Newsletter 5 - 28th November 2025

‘Dead Yard: Seeds of Doom’ by P.J. Killburn, illustrated by Markia Jenai

‘Dead Yard: Seeds of Doom’ by P.J. Killburn is a short, comedy horror book inspired by Caribbean mythology. Jermaine is at a memorial celebration called a Dead Yard for his Great-Uncle Carl. Traditionally, no one is allowed to eat before midnight but when Jermaine takes a bite of his favourite patties, he stops his Uncle's spirit from passing over and meets the ghost of Uncle Carl. But that's not the only strange thing going on - children in the neighbourhood are mysteriously falling ill, a sinister character has taken a pouch of cursed Cassava seeds and then there are the terrifying stories of the Ole Higue. Jermaine and Uncle Carl must team up to save the children, unmask the Ole Higue and help Carl to finally move on. Dead Yard is a fantastically fun, fast-paced and spine-chillingly creepy read - perfect for fans of Jennifer Killick.

This book also received unanimous five star reviews from the Year 5 Book Club! This is what they had to say about it:

‘Three words: Creepy. Adventure. Scary. I would stay up late at night to read on. My favourite character is Uncle Carl because he was the one helping them out and telling them what the seed does.’ Arlo

‘I felt once I started reading I couldn’t stop.’ Nicolas

‘I loved how much suspense there was in the story. I felt it was very addictive and fun. My favourite character is Vulture Man because he is so mysterious and unpredictable. I would recommend this book to people who like spooky stories with a bit of fun.’ Phoebe

‘I liked all of the suspense and it was very addictive. Three words: Spooky. Suspenseful. Enjoyable.’ Lauren

I really liked this book although it was quite spooky. Three words: Fun. Spooky. Cool. My favourite character is Jermaine because he is quite funny.’ Krisha 

‘I like the book - it made me feel scared! My favourite character is Uncle Carl because he is never angry.’ Kirill

‘I liked the fact it had Jamaican things in it - it made me feel happy.’ Xavier

‘Three words: Funny. Exciting. Scary. I liked the book because it has a lot of plot twists and funny bits.’ Vyom