Kalynn Bayron picks 4 movies to pair with ‘Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel’
In Pairings, artists and creators pick the movies that complement their latest work.
Kalynn Bayron is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of the young adult fantasy novels Cinderella Is Dead and This Poison Heart. Her latest novel Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel is out on April 7 wherever you get your books!
We asked Kalynn to pick a few movies that pair well with Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls
I love the mystery elements of this movie! It shares some similarities with Olive Oakes in that you can never be sure who to trust and that some characters are not exactly who they appear to be. The relationships the main character, Lewis, has with his Uncle Jonathan is very sweet and reminds me of Olive’s cousin Eli and his close relationship with his Uncle Gary.
Scooby-Doo
There are lots of animated Scooby-Doo movies but the live-action version from 2002 fits so well with Olive Oakes, who is also a budding detective trying to uncover the secrets of a small town’s haunted carnival attraction. In Scooby-Doo it’s a horror-themed island resort but it’s so much fun and shares a ton of common themes with the events of Olive Oakes. The close-knit group of friends, the strange occurrences, the ultimate resolution—they all mirror Olive in her adventures.
The Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is one of my all-time favorite movies and I took a ton of inspiration from both characters Megan and Michael. In this movie the kids uncover some truly terrifying secrets about the mansion and its ghostly owner, but their concerns are swept aside by their parents until it’s almost too late. In Olive Oakes, her parents Gary and Sadie, are happy to let Olive and her cousin Eli explore and find mysteries to solve but they don’t always take the kids seriously. There’s a lesson to be learned here! Listen to the kids when spooky stuff is happening!
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
The Nancy Drew novels were probably the biggest influence on my decision to start writing the Olive Oakes series. The first novel I ever read cover to cover was Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase. This movie is an updated version of that novel, and I think that makes it an even better match for Olive Oakes and the Haunted Carousel. A young detective uncovering mysteries, utilizing modern tech, and proving that sometimes the truth is stranger than tall tales and supposed hauntings all parallel the events in this first Olive Oakes book.