Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror

August 1, 2010

Thirteen highly suspenseful short stories, well selected by none other than R. L. Stine, who contributes the first tale, have the power to attract and delight many stouthearted young readers. The man behind the Goosebumps and Fear Street megaseries enlists some of the best in the business, such as Meg Cabot and F. Paul Wilson, Walter Sorrells and James Rollins, who offer plenty of heart-throbbing supernatural horror, crime suspense, shockers and sometimes a mixture of all three. Babysitters may want to skip creepy "Jeepers Peepers" from Ryan Brown and a standout chiller from Jennifer Allison, "The Perfects," both of which offer little hope for their victims. Alane Ferguson pens the chilling "Dragonfly Eyes," which follows the feelings of a murdered girl as she strains to offer ghostly help to another endangered girl. Heather Brewer's "Shadow Children" brings to life those monsters that children know really are there in the dark. The editor pitches the collection to either middle- or high-school audiences with inventive but still easily understood stories. It's a winning set—there isn't a dud in the bunch. Fast-paced, shuddery-scary fun. (Horror/short stories. 12 & up)

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November 1, 2010

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, OR

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Grades 7-10 Stines name on the spine may promise things that go bump in the night, but scary stories are only part of what this schizophrenic collection offers: mystery, thriller, sci-fi, light paranormal, humor, and even superhero sagas all take their turns. There are more uninspired entries here than one would like (do we really need another vampire-versus-werewolf battle?), but this collection does one thing very well: it keeps the reading level consistent, which makes it a good entry point for reluctant readers moving on from Stines own oeuvre. By far the best story is Walter Sorrells Tuition, a surprise-after-surprise roller-coaster ride in which a teen safecracker celebrates a very unusual birthday. Also worthy of note is Suckers, by Suzanne Weyn, which features an ending Rod Serling wouldve died for, and Piney Power, about a family of backwoods misfits who enact their own special brand of justice. These three tales are plenty good enough to propel readers past slower patches.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)