I first wrote Abby & Holly Book 1, School Dance followed closely by Abby & Holly Series, Book 2, Unfortunate Events in 2018. I wrote these books for my granddaughter who is now nine years old and enjoying them.

Watch for Book 3 coming later this year with more ghosts and adventures, secrets, and surprises that will appeal to all!

These books carry life lessons for middle-graders/preteens/young adults such as: love one another, be kind to others, respect parents and elders and each other, accept differences, help others in need, bullying is never accepted or tolerated, and family and friends matter.

This is a series that is fun to write. It’s like I am a preteen/teen again. I was requested by one of my readers who enjoyed my Davey & Derek Series to write a series for girls. Both series are suitable and enjoyed by girls and boys.

Abby & Holly were first introduced in Book 5 of Davey & Derek Junior Detectives, The Case of the Sad Mischievous Ghost. The girls will appear from time to time in Davey & Derek Series and the boys will appear also in Abby & Holly Series. There is fun for all ages. Even adults are enjoying these books and reviewing them then sharing them with their kids and grand kids.

Abby & Holly, School Dance won a Pinnacle Book Achievement Award. Both books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Blurb:

This is Book 1 of a series of Abby & Holly books. These two girls were first introduced in Book 5 of the Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series.The girls are first cousins on their mothers’ side. They moved to the quiet town of Lindon, New Hampshire and live in a grand old Victorian which is haunted. The cousins are excited about attending the 6th grade dance. When their friend, Justine, is bullied, Abby and Holly, along with the help of a ghost and Davey & Derek, work together to formalize a plan to put a stop to the bullying.

Blurb:

Abby and Holly are cousins who are more like sisters. They enjoy doing everything together. Holly lives with Abby and her family in a haunted Victorian. Holly must deal with some difficult decisions in her family when unexpected and unfortunate events come to pass.

Abby is there to lend support to Holly along with two ghostly apparitions, Felicity and Minerva, who live in Abby’s house. These specters provide some magical and helpful advice along the way as they watch over Holly during this difficult time.

The girls’ friends, twins Davey and Derek Donato, from their own series, pop in to support Holly and bring some fun and comical relief to the story.

REVIEWS ON AMAZON:

ABBY & HOLLY SCHOOL DANCE:

Michelle Clements James 5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the anti-bullying message. July 8, 2018 Format: Kindle Edition I have long been a fan of Janice Spina’s young children’s books and her middle-grade Davey and Derek Junior Detectives series. I was excited to read the first book in her Abby and Holly series for middle-grade girls, and I was not disappointed.
Abby and Holly are the cousins we met in The Case of the Sad Mischievous Ghost (Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series Book 5) who helped Davey and Derek solve a case involving a ghost that was residing in Abby’s house. Now they are back seeking the help of their friends Davey and Derek in solving a case of a girl jealously sabotaging another classmate’s chance to go to the 6th-grade dance and plans to do even worse.
The story flows well, and the characters are developed nicely so anyone who hasn’t read any of the Davey and Derek series will have no trouble jumping in with book one of this series. Girls are going to love this series — a touch of puppy love, fantasy, and a mystery to solve all in one book. The lessons of forgiving and forgetting and being kind are well documented in the story, an important reminder for everyone. This is another 5-star book from Janice Spina.

Mrs.D. 5.0 out of 5 stars Say hello to the Abby and Holly series! July 24, 2018 Format: Kindle Edition Move over, Davey and Derek? Or maybe not… The duo is back, and the girls and boys are taking the world by the horns with another thrilling adventure! The haunted house! The mysterious ghost! The undying friendship! Good life lessons! And no more bullying!

Abby and Holly are cousins. The girls were first introduced in Book 5 of the Davey and Derek Junior Detectives series.

Janice Spina has beautifully blended two separate series in her new book, which is meant to entertain and educate middle grade readers. This time she sent two girls to solve a mystery that was quite intriguing. While trying to be just normal students, team members are dealing with serious issues so common for sixth graders: jealousy, intolerance, and bullying. The story is fun and adventurous, but the author smartly implants very important seeds that touch on problems so familiar for a middle school audience.

In this new book, Abby and Holly team up with their friends Davey and Derek, two shy but very experienced young detectives. The team needs to find out who is sabotaging one of their classmates, Justine, who plans her sixth grade school dance. Fearing that the girl is being bullied, the team members work closely with each other and their friends.

The story is sweet. It flows smoothly, just like other books from this wonderful author, which manages to surprise the young readers with perfectly developed characters and a wise plot. Even if the readers haven’t had the chance to get familiar with the Davey and Derek series, they won’t feel lost or have a hard time connecting the new story to Davey and Derek. And just like me, I hope the girls and boys will jump into the new adventures with a touch of fantasy, mystery, and some stronger feelings like love, forgiveness, and being kind to each other.

“Abby and Holly: School Dance” is one of those books that will make children feel good about themselves. The lessons of friendship and kindness are nicely incorporated into a fun story, which will put a smile on children’s faces. Trouble. Solution. Sweet first love. Friendship. And kindness. All of these qualities are in one book for young readers to enjoy. Yes, Justine is bullied, but she has a strong group of friends behind her, which helps her to overcome the fear of bullies. And with the help of her friends, the bullies may change their attitude too.

I am delighted that this book carries strong messages about the importance of being compassionate, kind, loving and accepting. It teaches teens to remember how they would feel if their places were reversed. Another entertaining and teaching series for middle schoolers by Janice Spina* I received this book as a gift from the author and chose to review it without compensation.

Deanie Humphrys-Dunne 5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining book with a valuable lesson!July 19, 2018Format: Kindle EditionI loved Janice Spina’s new book “Abby and Holly, School Dance.” The writing style made you feel like you were enjoying the adventures of Abby, Holly and their friends. You’re sure to smile at the twins Derek and Davey’s shyness around Abby and Holly. It’s a delightful story. Trouble comes when one of their classmates, Justine, mysteriously becomes sick. How is the mystery solved? When Justine is bullied, how does the group of friends encourage the bullies to change their behavior. This is an enjoyable book teaches, families, and teens are sure to love and they are likely to remember not only the entertaining adventures, but the important message the story shares. Another wonderful book by Janice Spina.
* I received this book as a gift from the author and chose to review it without compensation.
Reviewed by children’s author, Deanie Humphrys-Dunne

SM 5.0 out of 5 stars The First in A Wonderful New Series July 9, 2018 Format: Kindle Edition The prolific author, Janice Spina, who introduced the lovely duo, Abby & Holly, in the fifth installment of the Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series, has given their friends, first cousins Abby & Holly, their own adventure.

In the first book of what will no doubt be another entertaining series for middle schoolers, Abby & Holly are excited to attend the 6th-grade dance. But not everyone is happy at school. Abby & Holly discover that their friend Justine is being bullied. The two girls, helped by their sixth-grade dance partners (no other than Derek & Davey), and the girls’ resident ghost, come up with a plan to protect Justine and bring bullying to a stop.

Michele Rolfe 5.0 out of 5 stars Newest detectives July 4, 2018 Format: Paperback Thrilled to see the girlfriends of Davey & Derek having their own adventures, too!! Abby & Holly were introduced in Book 5 of Davey & Derek Junior Detectives “The Case of the Sad Mischievous Ghost.” Abby & Holly are 1st cousins. Their moms are sisters!
Abby’s house is haunted & the resident ghost & Davey & Derek help the girls help Justine with her being bullied. It was pretty fun seeing the Ghost back again.
Love how Janice seems to pick up where she left off with book 5 of the boys’ story. It was fun “watching” the kids get ready for their 6th grade dance, also! Such innocence..

John Spina, as he is known to do for all of Mrs. Spina’s creations, enhanced the book with a lovely cover and wonderful illustrations.
It was a joy to read!!

Reader Mom 5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Series Starter March 13, 2019 Format: Kindle Edition This clean, wholesome book is a fun starter to a series about two 6th grade cousins that should appeal to both girls and boys. The book features cousins, Abby and Holly, and the dates to their first dance, twins, Derek and Davey Donato, who have their own series for young readers. I thought the “twin telepathy” elements were a nice touch and enjoyed the messages on friendship and anti-bullying that the book portrayed.

ABBY & HOLLY SERIES, BOOK 2 UNFORTUNATE EVENTS:

Michelle Clements James 5.0 out of 5 stars A Stellar Book With Important Lessons October 20, 2018 Format: Kindle Edition I am so excited about the Abby and Holly Series for girls, but it could be equally enjoyed by boys. In Abby & Holly Series Book 2: Unfortunate Events, Abby’s cousin, Holly, is faced with some difficult issues. While her parents are away on overseas jobs, Holly is living with Abby. Things go downhill when her parents return for a visit and her mother becomes ill. Throughout this trying time, Holly has a tremendous amount of support from Abby, her Aunt Jane and Uncle Bob, and two ghosts who live in Abby’s house, Felicity and Minerva. Of course, their friends Davey and Derek are there to help, too.
As with all of Spina’s children’s books, Unfortunate Events teaches life lessons such as respect, kindness toward others, and the importance of being polite. This book concentrates on handling the unexpected and overcoming life’s disappointments. The unexpected was Holly’s mother’s illness and hospital stay. With the love of her extended family, Holly was able to cope with her worry for her mother. Disappointment was addressed when her father announced that he was flying out to finish his work overseas. He explained to Holly the importance of fulling his obligations to his employer.
I highly recommend Abby & Holly Series Book 2: Unfortunate Events to all middle-graders, both girls and boys. The storyline is one that will keep children interested with its elements of suspense and mystery. Though there are references to a childhood crush, they are not a major component of the story and certainly not enough to deter boys’ interest. And who doesn’t love a friendly little ghost or two! As with all the author’s children’s books, this one is true to her ideals of writing books that encourage children to read while incorporating those all-important life lessons. As a book I think every parent will want their daughters and sons to read, I give Unfortunate Events 5 stars!

Michele Rolfe 5.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunate Family Events October 16, 2018 Format: Paperback Poor Holly, Abby’s cousin on their mom’s side, is having to deal with alot of unfortunate events with her family. Thank goodness she has Abby, Davey & Derek the Junior Dectives neighbors, & 2 awesome ghosts, Felicity & Minerva, to help her get through it all! Holly is thrilled her mom (Abby’s mom’s sister) & dad have come home for a visit from their overseas job, but things go downhill when mom gets sick. Great book to read with your youngsters about dealing with family issues. The ending is a nice twist & could lead to the next book!

5 out of 5 stars Girl power! October 16, 2018 Format: Paperback Another fun read from Janice Spina! So nice to see Holly and Abby back again in book two. The girls continue to face new issues, friends, and adventures together. A great read for pre-teens!

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Janice