Ghost: Thirteen Haunting Tales to Tell (Scary Children's Books for Kids Age 9 to 12, Ghost Stories for Middle Schoolers)

by Illustratus

Overview

Ghost: Thirteen Haunting Tales to Tell is a ghost story collection for middle schoolers.

Featuring the only true ghost stories in existence (as the book itself will tell you), readers discover 13 eerie encounters that are perfect for sharing—if they dare.

With tales about a finger against the inside of a mirror, a wooded area where the trees look back, and a basement door blocked by a brick wall so thick it stifles the screams from below, this book is sure to haunt anyone who can't resist a spooky story.

• Filled with creepy poems and tales
• Features striking, bone-chilling illustrations from Disney-Pixar talent
• Book contains all original stories

This haunting book will consume your imagination and keep readers of every age up long past their bedtimes.

• Great for those who can't get enough of Halloween, ghost stories, scary movies, and all things spooky, as well as librarians and teachers looking for a thrilling read to share with students
• The perfect book to read by a campfire or during a slumber party—or alone under the covers in the middle of the night
• Add it to the shelf with books like A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz, Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Malice by Chris Wooding, and the Serafina series

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452171289
Publisher:	Chronicle Books
Publication date:	08/13/2019
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	1,057,679
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Illustrátus is a small, California-based design company boasting talent with years of experience in the animation industry. Contributors to this chilling collection include authors Blaise Hemingway and Jesse Reffsin, and illustrators Chris Sasaki and Jeff Turley.

Editorial Reviews

09/02/2019

The footprints of an inkily indistinct figure trail across the cover of this chilling story collection by design collective Illustrátus. Inside, the 13 tense tales, some told in verse, skew toward horrors that may not be suitable for readers at the younger end of the stated age range. In “The Old Pond,” a guilt-ridden child is dragged to his death by the spirit of his dead sister. In “Point Whitney,” a boy trips and falls—“he spit, seeing his two front teeth and blood spatter in the snow”—then watches helplessly as his friend drowns, trapped under ice. Framed by a stereotypically creepy storyteller (with a “flesh-colored prosthetic arm and hook”) as the only “true ghost stories,” the well-told tales deal in themes of transformation and entrapment. Still, some readers may scratch their heads at the fact that boys seem to take center stage. Grainy, muted illustrations deftly combine texture and shape to conjure truly nightmarish moments. Ages 8–12. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"[Ghost] is a delightfully horrific and atmospheric collection to share aloud or under the blankets with a long-lasting flashlight. perfect for children who want a good scare!"— School Library Journal,Starred Review

"[Ghost] is a delightfully horrific and atmospheric collection to share aloud or under the blankets with a long-lasting flashlight. perfect for children who want a good scare!"— School Library Journal,Starred Review

From the Publisher

09/09/2019

Gr 3 Up-In this collection of chills, 13 scary stories with roots in many childhood experiences are brought to life. Classics such as a disturbing doll, what lurks underwater, hungry monsters, mysterious old librarians, delightfully disturbing ghosts, and the unknown are explored. The tales vary as to how scary they can be, but each one draws from childhood fears and urban legends that continue to frighten each new generation. Some stories are in rhyming verse, others are in short prose paragraphs, and some include sound effects. Some of the selections are short, some are longer, and one story acts as an envelope to deliver the delightfully horrible tales straight to readers front step. Wonderful illustrations help to depict the fear within each story and leave readers with a lasting image to haunt them for days. The text is always clear against these illustrations, making it easy to read about what lies in the darkness in certain tales, while highlighting the dangers within. While there are some mentions and illustrations of blood and traumatic injuries, they are not severe and can be easily skipped for those who want horror that is not too real. Overall, this is a delightfully horrific and atmospheric collection to share aloud or under the blankets with a long-lasting flashlight. VERDICT A collection of creepy stories perfect for children who want a good scare!-Margaret Kennelly, iSchool at Urbana-Champaign, IL

School Library Journal

★ 2019-05-08
Readers may not wish to read this chilling collection of stories and poems alone at night.

A frame story begins and concludes this collection, with a haunting twist. Two young boys sneak out of their camp cabin late at night to seek out Old Man Blackwood, the keeper of the 13 true ghost stories. Blackwood begins with the story "Reflection," about a haunted mirror that looks back at the viewer, the reflection tapping while the hapless viewer peeks at it from beneath the covers. The short vignettes continue with "The Old Pond," a grief-laden tale of a haunted sibling who becomes the victim of the vengeful dead. The seemingly innocent poem "The Doll" leaves a young girl motherless while "Depth" takes readers to the eerie corridors of a sunken submarine. With further stories such as "Widow in Black" and "The Boy in the Basement," even the titles themselves may cause readers to wonder if they should keep the lights on. Illustrátus is a design collective including authors Blaise Hemingway and Jesse Reffsin and illustrators Chris Sasaki and Jeff Turley. The latter perfectly punctuate this book of horror with wild apparitions, dark woods, and creepy dolls, the chill of the unknown brought to life by their haunting images. The inclusion of characters of multiple races makes these tales shiveringly accessible.

Ghastly and imaginative storytelling for the young—and not-so-young. (Horror. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews