Welcome to Dead House facts for kids

Welcome to Dead House is the very first book in the exciting and spooky original Goosebumps series. It was released in July 1992. Two other books, Stay Out of the Basement and Monster Blood, came out at the same time. Later, in 2010, this book was re-released as part of the Classic Goosebumps collection, featuring cool new artwork.

The story is about Amanda and Josh Benson. They move with their parents into a really creepy old house. This house is in a strange town called Dark Falls. The people in Dark Falls are very different from anyone the kids have ever met.

The first cover of the book was drawn by Tim Jacobus. It shows an old house at night. The front door is slightly open, and a strange figure can be seen in a window.

Story Summary

The Benson family, including Amanda, her younger brother Josh, and their dog Petey, visit Dark Falls for the first time. They are meeting Compton Dawes, a real estate agent. Mr. Benson has inherited a house from a great-uncle he never knew.

A Strange New Home

Right away, Amanda, Josh, and Petey feel that something is wrong. Even though it's July, the whole neighborhood seems dark. Huge tree branches block the sunlight, making everything shadowy. Dead brown leaves are everywhere.

Their new house is enormous, old, and dark. Two big windows on the second floor look like staring eyes. Josh complains a lot about moving. Mr. Dawes welcomes the family inside. While exploring her new room, Amanda sees a boy in the doorway. He quickly disappears down the hall.

Exploring Dark Falls

Amanda feels better after seeing her bedroom. She goes outside to tell Josh, but he and Petey are gone. Mr. Dawes offers to help them find the missing pair. As they drive around, Amanda notices something odd. There are no people outside any of the houses.

They finally find Josh trying to catch Petey in the Dark Falls cemetery. Their dad, Jack, catches Petey and puts him on a leash. Petey is acting very frantic. The family then drops off Mr. Dawes at his office. He tells them to come back next week to finish the house papers. After this strange first visit, the Bensons go back to their old home.

Moving Day and New Friends

Amanda's best friend, Kathy, visits on their last night in their old house. She reminds Amanda that Dark Falls is only four hours away. Moving day arrives, and it's rainy and windy when they get to their new house. Amanda keeps seeing other children in her home. She also hears strange sounds.

Amanda and Josh start meeting kids from the town. Ray Thurston seems friendly but also a bit strange. Another girl named Karen also seems odd. Both Ray and Karen say they used to live in the Bensons' new house.

The Truth About Dark Falls

Two weeks later, Petey goes missing. Amanda and Josh can't find him anywhere. That night, Josh comes into Amanda's room. He thinks Petey might have gone to the cemetery again. When they go to check, they meet Ray. He warns them about being out so late.

In the cemetery, they find gravestones with the names of their new friends. One gravestone even has Ray's name on it. Ray then tells them the shocking truth: he and the other kids are actually the living dead.

A Dangerous Secret

Ray explains that once a year, they need energy from a living being to keep their "living dead" existence going. They killed Petey because dogs can sense the living dead. Ray attacks Amanda, but Josh saves her. He shines his flashlight on Ray's face. Ray crumbles into a pile of bones.

Amanda and Josh run home. But when they arrive, the dead children attack them. The children explain that there was no dead great-uncle. The letter sent to their parents was a trick to bring the Benson family to Dark Falls. Suddenly, Mr. Dawes, the real estate agent, appears. The dead children disappear.

Escape from Dark Falls

Mr. Dawes tells Amanda and Josh that he has found their parents. He says he will take the kids to join them. At first, Amanda and Josh think he is saving them. But then, they see a gravestone that shows Mr. Dawes is also dead.

He explains that Dark Falls was once a normal town. Years ago, a yellow gas escaped from a factory nearby. It spread through the town, turning everyone into the undead. Amanda and Josh manage to escape Mr. Dawes. Josh hits him on the head with his flashlight.

It turns out the dead children are zombies. They crumble and fall apart under bright light. Amanda and Josh knock down a tree to let sunlight in. This destroys all of the living dead. They rescue their parents and quickly pack up their things.

A New Beginning?

As the Benson family leaves Dead House, they see a new family arriving. Amanda notices that someone who looks like Mr. Dawes is guiding them. She tries to ignore it. She tells one of the new kids that she used to live in their house. Then, the Benson family drives away from Dark Falls.