“Scary” Books for the Chicken-Hearted by Dawn Lairamore

Chicken-hearted—that would be me. Okay, so I’m a little better as an adult. But as a middle-grader, I scared at the drop of a hat. Ghosts, monsters, things that went bump in the night—I didn’t want to read (or hear) about anything even remotely frightening. Otherwise, I saw strange shadows in the corners of my room at night and had to go to bed with all the lights on. Can anyone say overactive imagination? Yep, that was me.

So, in honor of Halloween this week—and because I know first-hand the trauma of being terrified by scary stories as a kid—I thought I'd take this opportunity to recommend a “scary” book that’s actually fairly light on the scare factor. It’s more suspenseful than anything else, and although it might get your spine tingling here and there, I don’t believe it ever crosses the line into full-blown scary. It’s the kind of story even I could have comfortably read as a kid, so I feel it might be a good option for youngsters who scare easily or perhaps aren’t quite ready for more intense storylines. Also, it’s just a really wonderful book—well-written and atmospheric with a unique and intriguing plot. I highly recommend it for all middle-grade readers, even those who might be a little sensitive to all things spooky.

The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell tells the story of 12-year-old Clara Dooley, who lives in a crumbling mansion owned by Mrs. Glendoveer, a magician’s widow. It even has an iron aviary in the garden, housing the magician’s old collection of birds. When Clara discovers that the Glendoveer children disappeared from the home in a decades-old kidnapping that was never solved, she sets off to do some investigating of her own. But what does this horrible kidnapping have to do with her? As if this wasn’t mystery enough, the mynah bird in the garden has started to talk, screeching out the name, “Elliot,” whatever that means…

Magic, mystery, and a touch of a ghost story give this book just the right touch of creepiness, but at its heart it’s a story of friendship, loyalty, and family more than anything else. Besides, the human bad guys are far worse than any of the “ghosts.” (Incidentally, I think The Aviary is a great example for middle-grade writers of how to effectively use suspense.)

Does anyone else have recommendations for “scary” books that would be appropriate for middle-graders who don’t like to be scared?

-Dawn Lairamore

photo credit: barb_ar via photopin cc

Happy Halloween - Scary Stories for the Non-Horror Reader

When I knew I was going to be doing a post on October 31st, I realized I should do one on good middle grade scary stories to fit the Halloween season. The only problem is that I am not much of reader of horror, not even middle grade. The movie Burnt Offerings (anyone remember that?) which I saw many years ago, steered me away from most horror ever since.

For the sake of the post, I decided I could manage to go back to reading horror and see if it’s something I might want to take up again. After reading about a dozen books, I selected four of my favorites. I discovered for the most part, I like my horror with a little humor, though one of the books below doesn’t fit that condition. It was so good, it didn’t matter!

Here they are:

THE CROSSROADS by Chris Grabenstein

The first in a series about a boy named Zack who sees ghosts not of the friendly Caspar persuasion. Relieved to move to Connecticut, away from the ghosts he’s seen in New York, he soon discovers his small town is just as full of evil spirits, including one that’s released from an oak tree after a storm. Since Zack is one of the few who can see them, it’s up to him and his new stepmom to figure out who the ghost is and how to get rid of him.

WOLVEN by Di Toft

I am drawn to stories about secret government agencies, so this story drew me right in. Nat Carver’s granddad intends to buy him a puppy, but somehow they end up with a giant mangy beast who seems to have telepathic powers. Nat learns his dog is not a dog at all, but a werewolf from an ancient clan, one who the evil scientists want to capture, so they can figure out how to replicate its powers. Set in England, the story starts out funny, but quickly gets more suspenseful and intense.

SUPER ZOMBIE MEGA JUICE BOMB by MJA Ware

The only exposure I’ve had to zombies is an old Vincent Price movie, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, so I was a little hesitant to read this. Mr. Ware manages to turn a zombie story into a clever battle of three smart kids who use science to battle their zombified town. The kids use a Walmart superstore as their base, determined to find a way to survive the plague of shuffling creatures who are equally determined to find a way inside the store. While I am still not a zombie lover, this book was well worth the read.

THE OLD WILLIS PLACE by Mary Downing Hahn

Even though this was the scariest and saddest of the books I read, I finished this in one sitting. A girl, Diana, and her little brother live in the woods behind an empty, decaying old mansion, following a strict set of rules to remain unseen. When a new caretaker arrives with his daughter Lissa, Diana, against her own better judgment, decides she wants a friend. As she gets to know Lissa, Diana realizes the girl is the key to releasing her and her brother from the secret that has kept them hidden for so long.

Any other recommendations? I may now be willing to read a scary story once in a while, as long as it’s not a dark and stormy night.

~ Dee Garretson