"While some stories are eerie, others provide heart-pounding thrills. Bite-sized treats for young horror aficionados; best enjoyed on a dark night. Illustrations are gloriously evocative, adding delicious thrills." — Kirkus Reviews

"Each tale is creepy. Pithy and punchy...perfect to 'tell in the dark.'" — Horn Book Magazine

"Exceptional stories. A big variety of tone and style. I love this book." — Mother Horror (blog)

"A fitting tribute to Alvin Schwartz. There is is much fun to be had within these pages. A lovely gateway book into horror for many kids." — Ginger Nuts of Horror (blog)

"Exceptional stories. A big variety of tone and style. I love this book."

"Each tale is creepy. Pithy and punchy...perfect to 'tell in the dark.'"

"A fitting tribute to Alvin Schwartz. There is is much fun to be had within these pages. A lovely gateway book into horror for many kids."

2020-06-30
Inspired by the contributions to the genre by Alvin Schwartz and presented by the Horror Writers Association, this anthology features 35 original spooky tales.

Ghosts, graveyards, a fatal disease, a creepy old house: Well-loved horror tropes aplenty are found within these pages alongside new, unusual scares like a haunted washing machine and a terrifying man who is said to capture children out after dark and turn them into umbrellas. While some stories are eerie and some are macabre and gross, others provide heart-pounding thrills. The prolific and popular R.L. Stine goes for funny with a side of spook in his story told from the perspective of a ghost living in a boy’s closet. A couple of stories embrace contemporary life and showcase technology and social media–based horror. Descriptions of race or culture are largely absent; notable exceptions include Courtney Alameda’s “The Weeping Woman,” a spin on the Mexican folklore legend of La Llorona, and “The Painted Skin,” by Jamie Ford, with its Chinese setting and characters. With a wide variety of tones and styles, the collection as a whole has broad appeal, but read cover to cover it can also feel disjointed and uneven. While a couple of stories are more “eh” than “AHH!” there are enough gems to make the anthology worthwhile. Compiet’s ink wash, graphite, and charcoal illustrations are gloriously evocative, adding delicious thrills.

Bite-sized treats for young horror aficionados; best enjoyed on a dark night. (Horror anthology. 9-13)