Things That Go Bump in the Night: A Collection of Original Stories [Hardcover]

Jane Yolen (Author), Martin Harry Greenberg (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1989

A collection of original stories about the noises, dreams, and shadows of the night that frighten and beguile the imagination.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up-- A collection of original chillers. Several of the contributors are well known in the genre (Yolen, William Sleator, Bruce Coville, Diana Wynne Jones, and Anne E. Crompton), and others less so. The settings are mostly contemporary, urban America, but China, Canada, Britain, and the Philippines are also represented. Most represent a fairly straightforward prose narrative style, but there are two with a folklorish tone, and even a movie script. All are suitably creepy, although not lacking in humor. The gender balance of protagonists is a little better than usual, with nine stories featuring a male main character, five female, and four shared or not indicated (and irrelevant). Inanimate objects, some of them disturbingly active, feature prominently, as the title suggests. The pieces vary in length from a three-page quickie to a novella. There is a short introduction that may or may not be read, as it's a somewhat self-conscious apologia for this type of fantasy. There are some welcome notes on the contributors. The only real fault is the predictable one for this type of anthology: the quality of the selections is uneven, with some stories first-rate and others only so-so. Yolen's The Babysitter and Sleator's The Elevator are real heart-pound ers, but Jones' Chair Person is a one-joke piece that goes on far too long. The Scarlet Batling rates top marks for authenticity, but only a passing grade for child appeal. On the other hand Duffy's Jacket would be a perfect Friday afternoon classroom read-aloud or booktalk centerpiece. Overall, worth recommending for selective reading and as a good alternative to less-suitable horror titles demanded by this age group. --Barbara Hutcheson, Greater Victoria Public Library, B.C., Canada
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books; 4th Printing edition (September 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060268026
• ISBN-13: 978-0060268022
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #852,496 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars What I REALLY think..., August 11, 2011

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This review is from: Things That Go Bump in the Night: A Collection of Original Stories (Library Binding)

When I searched for this book, and found out that it was a penny, I thought to myself that maybe I should have looked for it alot earlier. I love this book! It was in awesome condition AND it has this old library smell that gets me giddy. I've read it 3 times so far, and I am sooo not done yet! Thanks for the book!!!