Lots of short-story collections promise major chills. We’re thrilled to finally find one that actually delivers. The totally creeped-out “Wait Until Dark: Seven Scary Sleepover Stories” by Sherry Shahan ($4 paperback, Yearling) is the work of a truly twisted mind (that’s a compliment, Sherry). Forget the standard bad guys and bogeymen; this book finds horror potential in airplane toilets and answering machines. If you need safe stories with happy endings, this isn’t your book, but if you’re up for a few jolts, grab it! (star) (star) (star) (star)
We like checking our horoscope, but really, it’s all in fun, right? In other words, we don’t take it too seriously. So the new “Junior Astrologer”series by Alexis Quinlan ($8 hardcover, Cader Books) is a bit much for us. After reading page after page telling us what we’re like because of the sign we were born ur, we were weary of being labeled. At the beginning of each book, it says that of course we’re all unique–but the rest of the book says otherwise. (star)
“Monday Night Football Club” series ($4, Hyperion Paperbacks) scores major points for creativity. The boys in the club don’t just watch football games–thanks to a woolly old sweater, they can actually become one of their heroes during a game. We chuckled all the way through “Running Back Conversion: I was Barry Sanders” by Gordon Korman. It’s funny when everyday-kid Elliot Rifkin finds himself on the football field wearing Barry’s uniform–and muscles!–and facing down 300-pound opponents. But the biggest gas comes when Barry finds himself in Elliot’s kid body and has absolutely no idea how he got there! (star) (star) (star)
“The Vampire’s Beautiful Daughter” by S.P. Somtow ($17, Atheneum Books for Young Readers) is a touching though gross love story. What else would you get when you mix a potential vampire girl with a mortal guy? Rebecca has to decide whether to follow in her dad’s fangsteps and become one of the eternal undead or stay with Johnny and know wonderful, but fleeting human love. The story is sweet, though a bit tough to stomach–in one scene, Johnny is swept up in a vampire group’s hunt for dinner; in another, he drinks blood (and kind of likes it). (star) (star) (star)
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HOW THEY RATE
(star) (star) (star) (star) It should rake in piles of fans!
(star) (star) (star) We autumn-atically recommend it.
(star) (star) Way bored? Fall back on this book.
(star) Leave it alone!
