If You Want to Scare Yourself

Sommer-Bodenburg, Angela

ISBN 10: 0397322100 ISBN 13: 9780397322107

Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1989

Synopsis

Bored and sick in bed, Freddy listens to four scary stories told to him by members of his family and then makes one up himself.

About this title

Language Notes:

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-5-- Freddy, a young boy who is sick in bed, convinces each family member who visits him to tell a scary story. His mother tells stories of a ghost and a werewolf. Father tells of a vampire. Grandmother relates a tale of a ghost child. The last story, one that the child has written, conveys to parents the need to pay attention to their children. The five stories, each told in the first person, are a good blend of the type of horror that delights children. The stories are woven together, and brought to an end, by the appearance of a new visitor to the sick bed. The result is a good roller-coaster ride from the scary to the mundane and back again. This welcome addition will be ideal for reading aloud because the stories can be read singularly or as a whole. Teachers can also use the book effectively for storytelling, book talking, and creative writing assignments. The large print, easy vocabulary, and appealing subject matter make it a good choice for reluctant readers. The descriptions of the characters are excellent, giving a clear picture of each. Pen-and-ink illustrations interspersed throughout enhance the text. There are a few oddities in the translation from the German, but not enough to take anything away from the book. Although it probably won't be as popular as Schwartz' Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Harper, 1981), this book will certainly hold its own in most collections. --Molly Kinney, North Dade Regional Library, Miami,
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0397322100
• ISBN 13: 9780397322107
• Binding: Library Binding
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 105
• Illustrator: Spiess Helga