From Publishers Weekly
Americans who delight in morbid, disturbing and terrifying Halloween fêtes will enjoy this brew of classic stories and silly party and costume ideas. Aimed at kids-or juvenile adults-the story selections and movie suggestions don't cross too far onto the dark side; the scariest is probably Bram Stoker's creepy "The Judge's House." The book comes with an audio CD featuring the requisite Monster Mash and The Addams Family theme songs; readings of "The Raven"; and "spooky sounds from beyond the grave." With reprints of Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" and R.L. Stine's "The Surprise Guest," plus ideas for carving pumpkins and movie suggestions, this book may be quite removed from the first Irish feast of the dead, but it should please modern readers nonetheless.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8–This oversized paperback includes 13 short stories, trivia, games, and decorating tips. Traditional folktales as well as selections by Edgar Allan Poe, R. L. Stine, Charles Dickens, Bram Stoker, and others are included. Following each story is a suggested activity or a song, or lists of scary movies. The tales are consistently intense and chilling; each one is more deliciously gruesome than the one before. Most of them can be found in other collections, but having them all in one place makes this title a worthy purchase. Children who enjoyed Stine's
Beware! (HarperCollins, 2002) will add it to their reading list while librarians and storytellers will find the selections appropriate for reading aloud and oral telling. The graphics, while not particularly appealing, separate the stories from the activities, and their gray and black tones add to the mood. The accompanying CD has five tales from the book, spooky sounds, songs, and a short history of Halloween. Its deep-voiced and smooth narration conjures goose bumps that will delight its middle-grade readers. The silly songs ("Monster Mash," Addams Family theme, etc.) and spooky sound effects are useful for programs as well as for pleasure listening.
–Molly S. Kinney, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
