What do you think?
Rate this book
The Legend Of The Haunted Bus
MIDNIGHT FIVE’S CURSED THE LEGEND OF THE HAUNTED BUS
Some mistakes can follow you forever…
When Dylan and his bully Ryder stumble onto a haunted bus, they’re dragged into a ghostly world where guilt takes shape—and no one gets off until they face the truth. This chilling new series will keep readers ages 8–14, and adults too, turning pages long past bedtime.
After Dylan and Ryder, his school bully, get lost in the woods, they arrive in a ghostly version of their hometown. The streets are empty. The fog is alive. And at the heart of it is Flint’s corner store—the only place open, and their only hope for help.
Flint promises to help them only if they admit their guilt. When the boys refuse, he sends them back into the dark streets, where a haunted bus waits—a bus that doesn’t take kids home, but back to the moments they regret most.
Inside, faceless passengers sit frozen in place while the bus demands just one
Admit your guilt. Or pay the price.
As Dylan is forced to relive the night that changed his family forever, he learns that guilt can drag you down… and if you ignore it long enough, it might just erase you completely.
The Midnight Five dare you to climb aboard this chilling new middle-grade horror series filled with spooky mysteries, scary twists, and haunted adventures.
Order now… before the bus leaves without you.
Some mistakes can follow you forever…
When Dylan and his bully Ryder stumble onto a haunted bus, they’re dragged into a ghostly world where guilt takes shape—and no one gets off until they face the truth. This chilling new series will keep readers ages 8–14, and adults too, turning pages long past bedtime.
After Dylan and Ryder, his school bully, get lost in the woods, they arrive in a ghostly version of their hometown. The streets are empty. The fog is alive. And at the heart of it is Flint’s corner store—the only place open, and their only hope for help.
Flint promises to help them only if they admit their guilt. When the boys refuse, he sends them back into the dark streets, where a haunted bus waits—a bus that doesn’t take kids home, but back to the moments they regret most.
Inside, faceless passengers sit frozen in place while the bus demands just one
Admit your guilt. Or pay the price.
As Dylan is forced to relive the night that changed his family forever, he learns that guilt can drag you down… and if you ignore it long enough, it might just erase you completely.
The Midnight Five dare you to climb aboard this chilling new middle-grade horror series filled with spooky mysteries, scary twists, and haunted adventures.
Order now… before the bus leaves without you.
101 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2025
About the author
M.J. Miedema
2 books7 followersM.J. Miedema grew up loving creepy stories and late-night campfire tales. Now he writes spooky adventures for kids who like a good scare, but also a good laugh. Michael lives in Chicago with his wife and a typewriter that sometimes makes scary noises all by itself.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 7, 2026
If i had to sum up this story in a single phrase it would be ' what if Are You Afraid of The Dark made a Silent Hill episode'. Guilt and accountability, can be hard to face, to even admit to yourself, and this book works through these ideas so well in its purgatory like setting. We have two boys that couldnt be more different, a bully and his victim, a kid held back and one after extra credit, but somehow they find they are both weighed down in the same way. The story deals with someheavy topics that even adults struggle with, but at no point loses sight of its target audience, and as such it is a story that can be enjoyed by anyone.
Safe to say I loved it and can't recomend it enough for fans of middle grade horror and just horror in general.
Safe to say I loved it and can't recomend it enough for fans of middle grade horror and just horror in general.
July 23, 2026
This was such a fun read! I highly recommend for fans of Are You Afraid of the Dark? and middle grade horror. Ultimately I wished the book had more haunted bus in it! But the overall story and wraparound AYAOTD-style segments were really fun and had some spooky moments that weren’t afraid to touch on some heavy themes. Can’t wait to check out the next books in this series!
July 26, 2026
Spooky fun ride!
That was so spooky! This was an awesome , reminiscent of Are you Afraid of the Dark and Goosebumps. The characters were written well and it all felt really believable. The story webt so fast I couldn't believe that I reached the end! I wanted even more! The bus driver and Flint were my favorite characters. Flint was written so scary too.I could see thos making an amazing movie! Any horror fan would love this short spooky tale!
That was so spooky! This was an awesome , reminiscent of Are you Afraid of the Dark and Goosebumps. The characters were written well and it all felt really believable. The story webt so fast I couldn't believe that I reached the end! I wanted even more! The bus driver and Flint were my favorite characters. Flint was written so scary too.I could see thos making an amazing movie! Any horror fan would love this short spooky tale!
June 20, 2026
What's scarier than a haunted bus? Being stuck with your middle school bully. And what's scarier than that? Bearing crushing guilt. The Legend of The Haunted Bus feels like Goosebumps with morals, which I think works with the campfire-tale nature of the story being told here. After all, every good campfire story has some kind of warning at the heart of it. In general, this book's theme of accepting one's guilt made it feel deeper than one might expect, but credit should be given for it's genuine creepiness too. I loved the visuals of the town and its residents. By the end, I found myself wondering "Did I just read about two kids being sent to purgatory?" and I love that about this book.
June 7, 2026
I really enjoyed reading Midnight Five’s Cursed Tales: The Legend of the Haunted Bus. The creepy vibes reminded me of a mix between Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps, so as a fan of ’90s culture, I was instantly hooked.
One of my favorite parts was the reading detailed description of corner store Flint. He was genuinely freaky. I also enjoyed reading about Dylan’s growth as he found the courage to stand up to his bully while also admitting his guilt.
TLOTHB was a fun and spooky read that kept me turning the pages, and I’d 100% recommend it to readers of all ages.
One of my favorite parts was the reading detailed description of corner store Flint. He was genuinely freaky. I also enjoyed reading about Dylan’s growth as he found the courage to stand up to his bully while also admitting his guilt.
TLOTHB was a fun and spooky read that kept me turning the pages, and I’d 100% recommend it to readers of all ages.
April 6, 2026
A quick little light read. Most certainly an Are You Afraid of the Dark vibe to the story. Meeting at midnight and a random place telling spooky stories. But hey I loved that show and so it was a fun read.
April 19, 2026
wow this was brilliant.
a modern are you afriad of the dark.
ryder was a real bully !
I love jeremy! he's definitely my favourite
a modern are you afriad of the dark.
ryder was a real bully !
I love jeremy! he's definitely my favourite
June 25, 2026
What a fun start to a new middle grade horror series!
Taking inspiration from Are You Afraid of the Dark, which I always thought was much scarier than Goosebumps, the book follows the titular Midnight Five (an obvious nod to The Midnight Society) as they gather together and tell scary stories from one of the kid's grandfather's old notebook. The framing device really captures the vibes of an Are You Afraid of the Dark episode. The members of the Midnight Five are real characters and we get to learn a bit about each before delving into "The Legend of the Haunted Bus". I also appreciated the breaks throughout the book where we hear from the Midnight Five and they comment on the story so far, much like the TV show used to do. Really helps to build the world of the Midnight Five.
The story itself was a fun, spooky tale concerning guilt and the burdens we carry. There were some dark moments (specifically a ghost knitting a sweater for her baby that froze to death and something that happened to the MC Dylan's brother that I won't mention) that I appreciated. Are You Afraid of the Dark wasn't afraid to go there, and I'm glad M.J. Miedema wasn't either. Looking forward to my next meetup with the Midnight Five.
Taking inspiration from Are You Afraid of the Dark, which I always thought was much scarier than Goosebumps, the book follows the titular Midnight Five (an obvious nod to The Midnight Society) as they gather together and tell scary stories from one of the kid's grandfather's old notebook. The framing device really captures the vibes of an Are You Afraid of the Dark episode. The members of the Midnight Five are real characters and we get to learn a bit about each before delving into "The Legend of the Haunted Bus". I also appreciated the breaks throughout the book where we hear from the Midnight Five and they comment on the story so far, much like the TV show used to do. Really helps to build the world of the Midnight Five.
The story itself was a fun, spooky tale concerning guilt and the burdens we carry. There were some dark moments (specifically a ghost knitting a sweater for her baby that froze to death and something that happened to the MC Dylan's brother that I won't mention) that I appreciated. Are You Afraid of the Dark wasn't afraid to go there, and I'm glad M.J. Miedema wasn't either. Looking forward to my next meetup with the Midnight Five.
November 8, 2025
Fun, creepy and a 5 star read. The characters are believable and this story moves a great pace. The story of haunted bus has a goosebumps vibe. I can't wait to read more. It’s creepy, clever, and filled with just enough heart to make you care.Midnight Fives: Tale of the Cursed Bus is a spooky, fast-paced thrill that hits the perfect note for middle grade and teen readers who love a good scare. M.J. Miedema captures the genre perfectly.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews