Winner of the 2025 Northern Lights Book Award: Middle Grade Fiction
One of CBC’s Best Canadian Books of 2025: Kids & Teens
An OLA Best Bet

Something’s Up with Arlo

A middle grade ghost story from HarperCollins Canada

A spooky-sweet middle-grade novel about remembering the past in order to brave the future.

Twelve-year-old Emily Nero’s best friend is a ghost.

For as long as Nero can remember, she’s been “haunted” by Arlo. He’s always had her back, especially as Nero navigates her never-impressed parents, and being the “weird girl" at school. When Nero earns the chance to start Grade 7 at a prestigious private school, she's hopeful that things will change for the better.

But on Nero’s first day at her new school, something’s up with Arlo, something very wrong: her best friend is turning from friendly ghost to fiendish ghoul. Glitching electronics, flickering lights, bad smells, and cold drafts are only the beginning. Arlo is changing, and it's up to Nero to find out why, and how to help him, even as the answers bring her hauntingly close to home.

Buy Paperback
Buy Ebook
Add on Goodreads
Request from your library!

  • “Crackling with anger, thrills, and heart, Matteo L. Cerilli crafts an electrifying ghost story unlike any other. I defy anyone not to devour this book in a single sitting—Arlo is destined to become a classic. Perfectly haunting.”

    —Mary Averling, author of The Curse of Eelgrass Bog

  • "Whether it's ghosts or out-of-place kids, Cerilli explores the importance of being seen. With spooky thrills and lots of heart, this story of family and friendship will remind readers the importance of finding the strength within themselves."

    —Adrianna Cuevas, author of the Pura Belpre Honoree The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez and the Edgar award winner The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto

  • "Coming straight from the heart and featuring a wonderfully endearing cast, Something's Up with Arlo is a sweet and spooky story that reminds us of the magic that connects families together and the lengths we must go to find our true selves."

    —Melissa Yue, author of Misadventures in Ghost Hunting

  • "Haunting, beautiful, and deeply moving. Something's Up with Arlo will break you apart and then give you the time to heal."

    —Joel A. Sutherland