In this collection of 20 brief offerings that nod affectionately to scary-story tropes, Rissi (Nobody Knows but You) puts an enjoyably spooky spin on mundane and traditionally pleasurable childhood experiences, while occasional art by Godina maintains the eerie atmosphere. Using straightforward prose and employing a mix of narrative forms--letters home, verse, text messages, a dog's point of view, and a play, among others--Rissi turns such topics as a friendly game of hide-and-seek between siblings ("Hide and Don't Seek"), a summer camp session ("Truly Delicious"), a long-kept confidence ("The Secret"), and a Christmas gift ("Beatrice") toward the anxious and uncertain. "The Best Teacher at Pleasant Hill Oak Elementary," meanwhile, provides a refreshing twist on the "unusual teacher" idea. Though some stories succeed better than others, and several end abruptly, the sheer variety of creepy concepts, unsettling moments interspersed with humor, and gotcha twists will appeal to younger middle grade readers who are ready for a gateway into horror fiction--and a book to read around the campfire. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8--12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Aug.)

Rissi's short-story horror collection holds an entertaining mix of writing styles and types of frights, from mildly unsettling to cautionary to alarming. It also offers a nice variety of story lengths, ensuring that any reader who picks up this book will find a few tales to their taste--provided they go for things like sinister dolls and a murderous murder of crows. Whether a short, rhyming verse or multipage narrative, each story opens with a haunting black-and-white illustration that hints at the horrors to come. Overall, the offerings are strong, with some standouts being "Truly Delicious," a zombie story told through a child's letters home from summer camp; "Here, Kitty Kitty," an unusual haunted-house story; "Superstition: The Play," a creepy childhood legend presented as a play with an unplanned disappearing act; and "The Friend," in which a young girl's imaginary friend proves himself to be all too real. Given the range of stories and formats, this is a strong choice for both horror fiends and those just wanting to dip their toes into scarier waters.

Gr 4--6--When it comes to scary stories, this title delivers. Young readers will find tales of hair-raising animals, monsters, dreams, crows, ghosts, dolls, black cats, a strange summer camp, worms, vampires, things under the bed, murders, superstitions, and disappearances--all the makings of a modern-day classic. Some stories are updated versions of familiar scary tales while others feel quite new altogether. This book also features stories in diverse formats like prose, poetry, letters, a play, and even an eerie text message thread. The variety of text types is likely to appeal to a wide range of readers. Rissi also features diverse characters in these spine-chilling tales, with ethnically diverse names as well as a main character whose father has two mothers. A note to readers at the start of the book reminds us why we read scary stories, and how they can help kids rehearse their own navigation of the scary stuff of real life. VERDICT Like Alvin Schwartz's "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark," this title shows promise of being read and retold again and again by this generation's thrill-seekers.--Lindsay Persohn, Univ. of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

Very short and scary stories. Twenty different entries, with atmospheric illustrations, create new yet classic-feeling tales for younger readers. Rissi uses a variety of storytelling elements to make a collection that combines a timeless quality with contemporary forms, from a young girl playing an eternal game of hide-and-seek in a cornfield to a deadly chain letter sent via text. While the majority of them are straightforward prose, one story is told through the format of the dialogue of a play pieced together from the memories of audience members after the cast and script disappeared. The attempts at rhyme are less successful. As in any collection, readers will have favorites and ones they skip upon rereading, but the cumulative effect here is successful and consistent. A few (especially one tale about crows and the privileges one gets from being part of a murder) seem to have more allegorical meanings. These are all a scare level appropriate for an upper-elementary audience, and the blunt writing means that the creepy factor is present more in the concepts themselves, which linger in the mind, than the actual telling, which is more matter-of-fact than spine-chilling. The full-page charcoal-style illustrations do provide a sense of ominous eeriness, however. There is a small amount of surface-level diversity among the cast. Ideal for any younger reader looking for bite-sized horror. (Horror. 7-11) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.