Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror
Gr 6-10–A great line-up of authors including Alane Ferguson, Heather Brewer, and Peg Kehret contribute tales that are sure to amuse readers, but not necessarily scare them. The selections include vampires, werewolves, weird little children, jokes gone wrong, and a cannibalistic family who like to prey on new babysitters. The stories are entertaining, but most of them are pretty tame. One standout is Meg Cabot's “The Night Hunter,” a tale about a girl kidnapped by a bank robber wearing a clown mask who ultimately hopes to be rescued by the folk hero The Night Hunter, immortalized in a pop song. Jennifer Allison's “The Perfects” is the one tale in the bunch that is actually creepy and will leave readers with an uneasy feeling at the end. All of the stories are perfect for reading around a campfire or at a slumber party without causing too many sleepless moments. They're a good length and have that “Aha!” moment at the end.–Traci Glass, Eugene Public Library, ORα(c) Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.