Wax

Gr 8 Up—The world-famous Grosholtz Candle Factory resides in Paraffin, VT; so does aspiring theatrical actress and sassy teenager Poppy Palladino. Recently humiliated on national television during a talent contest, Poppy is the town laughingstock. Haunted by the mishap, she is bullied by her schoolmates and can't shake her notoriety. When her nemesis, Blake, finds an exact wax replica of Poppy and uses it to embarrass her yet again, Poppy reaches her saturation point and seeks revenge by visiting the candle factory in the hopes of getting a wax figure of Blake to return the favor. What Poppy discovers instead are dark secrets after a chance meeting with a cryptic old lady working there. The woman leaves the teen a message etched in a candle and warns her of the perils of the factory. With the help of a wax figurine who magically comes to life and is left in her care, the heroine sets out to find out what is going on. When the town residents start acting strangely, Poppy realizes there are few whom she can trust. The story line begins slowly but moves quickly once the protagonist unearths a nefarious plan for the town. Moving from victim to hero, Poppy steps up to save her community.