I love October…the changing leaves, the crisp cool air, but mostly it’s because of Halloween. There is nothing quite like putting spooky decoration up around the house, picking out ghoulish costumes to wear, and planning out how much candy a human being can possibly consume. Above it all though are the Halloween stories.
Ever since I was a kid I loved the frightening tales only
shared at Halloween time. They would creep, seep, and chill me to the bone. I
remember my first time when I was a tween listening to an audiotape of The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, by Washington Irving. I can
recall the goose bumps that prickled my arms and back as I wondered if the
headless horseman would get Ichabod Crane. Stories like that never leave a kid
not wanting more.
Because it is Halloween time and because it is also Tween
the Weekends I’d like to share some fantastic Halloween stories that tween
readers would like to read. To quote a favorite series of ghostly books, “BEWARE…You’re
in for a scare!” –Goosebumps, by R.L.
Stein.
Synopsis: It's
almost Halloween, and twelve-year-old AJ Zantony's world is threatened by an
ancient curse that releases wicked pirates who had been trapped for centuries
in his Aunt Zsofia's creepy mansion, Zala Manor. The pirates--a vampire count,
a pegleg skeleton, and a zombie--have three goals: to find a lost treasure,
unleash the restless dead from their graves, and to settle a very old score by
destroying the Zantony bloodline. AJ has to stop them before midnight during
Aunt Zsofia's annual Halloween party. Except he has a big problem--monster
phobia! He's scared to death of monsters. But if he doesn't act fast, the
streets of Craggy Cove will be crawling with zombies. Will AJ overcome his fear
and stop the monsters or bail out? Will Craggy Cove become Zombie Central? Who
will be alive when midnight tolls?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. You're telling it all wrong, dude. You make it sound like it's a scary story.
Ahem. Well, Nick, it is a scary story. In this volume alone, there are voodoo queens, graveyards—even the dreaded Zombie King himself.
Yeah, but there's also the part where Angie gets mashed potatoes all in her face, and the part where I use my cool zombie powers to—
All right, point taken. Now, if you don't mind . . .
You hold in your hands a very dangerous, very funny record, detailing the hilarious adventures of three boys who have an awesome obsession with monsters. This is the first volume. Read on if you dare. . . .
Synopsis: 'Someone
has to stand against the dark. And you're the only one who can.'
For years, the local Spook has been keeping the County safe
from evil. Now his time is coming to an end, but who will take over?
Many
apprentices have tried . . . Some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive.
Just one boy is left. Thomas Ward. He is the last hope. But does he stand a
chance against Mother Malkin, the most dangerous witch in the County?
Other great Halloween books for Tweens:
What are your favorite Halloween books?
You can check out the other Emblazoners
Posts by clicking this link: http://emblazoners.com/tween-the-weekends
You can check out the other Emblazoners
Posts by clicking this link: http://emblazoners.com/tween-the-weekends
Right off the top of my head I can't think of any you didn't cover. Great job! And it's good to see another Halloween post up. Woot for scary! lol
ReplyDeleteGreat post Mikey and the covers look great!
ReplyDeleteYo, Mikey - I'm gonna go with you on The Legend of Sleepy Hallow, but the other story that always gives me goosebumps is The Monkey's Paw. Brrrrr. See? Great post!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post, Mikey. Thanks for this list of spooky tales for tweens and anyone else brave enough for some scarey reads. What a cool surprise to see my book listed here! Awesome! Thank you! ]
ReplyDeleteLynn Kelley (BBH McChiller)