Bill and Megan Stine have written numerous books for young readers, including titles in these series: The Cranberry Cousins; Wizards, Warriors, and You; The Three Investigators; Indiana Jones; G.I. Joe; and Jem. They live on New York City's Upper West Side with their seven-year-old son, Cody, who believes in ghosts.

What's Christmas without Max?

Jeffrey Becker is looking forward to the greatest Christmas ever. Nothing beats spending the holidays with his best friend, Max. Especially when Max happens to be a mischief-loving 1950s ghost.

But before vacation begins, Jeffrey and Max argue, and Max disappears-maybe for good! To make things worse, it looks like Jeffrey will have to spend Christmas with-yuck!-his obnoxious cousins Jonathan and Wendy. Why bother to celebrate at all? Jeffrey needs his ghostly friend to come back, but there's no sign of the stubborn Max. Will Max ever return?