The Calm Before the Storm - F. B

North Denver, 1978.
For most kids, summer means baseball games, bike rides, and first crushes. For Finney Blake and his friends, it means learning far too early that monsters don't always hide in the dark.
Finney is quiet, kind, and used to losing-on the field, at school, and at home. His only escape is his best friend Julie Arenallo, whose laughter makes the world feel safe, and her older brother Robin, whose fists keep bullies at bay. But when a winning baseball game ends in a devastating loss-and the boy who hit the final home run vanishes that same day-fear settles into their town like a sickness.
As children begin to disappear, whispers of The Grabber grow louder. Black vans. Black balloons. Secrets no one wants to say out loud.