What Horror is This?!
RSSSara Grajek
Horror stories are wildly popular these days, and readers can pick their own favorite frights—everything from zombies, werewolves, and ghosts to psychological thrillers that would even scare Edgar Allan Poe. You know, the kind that keeps you up at night. Not because you're afraid that someone will come crashing through your door with an ax, but because you're not sure about that suspicious-looking shadow in the corner. Here are some creepy reads that'll hook kids and teens, though they might find themselves sleeping with the lights on! Gr 6-12—Jacob's grandfather often told strange stories and showed him creepy photos from his childhood. Apparently, his days were spent in an orphanage with unusual children who could levitate, were part animal, and had multiple body appendages. But as Jacob grows up, he starts to doubt these stories and eerie photos. As he starts to investigate, he's given clues to Grandpa's upbringing, as well as evidence that negates all that he has heard. Readers are kept on the edge of their seats throughout this story with the aid of odd, vintage, black-and-white photographs. For more information, check out the author's blog. GAIMAN, Neil. Coraline. HarperCollins, 2002. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-380-97778-9. Gr 5-8—Coraline's parents don't have time for her. So when she becomes bored in her new home, she starts counting. There are 153 blue things, 21 windows, and 14 doors, including one that opens directly onto a brick wall. Except for one day, when it reveals a world much better than Coraline's. The food is wonderful, the parents adore her, and her room is decorated in her favorite colors-pink and green! But Coraline soon finds the new parents want her to stay a little too badly, and discovers other children are trapped there. And why does the mother have buttons for eyes? With just the right amount of creepy suspense, Gaiman has written a perfect novel for kids in the middle grades. It's also available in Spanish and as an audiobook. For more scary reads, try these titles: GROSSMAN, Lev. The Magicians. Viking, 2009. pap. $16.00. ISBN 978-0-452-29629-9. Gr 11 Up. MIEVILLE, China. Un Lun Dun. Del Rey, 2008. pap. $9.95. ISBN 978-0-345-45844-5. Gr 5-9. MORGENSTERN, Erin. The Night Circus. Doubleday, 2010. Tr $26.95. ISBN 978-0-385-53463-5. Gr 10 Up. POE, Edgar Allan. Great Tales and Poems. Vintage, 2009. pap. $12.00 ISBN 978-0-307-47477-3. Gr 9 Up. This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's enewsletter SLJTeen. Subscribe here.
RANSOM, Riggs. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Quirk. 2011. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-59474-476-1.
