Chills Run Down My Spine

A collection of chilling thrillers to scare the daylights out of young readers includes stories of haunted houses, wild dogs, mysterious neighbors, and giant black cats and features ten spooky vellum-overlay illustrations.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-Nine subtle, understated, original horror tales. The book explores traditional themes-from haunted houses to ghostly playmates to supernatural murder-and dramatizes the power of emotions, dreams, and imagination. The stories echo the early works of Stephen King with their rural, small town settings and thoughtful insight into adolescent psychology, but Vivelo's vision is tailored to younger audiences. Each selection in this attractively designed collection is preceded by an appropriate quotation and an evocative pencil drawing. Geared for thoughtful readers, Chills makes a fine alternative to the many splashy, gore series.Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, ILCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Unfortunately, the most impressive part of this book is its jacket illustration, a deliciously creepy colored-pencil picture that will rival the lurid covers of the paperback series horror books that have become so popular. What's between the covers, however, is somewhat less exciting. Vivelo has no trouble setting a quietly tantalizing scene, and her stories do have some chilling, even gory moments (in "Nick of Time," a child is attacked by wild dogs). It's her endings that lack a satisfying punch. Even so, the middle-grader with an insatiable appetite for horror tales will still find one or two worth reading--among them, "The Bell-Ringer," which is about a girl who figures out that one of her twin cousins is a murderer, and "The Good Neighbor Policy," which succeeds mostly because of its underlying humor. A real mixed bag. Stephanie Zvirin

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