Scare Up a Good Boooooook

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

I love reading scary books -- the kind that make me shiver from head to toe -- whether it's Halloween time or not. I know that not everyone feels the same. However, if you, too, are a fan of the horror genre and are looking for a spine-tingling read, here are a few books that I recommend for various ages:

Picture book:

Hansel and Gretel,
retold by Neil Gaiman
and illustrated by Lorenzo Mattotti, 2014

A woodcutter leaves his children in the woods and when they try to find their way home, they stumble upon a house made of gingerbread.

As Gaiman recounts this well-known fairy tale, he doesn't stray far from the original story. He does add his own sinister touches, however, and his words pair well with Mattotti's dark, eerie artwork. This book, like all good picture books, begs to be read aloud. (I suggest reading it out loud in a dark room, with only a flashlight to see the words and pictures, for maximum effect!)

***

Middle grade fiction:

The Thickety: A Path Begins,

written by J. A. White, 2014

The same night that six-year-old Kara's little brother Taff is born, her mother is executed for witchcraft. Now, many years later, the siblings are still shunned by the people of their village. The villagers believe magic to be evil and fear it more than anything -- except for the dark and wild woods nearby, the Thickety.

I first spotted this novel at a book store. The title and cover art intrigued me, so I opened it up and began reading. After just a couple of pages, I jotted the title and author down in my "to read" list on my phone; the next time I visited the library I checked out the book. I really liked this fantastical tale and it is one that I would've enjoyed at age 10, as well. (It may have given me a nightmare or two back then, however!)

This is the first book in The Thickety series, which also includes The Whispering Trees (2015) and Well of Witches (coming out in 2016). I'm hoping to read the second book soon and will look for the third one next year!

***

The Night Gardener,
written by Jonathan Auxier, 2014

This Victorian ghost story follows a pair of young orphans who go to work as servants in a tumble-down house far from town. It does not take Molly and Kip long to discover that both the house and the family who lives there are not quite what they seem....

I saw that a reviewer on Goodreads wrote this about The Night Gardener: "Long story short, this novel is Little Shop of Horrors meets The Secret Garden." I thought that was a fitting description! I found this to be a delightfully creepy book and have recommended it to my 10-year-old, Ben.

***

Lockwood & Co.:
The Screaming Staircase,
written by Jonathan Stroud, 2013

For over 50 years ghosts have stalked the land, frightening the living, wreaking havoc, and even killing those poor souls unlucky enough to come in contact with them. Psychic Investigations Agencies have been formed across the country to seek out the horrifying spectres and destroy them. When the young agent Lucy Carlyle arrives in London looking for work, she is offered employment with the smallest, most unconventional agency in the city, Lockwood & Co. She and her coworkers, Anthony Lockwood and George Cubbins, quickly find themselves in the middle of a dangerous mystery. Can the three of them survive long enough to solve it?

This book is shelved in our library's middle grade section and also the young adult section. I personally feel that it is most suited for older children, teens, and adults. (I know I would've been terrified if I'd read the book when I was 8 or 9!) Ben had been planning on reading it, which is why we checked it out, but while he was working his way through another book, I read this one. I'm glad that I got to it first -- afterwards I talked with Ben about it and we decided that he should probably wait a couple of years before reading it himself.

That being said, I absolutely loved this book! And it truly scared me. Stroud is a masterful writer. (I adored his Bartimaeus trilogy, as well.) The main characters are very likable and well-written. In addition to the suspense that Stroud injects into every chapter, he also provides many laugh-out-loud moments.

This is the first title in the Lockwood & Co. series, which also includes The Whispering Skull (2014) and The Hollow Boy (2015). I have not read the others yet, but am eager to do so -- hopefully soon!

***

Young Adult Fiction:

The Ocean at the End of the Lane,
written by Neil Gaiman, 2013

When a man returns to his childhood home for a funeral, he finds himself drawn to the farm at the end of the lane. While there, images he hadn't thought of in years come flooding back, memories of the strange, frightening events he'd witnessed as a boy -- and a magical girl named Lettie who promised to protect him.

I found this book (which a friend aptly called "a grown up fairy tale") in the adult section of our library, but there is also a copy in the young adult section. I am a Neil Gaiman fan and was excited to read this when it came out. I was not disappointed. It is a beautifully written, haunting book that I plan to reread soon!

***

For more hair-raising book recommendations for kids and teens, check out my posts from previous years: Oh, the Horror! and Books That Go Bump in the Night.

Have you ever read any of the books listed above? If so, what did you think? I'd love to hear about your favorite spooky stories. I'm always looking for new ones to read!

Books That Go Bump In the Night

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

I don't think that I'm a particularly brave person.  I'm scared of storms and fire and flying and speaking in front of strangers. (Heck, I'm scared of speaking in front of people that I know!)  However, I love spine-tingling books and movies.  When I know that I'm safe, that what I'm reading or seeing on screen isn't real, I love that feeling of suspense, of goosebumps and my hair standing on end.  I've read several chilling tales this month, and thought I'd share them here for older kids and adults who share my affinity for the horror genre.  (Please note: Not all of the books below are actually classified as "horror".)

I'll start you out with some haunting poetry:

Halloween ABC,

written by Eve Merriam

and illustrated by Lane Smith, 1987

You may wonder why I'm sharing an ABC book in a post for middle grade and young adult readers.  I decided to include it here instead of mentioning it in my post about Halloween picture books because I feel some of Merriam's poems might be too spooky for young children.  Older children and teens (and adults!) who enjoy a good scare, however, will appreciate her poetry, along with Smith's dark illustrations.

I wrote more about this book in a previous post, which can be seen here.

***

The Whispering Room:

Haunted Poems,

chosen by Gillian Clarke

and illustrated by Justin Todd, 1996

This anthology contains both classical and contemporary poetry, including that of Carl Sandburg, Lilian Moore, William Shakespeare, Emily Bronte, Marchette Chute, and Jack Prelutsky.  Subjects range from ghosts and the bogeyman to a dark, dark wood to the Titanic to the wind.

***

Witch Poems,

edited by Daisy Wallace

and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, 1976

A collection of eighteen poems about witches, this book includes the work of e.e. cummings, Karla Kuskin, James Reeves, Myra Cohn Livingston, and more.  Along with the poetry, each two-page spread also features deliciously eerie black and white illustrations by Hyman.

I first noticed this book on the library shelf several months ago, but didn't pick it up until earlier this month.  When I finally started flipping through it and reading the poems, I knew I wanted to bring it home and read it over and over again.  A reviewer on Amazon called this book "creepy-crawly" (in a good way), and I have to agree.  It's perfect for reading aloud on Halloween or any time you want to scare up some fun!

***

If you're in the mood for something that will make you shiver but don't have time to read a longer book, I suggest trying one of these compilations of short stories:

More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,

collected from folklore and retold by Alvin Schwartz,

and illustrated by Stephen Gammell, 1984

Many of the stories in this book were already familiar to me. I'd heard versions of them when I was younger, at slumber parties and Girl Scout camp.  Schwartz collected the tales from folklore and then wrote them down in his own words. Most of the stories are only two or three pages long, so they make for a quick read.

My favorite parts of this book were the ghoulish illustrations by Gammell -- in my opinion, they are much scarier than the stories themselves.

***

Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror,

edited by R. L. Stine, 2010

R. L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series, put together this anthology of thirteen short stories by different authors including Meg Cabot, Jennifer Allison, and Walter Sorrells.  (Stine also contributed a story of his own.) While each offers moments of terror and suspense, the plots of the stories vary widely-- from the disappearances of humans on a distant planet to a school shooter and his victims to a portal into a shadowy world.

***

The Oxford Book of Scary Tales,

selected by Dennis Pepper

and illustrated by many, 1992

This book contains 35 stories and poems, both classic and contemporary, representing a wide variety of cultures and traditions.  Many authors are featured, including James Kirkup, Grace Hallworth, and Robert Scott.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book, but my favorite entries were the poem "This is the key to the castle" by Dave Calder and the story "Tiger in the Snow" by Daniel Wynn Barber, which literally gave me goosebumps!

***

The House of Dies Drear,

written by Virginia Hamilton

and illustrated by Eros Keith, 1969

Thirteen-year-old Thomas and his family move to Ohio, to a Civil War-era home which used to be a station on the Underground Railroad.  Filled with secret doors and tunnels, the house is supposedly haunted by the ghosts of the abolitionist Dies Drear and two runaway slaves who were murdered there.  When strange things begin happening, Thomas starts to think there really are ghosts in his new home.

This book was required reading for my kids Emmalie and Nick in elementary school (5th or 6th grade, I believe).  I remember both of them talking about it at the time, and when I spotted it at the library awhile ago, I decided to read it myself.  More a mixture of history and mystery than a horror story, the book does still have an aura of spookiness about it, with a dash of suspense thrown in as well.

***

Eddie: 

The Lost Youth of Edgar Allan Poe,

written and illustrated by Scott Gustafson, 2011

Young Edgar Allan Poe (Eddie) is falsely accused of destroying his neighbor's chicken coop.  With the help of his raven, an imp named McCobber, and the magician Captain Mephisto, Eddie tries to solve the mystery and find the true culprit.  Though the story is fictional, Gustafson does offer quite a bit of factual information about the real Edgar Allan Poe.  He also provides several pages of stunning artwork that illustrate his story.

I found this to be a cleverly written book, a quick read that kept me engaged.  While the tale has a gothic feel, as well as moments of suspense, it also contains a healthy dose of humor.

***

The Graveyard Book,

written by Neil Gaiman

and illustrated by Dave McKean, 2008

When a man named Jack murders a family, he inadvertently leaves one survivor -- a young toddler.  The boy escapes from his home and ends up in a nearby graveyard.  Ghostly residents there adopt the boy, naming him Nobody (aka Bod).  They raise him in the graveyard, where Bod learns all about the living and the dead.  Now a teenager, Bod finds himself in danger from the man Jack who is still hunting him.

As Gaiman himself says, this story was inspired by Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, only instead of being raised by wolves, Bod is brought up by ghosts.  I thought this was an interesting plot idea, and Gaiman succeeds in mixing the macabre with humor and fantasy to create an engrossing book.

***

Looking for a quirky and frightfully funny book series?  Try this one:

May Bird and the Ever After,

written by Jodi Lynn Anderson

and illustrated by Leonid Gore, 2005

Ten-year-old May Bird lives near the woods of Briery Swamp, a place where several different people have mysteriously disappeared over the years.  She's considered an oddball at school and her only friend is her pet cat, Somber Kitty.  One day May finds a letter from 1951 that is somehow addressed to her.  The letter leads her on a quest -- into Briery Swamp and then to the land of Ever After, where people go after they die.  There she encounters ghosts, ghouls, the Boogeyman, and the evil Bo Cleevil, all the while trying to get back home again.

May Bird Among the Stars, 2006

May Bird is still alive... and still stuck in the Afterlife.  She is torn between going home to her mother (if she can ever figure out how to get back) and saving her friends in Ever After from the evil Bo Cleevil.

May Bird Warrior Princess, 2007

May Bird is finally back on Earth and famous for having survived "the land of the dead".  She feels out of place, however, and finds herself missing those she left behind in Ever After.  When she returns to the Afterlife, she discovers that much has changed (for the worse) in her absence.  Can she save Ever After -- and Earth itself -- from Bo Cleevil?

Though this series is filled with ghosts and otherworldly creatures, and it does have an eerie quality about it, the thing I liked most about it was Anderson's dark, tongue-in-cheek humor and the way she pokes fun at popular culture.  I laughed out loud many times while reading these books!

***

The Crowfield Curse,
written by Pat Walsh, 2010

An orphan in the winter of 1347, fourteen-year-old William works as a servant at a monastery.  While out gathering firewood, he discovers a hobgoblin caught in a trap.  William saves its life and learns that only people with the Sight can see hobgoblins.  Soon the boy is caught up in a mystery involving dead angels, evil curses, a haunted hollow, and creatures of the fay -- and danger looms ever closer.

I found this to be an intriguing, spooky story, filled with suspense and enchanting characters.

Walsh has written a sequel to this book, The Crowfield Demon (2011).  Our library doesn't have a copy of it yet, but I am on the waiting list to read it when it arrives.

***

Anya's Ghost,
written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol, 2011

This young adult graphic novel shows readers the life of high school student Anya, a Russian immigrant who is trying to be more "American" and fit in with the other teens at school. One day she accidentally stumbles down a deep hole in a park.  While trapped there, she encounters a ghost named Emily, who died in 1918.  When Anya is rescued from the hole, Emily follows, offering to be her friend and give her advice to succeed in life.  After awhile, Anya discovers that Emily may have ulterior (and sinister) motives for helping her....

This is only the second graphic novel that I've ever read.  It took a little while to get used to because of that.  There really is a difference between reading a regular novel and reading a graphic novel.  However, once I adjusted to that, I found Brosgol's story entertaining.  It pulled me in right away and kept me eagerly flipping pages.  

Just a note:  At first glance, the "comic book look" to this novel may make it seem like it's a story for middle grade readers -- but it's not.  Some of the content and situations presented are much more suitable for older teens and adults.

***

Finally, for those who are eager to be scared over and over again, here is an entire horror series that I highly recommend.  I found this series in our library's section for middle grade readers, but if it were up to me, I think I'd put them in the young adult section.  I'm pretty sure these books would've given me nightmares if I'd read them when I was 9 or 10:

The Last Apprentice:

Revenge of the Witch,

written by Joseph Delaney
and illustrated by Patrick Arrasmith, 2004

Twelve-year-old Thomas is the seventh son of a seventh son. When he is apprenticed to Mr. Gregory, a Spook whose job is to fight evil spirits and witches around the County, Thomas foresees a lonely, dangerous life ahead of him.  He does not expect to face a powerful enemy, Madame Malkin, on his own and so soon after leaving his home.  Despite warnings from the Spook, Thomas befriends Alice, the young daughter of a witch family.  Will she help him?  Or betray him?

The Last Apprentice:
Curse of the Bane (2005)

Thomas and the Spook travel to Priestown on unfinished business. A terrifying, vicious monster called the Bane has been imprisoned deep in the catacombs of the town's cathedral. Though it has been unable to break free to roam the land, the Bane can reach out with its thoughts, controlling the minds and actions of the town's inhabitants.  As if Thomas and the Spook didn't have enough to worry about, they must also evade another enemy in Priestown, the Quisitor -- a man who pursues and executes anyone suspected of witchcraft or being too close to the Dark.  Now the Quisitor is on the hunt for the Spook, who is high on his list.

The Last Apprentice:
Night of the Soul Stealer (2006)

Thomas and the Spook travel to Anglezarke, Mr. Gregory's bleak and desolate winter home.  There Thomas meets Meg, a lamia witch who doesn't remember what she is, and hears rumors of a barbaric beast called Golgath.  He also encounters Morgan, one of the Spook's former apprentices.  Morgan hates Mr. Gregory and, since leaving his employ, has learned necromancy (communication with the dead).  Now Morgan hopes to use his new powers -- and Thomas -- to unleash a malevolent spirit on the County.

I have really been impressed so far by Delaney's writing.  The story is chilling -- it has kept me on the edge of my seat through all three books.  The characters are well-developed and Delaney manages to weave several different plot lines together to create an interesting story with many twists and turns.  Arrasmith's illustrations lend a creepiness to the story, as well.

Other books in this series include Attack of the Fiend (2007), Wrath of the Bloodeye (2008), Clash of the Demons (2009), Rise of the Huntress (2010), Rage of the Fallen (2011),  Grimalkin, the Witch Assassin (2011), Lure of the Dead (2012),and Slither (2012).  I just started reading Attack of the Fiend yesterday, and plan to read through the entire series.  I can't wait to see what happens to Thomas, Alice, the Spook, and the others....

***

For even more spooky stories, please check out my post from last year, Oh, the horror!

Do you like reading scary books?  If so, what are some of your favorites?  I'm always on the lookout for book recommendations!

2012 Banned Books Week: Middle Grade Books

Image courtesy of the
American Library Association

Banned Books Week continues here on Blue Sky, Big Dreams.  On Sunday, I shared some of the picture books that have been banned or challenged over the years.  Last year, I wrote about other picture books and also some novels for older kids, all of which have been challenged at one time or another.  I'm planning to write a post about some young adult novels for tomorrow, if I get the chance, but today I have a few more middle grade books to share with you:

From the Mixed-Up Files of 
Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler,

written by E. L. Konigsburg, 1967

Claudia Kincaid feels misunderstood and unappreciated at home -- and just plain bored, too.  She decides to do something exciting with her life.  Convincing her younger brother Jamie to run away with her, the two make plans to sneak into New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art and live there.  

Once they are settled into life at the museum, Claudia and Jamie find themselves caught up in a mystery surrounding a recently-acquired statue.  Determined to find out if the sculpture was created by Michelangelo, the pair eventually ends up at the home of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the statue's former owner.

I'd never heard of this book until my daughter Emmalie read it with her class in elementary school.  She told me the basic plot and said she thought it was a fun book.  Later on, my son Nick's class read it, too.  I finally decided to read it last month, and now I wish I had known about it when I was a young girl.  I found it entertaining as an adult, and I'm sure I would've loved it back then!

I have seen this book title on several lists of banned or challenged books, but have been unable to find out why it was ever challenged.  The only thing I can think of is that maybe some people believe it promotes running away? Or possibly they are upset by a scene where Claudia and her brother take a bath in a public fountain?  I really don't understand.  If you are aware of the reason why this book has been challenged, please let me know.

***

How to Eat Fried Worms,

written by Thomas Rockwell,
and illustrated by Emily McCully, 1973

Billy, who will eat just about anything, bets his friend that he can eat fifteen worms in fifteen days.  If he does, Billy will win $50 and can buy the minibike he's had his eye on.  He quickly realizes that it's easier said than done, and isn't sure if he can actually choke down a worm (and then 14 more of them), no matter how much ketchup and other condiments he puts on top.  After he's consumed several of the worms, however, his friends worry that Billy really will eat fifteen of them and then they'll have to pay him.  They plot and scheme, hoping to prevent that from happening.

I remember my 4th grade teacher reading this book to our class.  We would squirm, giggle, and make faces as she read, very glad that we weren't the one eating the worms. Yet, every day we couldn't wait to hear what silly thing would happen next.  I reread the book this week.  It was every bit as gross -- and engrossing -- as I remembered!

This story has been challenged for "vulgarity and violence".

***

Frindle,

written by Andrew Clements,
and illustrated by Brian Selznick, 1996

Ten-year-old Nick Allen has a reputation in his school for coming up with clever ways to distract his teachers when they are about to assign homework.  When he tries this in Mrs. Granger's class, however, it backfires -- Nick is given a special assignment to learn about the dictionary and how new words are added.  The information he finds gives him an idea, and he sets out to create a new word: frindle (otherwise known as a pen).  Before long, everyone in class is calling pens frindles, but when Mrs. Granger asks them to stop, they refuse.  Trouble soon ensues.

I read this book for the first time last month, and absolutely loved it!  Part of the reason I liked it so much probably stems from the fact that it is about words and language, a subject that (surprise, surprise) interests me!  I also found the story funny and fast-paced.  Not only do I recommend it to middle grade readers, it also seems like it would be a great read-aloud book for teachers (and parents)!

This is another book that I spotted on various banned and challenged book lists -- but never could I find out why it was challenged.  Perhaps it's because the students in the story challenge authority?  (Again, if you know why it was on the lists, please let me know.)

***

Holes,

written by Louis Sachar, 1998

Stanley Yelnats and his family are accustomed to bad luck. They always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, thanks to a curse put on the family generations ago. Stanley has been (wrongly) accused and convicted of stealing.  To avoid jail time, he has agreed to go to Camp Green Lake, a juvenile detention facility.  There, he and the other young residents are forced to dig a hole every single day, five feet deep with a five foot diameter -- supposedly to improve their character.  When Stanley realizes that the Warden may just have an ulterior motive for all that digging, he finds himself in the middle of a mystery and an unexpected adventure.

I have heard many good things about this book since it was first published, but I hadn't read it myself until a few weeks ago.  I ended up enjoying it so much that I am now rereading it -- this time, aloud to my seven-year-old, Ben.  He loves it, too, and eagerly awaits story time each day!  I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for kids his age (it is rated for ten and up), but I knew that he would handle it well.  We always discuss what we've read, what it means, and how we feel about it.  I do think that it's appropriate for most ten-year-olds.

"Themes of violence" is the main reason that this book has been challenged.

***

Are You There, God?  It's Me, Margaret.,
written by Judy Blume, 1970

Eleven-year-old Margaret's family moves to a new home and, in addition to trying to fit in with her new classmates, Margaret struggles with puberty and the concept of religion. Her parents, one raised Jewish and the other Christian, want their daughter to choose for herself whether or not to be religious (and if so, which religion to identify with). Margaret often talks to God, but has never been to church or temple before, to know what they are like.  When she finally attends with her grandmother and some friends, she is left even more confused.

I first read this book when I was ten.  A relative gave me a boxed set of Judy Blume books, including this one, for Christmas.  I read the novel several times back then, and I'm sure all the girls in my class read it, too.  As someone wrote on Amazon: "If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There, God?  It's Me, Margaret. would rank near the top of the list."  It was one of the few books I could find back then that helped me realize all the changes my body was going through were perfectly normal.

When my own daughter was a preteen, I was happy to share my Judy Blume books with her.  I think she enjoyed them, too, even though they weren't fantasy (her favorite genre).  I reread the book again this week and was still impressed with Blume's frank, humorous writing.

This novel has frequently been challenged because it contains "discussion of menstruation and breast development" as well as what some people see as "anti-Christian themes".

***

In addition to the new-to-this-blog books above, here are some more banned/challenged middle grade books that I've featured in other posts over the past year:

Little House series,

written by Laura Ingalls Wilder,
and illustrated by Garth Williams, 1932-1943

Books in this series have been banned for racism, based on comments the characters make about Native Americans. Please see this previous post for more information about the series.

***

Julie of the Wolves,

written by Jean Craighead George,
and illustrated by John Schoenherr, 1972

Frequently challenged for "violent sexuality, profanity, and supposed socialistic, evolutionist, and 'anti-family' themes", this book was featured on this blog in this post.

***

Anastasia Krupnik,

written by Lois Lowry, 1979

This book has been challenged for "use of vulgarity and references to underage drinking".  To find out more about it, check out this post.

***

Because of Winn-Dixie,

written by Kate DiCamillo, 2000

This novel has been challenged for "profanity".  To learn more about the story, please see this post.

***

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,

written by Roald Dahl

and illustrated by Quentin Blake, 1964

Apparently, this book was once placed in a locked reference collection because a librarian thought the tale "embraced a poor philosophy of life".  To read more about Dahl's classic, see this post.

***

The Witches,
written by Roald Dahl,
and illustrated by Quentin Blake, 1983

Challenged because of its "reference to witchcraft, the occult, and Satanism", this book was featured in my post on fun books to read for Halloween.

***

Charlotte's Web,

written by E. B. White
and illustrated by Garth Williams, 1952

It amuses me (and disturbs me at the same time) that this classic has been challenged because of its "unnatural depiction of talking animals".  Check out this post to learn more about the story.

***

Coraline,

written by Neil Gaiman
and illustrated by Dave McKean, 2002

This novel has been challenged for "being inappropriate and too scary for young children".  To learn more about it, please check out this post I wrote last year.

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The Giver,

written by Lois Lowry, 1993

This book has been banned from middle schools for "supporting sexuality and for scenes of violence."  For more information about the story, please read this post.

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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry,

written by Mildred D. Taylor, 1976

This historical novel has been challenged frequently for "being inappropriate and racially based".  For more information on the story, please see this post.

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The Great Gilly Hopkins,

written by Katherine Paterson, 1978

This book has been challenged for "curse words and taking the Lord's name in vain".  I wrote about it earlier this year in this post about books with girl power.

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Then Again, Maybe I Won't,

written by Judy Blume, 1971

Due to "sexual content", this story (along with many of Blume's other books) has been challenged several times.  To read more about the book, please see this post.

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Artemis Fowl series,
written by Eoin Colfer, 2001-2012

These books have been challenged for "not promoting good character".  To learn more about the series, check out this post.

***

What are some of your favorite banned or challenged books for middle grade readers?  I'd love to hear about them!