Of note for teacher/librarians/parents:
Anyone interested in the value of scary books for children ought to check out this article, recently published in the journal of the American Association of School Librarians:
Crawford, Philip Charles. "Hatching Their Wolfish Schemes: Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean's Wolves in the Walls." Knowledge Quest, Jan/Feb2006, Vol. 34 Issue 3, p39-41.
New Item 11/2/06: Reading Rockets has a great video interview with horror author R.L. Stine, a major influence on horror writing for children and teens. To get up close and personal, take a look here.
Freaky Flora by Michel Gagne
*New Review
Gagne International, May, 2004
ISBN: 0971905363
Available: New and Used
Michel Gagne offers another alphabet picture book, this time focusing on plants. Gagne once again offers up amazing and imaginative illustrations, and in this case some are more benign looking while others such as the Cacti look particularly menacing. The one item that I have to take issue with is that Gagne has given us entries for some non plants such as with Anemone (which is a flowering plant) where the illustration is of a Sea Anemone which is an animal and Mushrooms which are in the Fungus Kingdom not the plant kingdom. It may seem picky but I suspect that there are a number of alternative plants that could be used for those entries that the obviously talented Gagne could do something with.
Frankenstein Makes A
Sandwich by Adam Rex *New Review
Harcourt Children's Books, September, 2006
ISBN:
0152057668
Available: New and Used
Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich is a fantastic combination of picture book and poetry that will be sure to tickle the funny bone of any monster loving kid or adult. Adam Rex illustrates a series of poems that connect with many of the traditional monsters such as Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, The Wolfman, The Mummy and others. There are some elements to the poems that will appeal to the adult readers and children may not get, This isn't as large a drawback as one might imagine, for it really makes a great read along/read aloud book for both parents and their children. This book is truly meant to be read aloud to gain maximum effect and entertainment. The entertaining poems are are illustrated comically and colorfully, a homage to classic monsters in a variety of styles that complement beautifully the various stories and movies on which the poems are based. Recommended for school, home, and personal libraries and as a read aloud for librarians and parents to share with their childre
Insanely Twisted
Rabbits by Michel Gagne
Gagne International, December, 2000
ISBN: 0966640446
Available: New and Used
Insanely Twisted Rabbits is a collection of draft drawings of mutated rabbits by artist Michel Gagne. This book is a fantastic example of what happens when an artist lets his/her imagination wander while staying focused on a subject. The rabbits look to have been combined with all sorts of other creatures, from bats to rhinos to dinosaurs- and then there are just plain scary mutated rabbits with all sorts of horns, fangs, and claws that abound. As with Gagne's Frenzied Fauna, parents and librarians will want to judge the appropriateness of some of the images based on children's reactions. Some might find the images a little too scary, but others will be mesmerized by Gagne's imagination gone wild, resulting in the phrases "neat", "cool", and "awesome". Age: varies based on the child's personality and interests. Recommended.
M.T.
Anderson’s Thrilling Tales: The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen by M. T.
Anderson
Harcourt Children's Books, June, 2006
ISBN:
0152053522
Available: New
The main characters from a variety of
fictional series books are all drawn into a mystery while on vacation at the
Moose Tongue Lodge and Resort. Katie Mulligan, the star of the Horror
Hollow
series, accompanies her friends Jasper Dash, Boy Technonaut, and Lily, on what
she hopes will be a real vacation. Although it’s more of a send-up
of series
books than a horror story, readers of horror series books will howl with
laughter all through the first chapter. Of course, there is no such thing as
a series book without an adventure, but Katie tries hard to avoid it!
Throughout
the book, Katie’s resolute desire to ignore anything mysterious, horrifying,
or supernatural is extremely entertaining. Jasper also gets his moment
of horror-
while gagged with duct tape and tied to a chair his allergies kick in, he rolls
down a mountain over the edge of a cliff, and a poisonous snake makes
ready to
strike at his slightest movement. Anderson does a great job of poking fun at
series books and genre fiction, and his writing is intelligent enough
to also
appeal to grown-up kids. A wonderful book to read to yourself or read aloud-
if you can keep yourself from breaking down into tears of laughter.
Grades 4- up.
Contains: fake gore, kidnapping, mild violence. Entry by Francesca the
Librarian
The
Halloween Mouse by Richard Laymon and illustrated by Alan M.
Clark
Cemetery Dance Publications, October, 2001
ISBN:
158767047X
Available: New and Used
Ages: 6+
Timothy Maywood Usher Mouse lives in the
library, reading about fantastic adventures. One Halloween night, Timothy
gathers his courage to leave the library to go on an adventure. After
escaping a run in with a snake thanks to a piece of candy corn. Timothy dreams
of going trick or treating but must first survive an encounter with the
neighborhood cat involving a jack-o-lantern. In the end, far away from his cozy
home in the library, Timothy discovers that having adventures is even better
than reading about them. Alan Clark's illustrations are detailed and
colorful, and the book is a visual treat. Richard Laymon has created an engaging
(if lengthy)story. Although the dialogue is awkward, Laymon's inventive
description and great action sequences will grab the reader. Laymon is writing
as much for adults as he is for children: some vocabulary and most literary
references will go right over children's heads, but will add an extra dimension
of meaning for the adult reader. A very cute Halloween picture book. This
book could be shared with patient primary grade readers as a read-aloud or with
intermediate readers either as a read-aloud or as independent reading.
I'm
Going to Eat You! by Matt Mitter and illustrated by Jimmy
Pickering
Reader's Digest, August, 2006
ISBN:
0794407676
Available: New
Ages: 4+
Young Spike sitting in bed hears an ominous "I'm going to eat you!" which leads him on a fantastic exploration of his house finding the source of the voice. Along the way he meets the bogeyman, a sea serpent, a ghost, and a werewolf. In the end it turns out to be his little sister threatening a cookie, "I'm going to eat you!" The illustrations by Jimmy Pickering make the book a treat, as all the monsters are fantastically drawn ,and the popups are wonderful. A must for any parent or child who likes spooky monsters. Recommended.
Frenzied Fauna by Michel Gagne
Gagne International, November, 2001
ISBN: 0966640497
Availability: Used
Frenzied Fauna is an incredibly imaginative animal alphabet book by artist Michel Gagne. Gagne's animals are drawn in fantastic and sometimes scary ways, with spikes, teeth, tusks, and a half dozen eyes. While Gagne tends to stick with fantastic versions of animals that children might recognize such as lizards, horses, and owls, he also adds entries for mutated mammals, microbes, and trilobite. You will want to test a few images of this book with very young children to see how they react. Older children will get a kick out of the book.
Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust, by Eve Bunting, illus. by Stephen Gammell
Ages: Upper elementary and older, with appropriate guidance.
I am including this book on the list because of the horror I felt as I was reading it, so please don't consider its inclusion to be frivolous. I certainly wouldn't give it to a fourth grader insisting on a "scary book." Although this is a picture book, care needs to be taken about how it is shared with children. It should never be read alone: it is too terrifying. It should always be read with guidance and followed with discussion. The story's main character is Little Rabbit, who watches the animals in his clearing disappear one group at a time as the Terrible Things descend upon the inhabitants. The remaining animals pretend that nothing is happening, and finally Little Rabbit is the only witness to the disappearance of all of the animals. The words are spare and the story on its own is a powerful and frightening one, but the true horror of the situation is expressed through Stephen Gammell's terrifying black and white illustrations. The Terrible Things are shadowy smears across the pages. We never see their true shapes, we only see the fear they create. Terrible Things has been suggested as a tool for introducing the topic of the Holocaust at the middle school or high school level, but with guidance and careful choices of literature, children at the elementary level can understand how fear and intolerance can help evil take root. Entry by Francesca the Librarian
The Wolves in
the Walls by Neil Gaiman, illus. by Dave McKean
HarperTrophy, Reprint edition, July, 2005
ISBN: 0380810956
Ages: Elementary and older
The Wolves in the Walls is a sophisticated picture book, which means you will enjoy it as much as your child will. Gaiman, the creator of many graphic novels and a writer of fantastic adult fiction, has created a delightfully dark and entertaining story about Lucy, a little girl who is still learning the difference between reality and fantasy. McKean's chaotic illustrations, which combine drawings with "real" pictures in a format reminiscent of graphic novels, effectively portray Lucy's uncertain world. Lucy hears the sounds of wolves in the walls. Her parents and older brother deny their existence, while at the same time telling her, "If the wolves come out of the walls, it's all over." Of course, there are wolves, they do come out of the walls, and Lucy's terrified family runs away. Lucy bravely returns to her house to rescue a favorite toy and discovers that the wolves aren't so frightening after all. She convinces her family to take back the house, and the cowardly wolves run screaming out the door, afraid of the humans coming out of the walls... But is the experience really all over for Lucy's family? She has confronted her fears, but there are elephants in the walls... Gaiman never talks down to the reader, and he is writing for children: it's a great book to read aloud, and it touches on the fears and uncertainties on the child within us all. Wolves in the Walls won the 2004 Stoker Award for best work for younger readers, and the 2004 award for best illustrated narrative from the International Horror Guild. Entry by Francesca the Librarian
Little Devil Books/Necro Publications, September, 2005
ISBN: 1889186562
Ages: 8-12
Pages: 208
Available: New
Terri and her friend Patricia look to spend their summer playing badminton and having fun, until one day Terri notices a big frog. The frog also has big teeth and frogs aren't supposed to have teeth! This propels Terri and Patricia on an adventure to uncover the mystery of the giant frogs where they end up at the old boathouse by the lake that they are forbidden to visit. It is at the lake where the girls run into monsters beyond their imagination. Edward Lee is known for some very intense adult horror, but here he shows his versatility in writing a monster books for kids that has such a entertaining story that kids won't want to put in down. Appropriate for upper elementary and middle school students requesting a good scary story. I would consider this a good core book to a scary story collection.
The Monsters of Morley
Manor by Bruce Coville
Magic Carpet Books- Reprint September, 2003
ISBN:
0152047050
Ages 9-12
Pages: 240
Available: New and Used
The Monsters of Morley Manor isn't as much of a scary book as an adventure book with monster characters in it. In the book, Anthony and his little sister Sarah buy a box filled with five miniature monster figures, a lizard man, a medusa, a wolfman, a vampiress, and a hunchback. When one of the figures gets wet it starts to come alive and thus begins an adventure involving aliens, giant talking frogs, and ghosts. Coville fits a lot into this book and while it works just fine it seems like it would have been possible for him to have a book just with the five monsters and without the alien story line. A good book for monster loving kids.