Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom

Gr 5–7—When the mysterious Dr. Fell moves into the previously run-down vacant house on Hardscrabble Street and builds an incredible playground, the entire neighborhood quickly falls under his spell. Somehow Gail, her best friend Nancy, and her little brother Jerry seem immune to the old man's power. At first, the friends just think it is strange that all of the kids in the whole region gradually become obsessed with Dr. Fell's amazing playground. But when children begin to sustain serious injuries on the structures and then are mysteriously healed without any concern from adults, the friends know something sinister is happening. Read by the author, this is an engaging audio title, full of mystery, suspense, and building horror. Neilsen is an entertaining reader, with the perfectly sinister voice for Dr. Fell and unique voices for the children. His pacing is spot on, providing a feeling of growing tension as the story progresses.