By Jon Scieszka
Jon Scieszka's scary edition, ten short creepy stories from ten authors, so your child can get a genuine chill in one sitting without a whole horror novel.
Same idea as the funny Guys Read book, only this time everyone was told to be scary. Jon Scieszka gathered ten writers, R.L. Stine and Adam Gidwitz among them, and each turned in one short, creepy story. There's something wrong in the woods, something wrong with a new friend, something wrong that you don't see coming until the last line. Every story is self-contained and short, so your child can read one spooky tale and stop, or race through three because they can't help it. It's the middle-of-the-road pick on a shelf of scary collections: creepier than a folktale book, but pitched by writers who know exactly how much a nine-year-old can take.
This is the sweet spot for a lot of children: scary enough to feel like a dare, short enough to actually finish, and written by pros who leaven the creepiness with humor so it never tips into too much. Ten stories means ten quick wins for a reluctant reader, and the twist endings train them to keep reading just to find out how it lands. R.L. Stine on the cover is an easy yes for any child who's outgrown or side-stepped Goosebumps and wants the next thing. It's a whole month of one-story bedtimes if your child likes a shiver.