Literally Disturbed

August 1, 2013
Novelist Winters (The Mystery of the Missing Everything, 2011) applies his pen to create 30 rhyming, slightly shivery poems. The subtitle claims this poetry aims to "keep you up at night." And if it does not, surely most of Watkins' wonderfully creepy illustrations will, often hinting at dreadful outcomes not indicated in the text. In "How I Check for Monsters Before I Go to Sleep," the verse visits each place the narrator thinks a monster may be hiding. "I turn on the lights in the bathroom, / and once all the shadows are gone / I check that there's no growling fiends / in the tub or on the john." The tone is light, but the accompanying illustration reveals something more sinister--waiting in the closet is something with a sinuous tail and muscled forearm leading to a hand with ultralong, black fingernails. And so it is with the rest of the book, with uneasy experiences taking place in "The Attic," "The Deep End" and while "Hiking." The breezy, witty voice on display does not seem to entirely jibe with the illustrations, which alone could be the cause of a serious case of the heebie-jeebies. That said, the quality of the poetry is quite worthy of sharing around a campfire or at a slumber party; in the classroom, use it to demonstrate the wide range of forms creative verse can take. (Poetry. 7-12)

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February 1, 2014

Gr 3-6-Subtle humor and forthright horror are laced throughout this collection of Poe-like poems. For those who enjoy being terrified while having their senses tickled, the verses are full of dark, creepy imagery enhanced with ghostly pen-and-ink drawings confirming the mind's wildest imaginings. For example, "There's only one problem-/it's a big one, I won't lie./If you're gonna be a ghost, /well, then first you've got to DIE." Winters's verses cover typical scary topics, such as black cats, witches, and monsters, but also focus on subjects like a child whose cold might be more serious than it seems and a strange monkey statue with "glowing green eyes." A suitable compilation for late October, though some students might prefer lighter fare.-Magdaline Henderson-Diman, formerly at Bass Harbor Memorial Library, Bernard, ME

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2013
Grades 3-6 Warm up your spooky voice for these 30 frightful poems on subjects ranging from a monster's confession ( I eat children. / There, I said it ) to a zombie chase ( They'll gobble up your brains / and his brains and her brains ). Winters, the best-selling author of the adult title Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters (2009), gives kids just the right amount of scary (i.e., not too scary) for read-alouds at a sleepover or around the campfireor even solo under the covers with a flashlight. Some of the rhyming poems may leave readers saying, Hey, that's no big deal. But then others will warrant leaving the light on, as in The Statue: Because, somehow, there it was on the mantel / grinning down at us, wicked and wise / the monkey with glowing green eyes. Watkins' black-and-white full-page illustrations up the creep factor with images of drooling bat fangs, slit-eyed cats, and kids' mouths open midscream. Sleep tight, don't let the headless horseman bite.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)