Dare to Be Scared: Thirteen Stories to Chill and Thrill
Grade 4-7-From a horrible dream a boy can't wake up from to an alien-driven bus to an eerie house with an alarming inhabitant, these stories cover the gamut of scary themes. Some are barely shiver inducing, while others, like the Halloween tale of a mean big sister who attracts an evil spirit, are deliciously horrifying. Although they are all original, many of these stories feature themes and plots that are the staples of folklore, making them natural candidates for reading or telling aloud, preferably around a campfire or at midnight during a sleepover. While kids may shrug at the tamer stories, they will marvel at the poignant twist in "Smoke" and shudder at the ominous "Bakotahl." The hilarious and spooky tale of an aunt who contacts her rude niece by cell phone from beyond the grave is destined to be told at summer camps throughout the land. The dark, black-and-white, pen-and-ink drawings add an appropriately menacing touch to the stories.Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public LibraryCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.