Chris McMahen

The Box Talks Chris McMahen

When Oliver's best friends Reggie, Karl, and Grayson move away, he desperately tries to strike up a new friendship with the new kid at school- Garret, a basketball star with attitude. Oliver's desperation to be friends with Garret lead him into a comedically disastrous try-out for the school basketball team. Upon returning home one day after practice, Oliver surprises two burglars in the midst of performing a robbery. He recognizes them. It's Diggory, his old friend and his father, Dragon. Oliver watches as they escape-Dragon with his grandmother's precious candle stick, and Diggory clutching the Box of Shocks under his arm. As the only witness to the robbery, Oliver faces a difficult dilemma. Does he report the robbery and get his old friend in trouble with the law, or does he keep the details of the robbery a secret? Oliver's ultimate decision has unexpected consequences, particularly when he attempts to save Diggory from Dragon. The only contact Oliver has with Diggory is through cryptic messages left in the Box of Shocks which is hidden in a tomb in the cemetery. In his attempts to help his friend, Oliver discovers who or what actually lives in the mysterious Milburn House, tries to rescue a diamond ring from a toilet bowl, has an unfortunate incident while wearing over-sized gym shorts, and finds an unexpected friend in the first girl ever to try out for the boys' basketball team. Readers of Box of Shocks will discover answers to their many unresolved questions, while readers new to Oliver, Diggory and their Box of Shocks will discover a world of slap-stick humour, friendship, and personal fulfillment.