pages; 5.5 x 8.3 in. Illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino.

#1 New York Times bestselling authors Lisi Harrison and Daniel Kraus deliver a slightly scary, extremely addictive, contemporary middle-grade book series. This first installment of Graveyard Girls is part mystery book and part friendship story, centered around five young teen girls in for the fright of their lives.

Meet Whisper, Frannie, Sophie, Gemma, and Zuzu, five friends who tell eerie tales by night and navigate middle school drama by day. In Misery Falls, Oregon, it is the 100th anniversary of the electrocution of the town’s most infamous killer, Silas Hoke, and the town is abuzz. When a mysterious text message leads the girls to the cemetery—where Silas Hoke is buried!—life can’t get any creepier. Except, yes, it can, thanks to the surprise storyteller who meets them at the cemetery, inspires the first-ever meeting of the Graveyard Girls, and sets the stage for a terrifying tale from Whisper that they’ll never forget.

Book one in a five-book series, Graveyard Girls blends popular scary books for kids (think: Goosebumps) with strong teen girl characters into a fresh, genre-blending middle-grade series. For kids ages 9­­–12 in search of girl friendship stories and mystery books, you’ll find horror and heartfelt relationships in 1-2-3-4, I Declare a Thumb War.

Hardcover with dust jacket; 256 pages; 5.5 x 8.3 in. Illustrations by Flavia Sorrentino.

About the Author

Lisi Harrison has written thirty-seven YA and middle-grade novels including the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Clique, which has sold more than eight million copies, and Monster High. In 2021, Harrison launched two new middle-grade books series, Girl Stuff and The Pack. Lisi lives in California, and in addition to her work as an author, she is the co-founder of Thrive, a wellness center that teaches tweens, teens, and parents how to have healthy, drama-free friendships. Visit her at lisiharrison.com or thriveswell.com.Daniel Kraus is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling horror writer and co-author of both Trollhunters and The Shape of Water with Guillermo del Toro. Kraus has won a Scribe Award and two Odyssey Awards, has been a Library Guild selection, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults recipient, a Bram Stoker finalist, and more. His work has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Daniel lives in Chicago. Visit him at danielkraus.com.