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The Legend of the Headless Horseman
MIDNIGHT FIVE'S CURSED THE LEGEND OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN
Don't lose your head this Halloween...
Thirteen-year-old Irving is tired of the "kiddie stuff." This Halloween, he’s determined to trade plastic masks for real scares and finally tell his long-time crush, Kat, how he feels. But in Sleepy Hollow, the legends have a way of coming to life.
When a prank at the "Devil's Tree" accidentally shatters a cursed pumpkin, Irving’s best friend Brock is snatched by the Headless Horseman and pulled into the 18th century.
To save him, Irving and Kat must uncover the dark history of the Crane family and outsmart the current principal, Mr. Crane VIII, who is determined to uphold a terrifying family legacy. With the clock ticking toward midnight, Irving must find the courage to face a flaming-sword-wielding specter and decide if he’s ready to grow up—even if it means risking his own head.
Don't lose your head this Halloween...
Thirteen-year-old Irving is tired of the "kiddie stuff." This Halloween, he’s determined to trade plastic masks for real scares and finally tell his long-time crush, Kat, how he feels. But in Sleepy Hollow, the legends have a way of coming to life.
When a prank at the "Devil's Tree" accidentally shatters a cursed pumpkin, Irving’s best friend Brock is snatched by the Headless Horseman and pulled into the 18th century.
To save him, Irving and Kat must uncover the dark history of the Crane family and outsmart the current principal, Mr. Crane VIII, who is determined to uphold a terrifying family legacy. With the clock ticking toward midnight, Irving must find the courage to face a flaming-sword-wielding specter and decide if he’s ready to grow up—even if it means risking his own head.
104 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 12, 2026
About the author
M.J. Miedema
2 books8 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.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 27, 2026
Midnight Five’s Cursed Tales brings the Are You Afraid of the Dark Vibes in spades!
The Midnight Five is much like the Midnight Society from AYAOTD and each book has one of the members telling a story. Book two in the series, The Legend of the Headless Horseman, is the story of Irving, Kat and Brock, on Halloween night. They accidentally release the Headless Horseman, oh also, they live in the town of Sleep Hallow. Brock gets captured by the horseman. Irving must work together with his crush, Kat, to get back Brock, all while stuck in a parallel universe.
I really enjoyed this story! I think the format of a group of kids telling each other stories is a proven winner, and this is no exception. The Halloween vibes and Headless Horseman were awesome and enjoyable, glad I read this one during Halloween Season. M. J. wrote believable characters that you can’t help but root for. I will be circling back to book one and keeping an eye out for book three! I’d recommend this MG read to anyone who likes Are You Afraid of the Dark or a fast pasted Halloween read!
The Midnight Five is much like the Midnight Society from AYAOTD and each book has one of the members telling a story. Book two in the series, The Legend of the Headless Horseman, is the story of Irving, Kat and Brock, on Halloween night. They accidentally release the Headless Horseman, oh also, they live in the town of Sleep Hallow. Brock gets captured by the horseman. Irving must work together with his crush, Kat, to get back Brock, all while stuck in a parallel universe.
I really enjoyed this story! I think the format of a group of kids telling each other stories is a proven winner, and this is no exception. The Halloween vibes and Headless Horseman were awesome and enjoyable, glad I read this one during Halloween Season. M. J. wrote believable characters that you can’t help but root for. I will be circling back to book one and keeping an eye out for book three! I’d recommend this MG read to anyone who likes Are You Afraid of the Dark or a fast pasted Halloween read!
October 3, 2026
The second book in the Midnight Five’s Cursed Tales series is a total Halloween blast! If you’re a fan of Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Headless Horseman lore, middle grade horror and time travel, you’re going to want to check out Miedema’s latest this spooky season.
It’s got thrills, spooky headless horseman chases, a little bit of romance, and some head-scratching butterfly effects. When a trio of teens inadvertently cause a rift in time, they have to not only try to survive the night but also fix the present.
Very recommended if you’re hankering for a fast-paced and easy-to-read Halloween adventure.
It’s got thrills, spooky headless horseman chases, a little bit of romance, and some head-scratching butterfly effects. When a trio of teens inadvertently cause a rift in time, they have to not only try to survive the night but also fix the present.
Very recommended if you’re hankering for a fast-paced and easy-to-read Halloween adventure.
June 21, 2026
M.J. Miedema puts his own twist on the classic tale of Sleepy Hollow, and the result is a fun Middle-grade Halloween story. Like the first entry of Midnight Five's Cursed Tales, there's some heavy inspiration from Are You Afraid of the Dark, but the time travel sections felt almost reminiscent almost of Magic Tree House or Time Warp Trio. It's not as spooky in the way Tale of the Haunted Bus was, but I enjoy the fall atmosphere and how these books take time to develop their characters. Favorite line: “The Horseman doesn’t sympathize. He collects heads. That’s all he’s ever done.”
June 12, 2026
I love Halloween, so I had to read the second book in the Midnight Five’s Cursed Tales: The Legend of the Headless Horseman.
I really enjoyed the author’s take on a classic tale. I liked that this story was told from Danny’s perspective, since the first book was from John’s.
The constant clop-clop-clop of the hooves throughout the book kept me on edge because I knew something ominous was coming.
This truly was a fun and spooky book. I can’t wait for book three!
I really enjoyed the author’s take on a classic tale. I liked that this story was told from Danny’s perspective, since the first book was from John’s.
The constant clop-clop-clop of the hooves throughout the book kept me on edge because I knew something ominous was coming.
This truly was a fun and spooky book. I can’t wait for book three!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews