Ghostly, Ghastly Tales

Gr 3-7–A collection of scary stories inspired by legends, lore, and history from around the world with the perfect amount of spooky for young horror fans. The stories are organized into chapters based on topic—haunted objects, ghosts, creatures, wishes gone wrong, and nighttime scares—and provide a wide range of horrors so readers can find the stories that appeal to them most. Entries are marked with a fright level from one through three, though the ratings feel inconsistent. For example, a young girl getting trapped in a mirror and replaced by the creature who was haunting it receives only a one, a cannibalistic baker who murders children and turns them into sweet treats to serve to the town receives a two, while a girl sent back in time to the Civil War and asked by a surgeon to share the stories of deceased soldiers scores a surprising three. Skaffa’s full-page illustrations that accompany each story are a real highlight, bringing the horrors frightfully to life. Each tale ends with a brief explanation of its inspiration, and further notes on the stories’ backgrounds end the anthology along with a list of sources. The protagonists are a diverse group of children located in settings all over the world.