Max didn't think much of the rubber duck he found in the school's lost-and-found. Sure, it looked weird-its eyes too round, its smile slightly too wide-but it was just a toy... right?

Then the duck showed up in his bathroom.

Then in his fridge.

Then in his dreams.

Soon, ducks start appearing all over town-on porches, in mailboxes, even inside locked school lockers. One by one, people start disappearing. First adults. Then kids. Until only Max, his best friend Lilly, a few classmates, and a handful of adults are left.

Together, they try to find answers in the next town over. But the moment they arrive, the ducks do too... and the disappearances begin again.

Now Max and Lilly are on the run, trying to uncover the mystery of the ducks before the squeaky invasion spreads to the whole world.

Christopher Patrick-Allen Malone is a middle school teacher, storyteller, and lifelong lover of all things weird and wonderful. Raised in Tennessee and now living in Florida, he writes fast-paced, funny, and slightly spooky books for middle grade readers who like their adventures with a twist (and maybe a few rubber ducks).He is the author of The Quackening, the first in a 13-book middle grade horror-comedy series inspired by Goosebumps, The Last Kids on Earth, and his students' wild imaginations. When he's not writing or teaching, Christopher is probably brainstorming bizarre plot twists, wrangling his leopard gecko, or wondering why so many ducks are staring at him.He believes stories should spark curiosity, inspire laughter, and leave readers just a little more wide-eyed than before. Whether he's working with pixels, paper, or prompts, his heart is always in the story.