Spine Chillers

Gr 4—6—Three faith-based scary tales (Thomas Nelson, 1996, 1997) by Fred E. Katz are read by Kirby Heyborne. In "Dr. Shivers' Carnival," Kyle and three friends—middle schoolers from the Midwest—are in California for the Christmas holidays. Dr. Shivers' Carnival mysteriously appears next to his uncle's house, and the friends experience non-stop thrills and chills before solving the puzzle. In "The Attack of the Killer House," Anna and Johnny's day out of school becomes a nightmare when their house is struck by lighting and all things electronic take on sinister lives of their own. Bible verses flashing on their Dad's computer give them the courage to survive one scary encounter after another. In "Birthday Cake and I Scream," MacKenzie is upset that the only place in town available for his birthday party is Creepy the Clown's Pizza Palace on Tremble Avenue. MacKenzie and his friends are not prepared for the terrors in store for them. All the stories are told in first person, and Heyborne's well-modulated voice captures each narrator's heightened perceptions and rising terror. Fans of the Goosebumps series will enjoy these shivery tales.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN