FICTION

In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories

by Alvin SCHWARTZ
illus. by Victor Rivas. 64p.HarperCollins/Harper. Jul. 2017. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780062643384; pap. $3.99. ISBN 9780062643377.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—Newly illustrated by Rivas, this standard easy reader title will be a charming addition to holiday shelves. Young readers craving something creepy will find much to appreciate in these seven (not too) scary selections. "The Teeth" features characters with ever-larger teeth, while the book's eponymous story uses repetition to reveal a wild-haired green ghost, effectively laid out on a spread. The entries are sufficiently scary for beginning readers who will likely delight in reading and retelling them. Detailed illustrations à la Edward Gorey, paired with a somber palette, depict characters with wide eyes and frightful expressions. A description of the tales' origins rounds out the book.
VERDICT This reillustrated edition of the 1984 collection of scary stories will deliver shivers to a new generation.
Reviewed by Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX , Sep 01, 2017

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