TRIPLE-DARE TO BE SCARED
Thirteen Further FreakyTales
By Robert D. San Souci
Illustrated By David Ouimet
Cricket Books / Carus Publishing
Ages: 9 - 13
Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0812627490
ISBN-13: 978-0812627497
Price: $16.95
Page count: 240 pages
Illustrations: 13 black & white

Scary stories are a perennial favorite among youngsters, and Robert D. San Souci obliges them with 13 more spine-tingling horror stories in Triple-Dare to Be Scared. Each elegantly crafted vignette draws readers into the life of a young person like themselves just as a bad decision or an act of fate brings the characters face-to-face with the supernatural. Each story hurtles through twists and turns toward a surprise ending much more compelling than in a traditional spook story. “Second Childhood” wonders where to take shelter from a recently awakened child-ghost? (Answer: Not its former home!) “Plat-Eye” features twins who learn why they should be afraid of a big, bad shapechanger who's paying a little too much attention to them. “Far Site” expands a video game into something much larger — and more frightening! “Field of Nightmares” turns an innocent baseball game on old man Fletcher's field into a fight for life. These exciting stories feature children of various ethnicities taking on all manner of threats from beyond the grave — and beyond logic — while David Ouimet's creepy illustrations add that extra twinge of terror.

"Gr 6–9— San Souci serves up 13 more spooky tales, and Ouimet's macabre black-and-white illustrations are a perfect complement to each one. The selections are short enough for read-alouds or for independent readers to complete in one sitting. As in the previous two books, San Souci uses themes from folktales and urban legends to create tales in which the protagonist, more often than not, does not escape in the end. Stories include a corpse-child who wants a permanent playmate, shape-shifting evil cats that entrap the living, and an evil infestation of beings who punish those who disturb their homeland. They take place in a variety of settings during modern times. Although some stories are scarier than others, the author does a good job of foreshadowing the outcome while building suspense. Sure to please anyone who enjoys a good fright." -- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

Robert D. San Souci is the award-winning author of the Short & Shivery series of tales, as well as many picture books based on folktales from around the world. He is the author of Double-Dare to Be Scared and the original Dare to Be Scared, named a Children's Choice for 2004 by the Children's Book Council. He lives in San Francisco.

David Ouimet 's unique and eerie illustrations helped create the creepy mood of both Dare to Be Scared and Double-Dare to Be Scared. He lives in New York City.