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Books that Go "Bump" in
the Night
By Holly E. Newton
There’s nothing quite like a book that’s
scary and brings out goose bumps in the dead of night as the wind
whirls, twists and whistles around the corner of your house ―
making you jump at the slightest sound. This is the season of those
sounds that go "bump" in the night and here are some
outstanding Halloween books.
The first six are good for ages
10 through adult. They are rich in imagination, mystery and surprise.
These stories don’t have blood and gore; but they might just compel
you to look outside your door and under your bed. And aren’t those
the best kind of scary stories anyway?
 The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow, with the original story by
Washington Irving, and illustrated by the talented Gris Crimly,
brings to light a well written tale that sequesters ambivalence
and anxiety as the story heightens to its climatic ending. This
celebrated and classic author writes with the elegance of the day
and yet you feel the surge of anticipation of what is about to come.
Grimly moves the story along with the
varied pictures illustrated on each page. Even though the many
small illustrations on each page give a comic book feel at first
glance, upon closer scrutiny, there is nothing comic in either his
depictions of the story or the story itself. The pictures, imbued
with autumn browns and oranges, entice this slightly condensed version
and help the reader stay with the story. Here is a classic that
begs to be read on Halloween!
Spinetinglers Ghoulish Ghost Stories,
compiled by Robert Westall, has just the
right combination of surprise and spookiness to compel you to look
over your shoulder. There are 22 short stories in all, and one
that was familiar to me was, “The Monkey’s Paw,” by W.W.
Jacobs. Furthermore, there are some outstanding compilations of
authors, which include Franz Kafka and Charles Dickens. Some of
the stories are a bit humorous, some are very scary, some are short,
and some are longer, but all have surprise endings and are very
well written.
Deep and Dark and Dangerous, by Mary Downing Hahn, is spellbinding and will grab you in the first
chapter and not let go until the very end. Thirteen-year-old
Alli is going to tend her 4-year-old niece
with her aunt, alongside a lake in Maine. But why doesn’t her mother want her to
go? And why haven’t her mom and aunt visited their cabin for over
30 years? She is about to discover a secret that is just waiting
to be discovered!
 The
Phantom Isles, by Stephen Alter, is a ghostly story about
three sixth graders as they find an old book in the library
that has information about a deserted island in the Indian
Ocean. But as they read on, they suddenly discover a ghostly face
that this book fully illustrates behind the words on the page. The
ghosts are trapped inside this book and will soon be doomed if the
children, with the help of the librarian, don't work to free
them.
If
you’re looking for a really good mystery that’s hard to solve, scary
and full of adventure, The
Bloodwater Mysteries: Skullduggery,
by Pete Hautman and Mary Logue, is the
perfect book for you. Two teens are suddenly thrown into this adventure
when they come upon a young archeologist who is injured and exclaims
that he just found a human skull ― and was attacked by
a ghost. Here’s another book you won’t put down until you’re at
the end!
Unexplained: An
Encyclopedia of Curious Phenomena, Strange Superstitions, and Ancient
Mysteries,by Judy Allen, is an oversized
book filled with photographs, drawings and colorful pictures that
help illustrate each chapter and convey the information being promoted.
Some of the chapters give insightful and documented information,
such as the natural phenomena section: “Fire and Light”, “ Sound and Movement” and “Statues and Stone.” Other chapters are
just mysterious and “unexplainable,” such as the section about disappearances
that discusses the “Bermuda
Triangle" and “Missing at Sea.”
The rest of these Halloween books are
geared for a little younger, or newer, reader that is getting accomplished
in reading chapter books. If your youngster hasn’t read any of
the James Howe books, he is missing great and funny adventures!
The following Howe books have recently been reissued in paperback,
making them affordable and a must read: Return to Howliday
Inn, Bunnicula Strikes Again and Nighty-Nightmare.
Ghosthunters
and the Muddy Monster of Doom!, by Cornelia Funke,
features seven-year-old Tom, who has fought off many dastardly demons
including several types of ghosts and a terrible baroness. But
nothing compares to what he’s up against now ― exams!
 Wiley
& Grampa’s Creature Features: Hair
Ball from Outer Space, by Kirk Scroggs,
is hilarious, full of fun and definitely will lure your youngster
into reading. Could it be true that Gramma has been brainwashed by aliens who want to take over
the earth’s fast food industry?
And how about the new series by Esile
Arevamirp, and illustrated by Elise Primavera?
Begin with their first book, which introduces the characters ―
Fred & Anthony: Escape from the Netherworld. The
second book, The Demented Super-Degerm-o
Zombie, is as funny as the first, but you’ll get a quick
look at Fred and Anthony at the beginning of the first book. There
are pictures galore, which helps move the story along and pushes
the pace of reading both books into high gear!
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© 2007
Meridian Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
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