M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

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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