Dedication The Happy Hollisters and the Castle Rock Mystery is Volume 23 in a 33-book series The books are being reissued in honor of my grandfather Andrew Edward Svenson who began The Happy Hollisters series in 1953 using the pseudonym Jerry West The characters in the Hollister family were based in part on his family my grandmother father uncle and aunts and I am grateful to them for inspiring these books and for their support of this labor of love Marian S Svenson Elaine Hollister Andrew E Svenson Jr Pete Laura Svenson Schnell Pam Eric R Svenson Sr Ricky Jane Svenson Kossmann Holly Eileen Svenson de Zayas and Ingrid Svenson Herdman Sue Many thanks also to Callie and Libby Svenson for their editorial and marketing assistance Andrew E Svenson III The Svenson Group Inc on behalf of The Hollister Family Properties Trust The earth is full of treasures children
Contents 1 The Orange Parachute 2 A Thunder Egg 3 A Curious Warning 4 The Runaway Airplane 5 A Spooky Discovery 6 Knights and a Dragon 7 A Lonely Cat 8 The Kidnaped Doll 9 Red White and Blue 10 Monkeyshines 11 The Radar Clue 12 The Big Museum 13 A Spotted Owl 14 Domingo Co 15 A Scary Night 16 A Queer Echo 17 Daring Explorers 18 Good for Bad 7 16 28 37 47 55 62 71 79 87 97 106 114 122 132 140 150 159
CHAPTER 1 The Orange Parachute LOOK at the parachute shouted Holly Hollister pointing at the sky It’s going to land right on top of us The shrill cry of the six-year-old girl standing on the lawn acted like a fire alarm From inside the rambling house came the scuffling of feet and cries of Where I want to see it First out the front door was Ricky seven years old red-haired and full of ginger He was followed pell-mell by Pete a handsome lad of twelve with a crew cut As the boys clattered down the steps they were followed by two girls Pam who was ten held little Sue by the hand and the four-year-old raced toward Holly as fast as her chubby legs would go I can’t see any parachute Ricky said shading his eyes It went behind that big fluffy cloud Holly replied excitedly twisting one of her pigtails There it is now Pam exclaimed It’s orange colored There’s not even a man hanging on it said Sue Oh dear maybe he fell off 7
