1016 Balmoral Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V8T 1A8

Curse of Heartwood Academy, The

Fifteen-year-old Allie Lau is not excited to attend Heartwood Academy, a posh boarding school deep in a remote forest.

Subject to the whims of senior students, Allie faces an initiation ritual called the test, which requires her and other new students to spend the entire night in the forest. The senior students warn that a ghost lurks in the woods, preying on those who trespass. Allie braves the test, but when she accidentally kicks over a gravestone in an overgrown burial site, she finds herself pursued by some kind of zombie.

Written by: Marty Chan
Orca Soundings
Format: Paperback
Ages: 12+
Pages: 128
Dimensions: Height 7.5 in, Width 5 in
Originally published in North America: Winter 2026
All rights available excluding North American English

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Author: Marty Chan

Marty Chan writes books for kids, stage plays for adults, and social media posts for fun. He’s best known for his bestselling thriller, Haunted Hospital. He’s also written Dragon on the Loose, which was shortlisted for the Silver Birch Express Award in 2024. Marty has toured around the world without ever leaving his basement. He has developed a unique and dynamic way of presenting virtually using tech tricks, stage magic, and improv. He works and lives in Edmonton with his wife and their two cats.