Book
Tales from beyond the brain / Jeff Szpirglas ; illustrated by Steven P. Hughes.
Record details
- ISBN: 9781459820791 (paperback)
- Physical Description: 170 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm
- Publisher: [Victoria, British Columbia] : Orca Book Publishers, [2019]
- Copyright: ©2019.
Content descriptions
| Formatted Contents Note: | An apple a day -- The paper cut -- Twenty-four frames per second -- Two brains, one Alice -- Scratch -- Whiskers -- A kernel takes root -- Chewy ones -- Last of the Daves -- Stuffing -- The reading group -- Evil eye -- The page turner. |
Search for related items by subject
| Genre: | Horror fiction. Short stories. Canadian fiction. |
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Holdable? | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibsons Public Library | JUV FIC SZPI (Text) | 30886000765392 | Juv fiction | Volume hold | Available | - |
- Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2019 June #1
Thirteen short stories to creep out kids. Fans of Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark looking for a modern spin will find exactly what they want in this offering. Typical trials and tribulations in children's lives are twisted toward the uncanny, as when a popcorn kernel lodged between Jamie's teeth turns into a mouthful of twisted fangs with minds of their own. Or when a paper airplane accidentally cuts a hole in reality. Hughes'moody black-and-white illustrations highlight disturbing moments in each story, drawing easy parallels to Stephen Gammell's nightmare-inducing artwork that accompanies Alvin Schwartz's classic. Each story is between 10 and 20 pages, making the volume easy to put down at bedtime or pick up in the light of day, though this brevity means that characterization and emotional depth are sacrificed in exchange for action and chills. None of the characters are explicitly racialized, implying the white default, and all of the scenarios feel firmly and nondescriptly middle-class. Readers will get an addi tional thrill when they realize that many of these stories don't have endings, and they may find themselves looking askance at the next stray cat or grumpy bus driver. A good choice for middle-grade readers looking for something smart and scary. (Horror. 8-13) Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved. - Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2019 September #1
Reminiscent of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series, the 13 stories in this collection feature ordinary kids in situations of spine-tingling (and sometimes hilarious) supernatural peril. A popcorn kernel stuck between Jamie's teeth grows into a set of terrifying, sentient fangs in "A Kernel Takes Root"; a seemingly innocuous cat leads well-intentioned Greg woefully astray in "Whiskers"; and the brain Alice finds in the gutter on her way home holds both the answers to her homework and deeply malevolent intentions in "Two Brains, One Alice." Written in a snappy, declarative styleâ"Megan figured it was because she was kind of like a bee herself... But, like a bee, when Megan got angry, she could sting"âeach tale quickly builds suspense before closing with a zing. Hughes's illustrations punctuate the text with cartoonishly realistic images that range from eerie luminescent figures to gory eyeballs, complementing the stories to effectively introduce young readers to the pleasures of the genre. Ages 9â12.
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly.(Sept.)
