Summer of Night

Summer of Night is a horror novel by American writer Dan Simmons, published in 1991 by Warner Aspect. Set in Elm Haven, Illinois, in 1960, Summer of Night recounts its five pre-teen protagonists’ discovery that eerie, terrifying events are unfolding in the Old Central School. Operatives, including a dead soldier; giant worms with rows of sharp, serrated teeth; the animated corpse of a deceased teacher; schoolyard bullies; the driver of a rendering truck; their school teacher, and principal of the school, serve a centuries-old evil that seeks to be reborn in their time--and in their town. It is only by banding together that the pre-teens can hope to defeat the monstrosity before it destroys them, their friends, their families--and, possibly, the world. The sequel to Summer of Night is called A Winter Haunting, in which Dale Stewart, now grown, returns to Elm Haven. Another pseudo-sequel is Children of the Night which features a much older Mike O'Rourke, now a Roman Catholic priest,... full article at wikipedia