Bulletin for the Center... - 09/01/2003 San Souci, known for his retellings of traditional folktales and the Short and Shivery series, here offers thirteen original tales. From an urban-legend-type entry featuring telephone calls from a deceased relative, to a Nightmare on Elm Street parallel where dreams fuel reality, to a neo-folktale avec boogey woman, to a sad but satisfying ghost tale, the author provides a smorgasbord of tasty terror treats. Ouimet provides one creepily evocative, full-page, inky black-and-white illustration—a stylistic cross between Stephen Gammell and Gahan Wilson—for every story (the seen-through-the-keyhole image of the little girl with sooty black eyes clutching a cell phone is particularly memorable); the title page of each tale features a thumbnail from the full-page image. The stories are tightly plotted and pithily told, and the conversational tone of the writing will inspire much reading aloud and storytelling around the campfire or at sleepovers. The cultural diversity of the protagonists assures that many readers will see themselves somewhere in this collection (although given the nature of many of the fates herein, that may not necessarily be a good thing). - Copyright 2003 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2003 Gr 4-7-From a horrible dream a boy can't wake up from to an alien-driven bus to an eerie house with an alarming inhabitant, these stories cover the gamut of scary themes. Some are barely shiver inducing, while others, like the Halloween tale of a mean big sister who attracts an evil spirit, are deliciously horrifying. Although they are all original, many of these stories feature themes and plots that are the staples of folklore, making them natural candidates for reading or telling aloud, preferably around a campfire or at midnight during a sleepover. While kids may shrug at the tamer stories, they will marvel at the poignant twist in "Smoke" and shudder at the ominous "Bakotahl." The hilarious and spooky tale of an aunt who contacts her rude niece by cell phone from beyond the grave is destined to be told at summer camps throughout the land. The dark, black-and-white, pen-and-ink drawings add an appropriately menacing touch to the stories.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information. - Copyright 2003 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/01/2003 With crisp, straightforward delivery and some intriguing endings, these 13 tales are great fun for young readers who like to be spooked. Some stories tread traditional ghostly ground: nightmares that turn out to be reality, children who take up a dare to visit haunted places, teens pretending to do incantations in the woods on Halloween. Yet the scariest tales use ordinary small things, such as ubiquitous ants or an incessantly ringing cell phone, to thrilling effect. The characters are diverse in race, culture, and personality, and their age range will invite both elementary and middle-grade readers to enjoy the chills. Although never heavy-handed, several tales provide a moral, which makes this a good find for reading aloud and discussing, especially at Halloween gatherings and summer camp, where some stories take place. One black-and-white illustration per story helps heighten the horror, which is never too tense or graphic for the intended audience. - Copyright 2003 Booklist.