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?
Synopsis: You hold in your hands
a very dangerous record. I have collected every side of the story and every
piece of evidence on case number 13. Now, in this file, you will find all you
need to follow the dark adventures of Nick, Carter, and Angelo, three boys who
possess an unhealthy obsession with monsters, in a town so grisly, so horrific—
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:
