More Short & Shivery

The sequel to Short & Shivery features contemporary and classic scary stories from around the world, complete with ghastly details, spooky endings, and black-and-white illustrations. By the author of The Hobyahs.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-This volume of 30 scary stories from around the world is an absolute delight. The breadth of the collection is impressive. Some of the tales are old friends ("The King of the Cats" from England and "The Devil and Tom Walker" from the U.S.), while others seem familiar ("Escape up the Tree" from Nigeria is a lot like "Wiley and the Hairy Man," and "Knock...Knock...Knock" from the U.S./Canada is a story that youngsters have been telling each other at camp for years). There are still others ("Sister Death and the Healer" from Mexico/American Southwest and "The Greedy Daughter" from Italy) that are unfamiliar but will soon be well loved. San Souci's fine ear for dialogue is reflected in his retellings, and he deserves a medal for the detailed source notes he provides. Each selection is illustrated with a dramatic, full-page black-and-white painting. A book that's equally appropriate for the classroom or under the covers.Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GACopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-10. Like San Souci's earlier collection Short & Shivery (1987), this contains a sampling of folktales in which supernatural elements take center stage. Vampires, disembodied heads, ghosts, and evil entities of varying descriptions terrify unsuspecting mortals, the nice as well as the nasty kind. Several of the 30 stories--for example, the often anthologized "King of the Cats" from the British Isles and "Knock . . . Knock . . . Knock," a popular North American urban legend--may be known to scary-story fans. But most of the tales, which have been gathered from countries as far flung as Russia, Haiti, Iceland, and Nigeria, will be unfamiliar. Katherine Coville, who illustrated the earlier collection, will contribute 20 drawings, which, given the sample provided, promise a few chills of their own. Though creepy enough, San Souci's straightforward retellings (he sometimes uses dialogue) keep the grisly details well under control, and his thorough source notes can lead readers on to other collections of folklore, fairy tales, and myths. Stephanie Zvirin

From Kirkus Reviews

This collection reads more like a cultural anthropology text than a book of ghost stories. San Souci (Cut from the Same Cloth, 1993, etc.) retells 30 ``scary tales'' from around the world. But, stripped of much of their gruesomeness, these stories fall completely flat. The ethnic details, which are placed rather awkwardly in the narrative, disrupt the flow further so that whatever suspense might have been created is utterly lost. The only time the author writes a story that is even a little frightening is when he sticks to urban myths and avoids ``other cultures'' completely, but even then his narration is too rushed and casual to involve the reader. The prolific San Souci has not managed to create a campfire classic in this book--even the most squeamish will remain unfazed. (Folklore/Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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