Double-Dare to Be Scared: Another Thirteen Chilling Tales

What’s creepier than being lost in the woods all alone? How about being lost in those woods, and sensing that you’re not alone?Robert D. San Souci, popular author of Dare to Be Scared, has spun another thirteen masterful tales to keep nightlights burning across the country. Fans of his first book will be thrilled to find not only the same spirit of scary fun, but even deeper, darker twists and surprises. Newcomers will discover something for every (daring) palate, with stories that range from campfire grabbers to unsettling chillers, and combine elements of folklore and pop culture.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8–The creators of Dare to Be Scared (Cricket, 2003) once again combine their talents to present deliciously frightening tales. As in the first book, San Souci uses elements of urban legend and folklore to weave powerful and suspenseful yet age-appropriate stories that youngsters will revisit, finding new meaning with each reading. Malicious ghost children, demon cooties seeking revenge, haunted houses, and hungry creatures leap from the pages and into readers' imaginations with spine-tingling results. In one particularly eerie selection, a silent-movie character that terrified audiences in the early 20th century is resurrected and plans to continue scaring people by using the Internet. Each story is about 10 pages long, just right for sharing aloud or for independent reading during short time periods. The narratives are plot focused, leaving many details to the imagination. Ouimet's scratchboard illustrations create a surreal mood and are strategically placed for the most impact. Dare and Double-Dare are ideal choices for graduates of Alvin Schwartz's "Scary Stories" series (HarperCollins).–Molly S. Kinney, Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-8. San Souci, master of the chilling last line, follows up his Dare to Be Scared [BKL O 1 03] with this equally entertaining collection of 13 tales. In most of the stories, he takes the seed of a folktale or urban legend and places it in a modern setting, making the situations even more frightening. Most of the main characters are menaced by a variety of scary, unexpected threats: a madman in the woods, a giant spider, unforgiving leprechauns, and exceptionally hungry Appalachian children. There's no doubt as to a central character's fate, yet the description is brief, leaving a great deal to the reader's imagination. A few of the stories don't quite deliver the expected frights, but that won't keep this collection from finding a large and eager audience. Todd MorningCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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