M.R. James

"The Halloween Curse" by M. R. James is a mid-level grade school age (4-6 grade) Halloween mystery keeping with the tradition of RL Stine. The text is an easy read, with not remotely possible scary scenarios. In the town of Boo, two siblings, Amanda and Bill, are trying to figure out how the pumpkins are attacking kids and what is happening to the kids afterwards when they disappear. Their prime suspect is Mr. Night, a new-to-town antique book store owner that they are following around.

This book would be considered ridiculous to a middle schooler, with the antics being so impossible. They wouldn't find it scary. However, if the child were too young, you might wind up with a kid that is terrified of pumpkins. The 4-6 grade level would not believe the story possible, yet still find it scary enough for a good read. The text is easy enough for that age as well. I received this book in the Member Giveaways on www.librarything.com.… (mais)

Amanda and Billy are happy with life in the town of Boo. They enjoy working for Mr. Night at Antique Books, and now the town is caught up in the excitement of twelve-year-old Emily Stringer’s zombie movie. Amanda and Billy convince Mr. Night to take part too, but as it turns out, Emily’s plan gets out of hand and suddenly the zombies are real. Now it’s up to them to help save their town from the undead without becoming zombies themselves.

“Night of the Zombie” by M.R. James is a children’s thriller in the vein of the “Goosebumps” and “Shivers” series. Although the story itself is not high caliber and is predictable, with a few grammatical errors noticeable, a mid-elementary-level target audience would likely enjoy it. The short chapters and mild thrills are a plus for kids as well. The narration shifts from first-person in the case of Amanda to third-person when Emily takes center stage. As a character, Amanda is rather idealistic and at times over-the-top as a heroine, and several of the scenes between her and her brother are melodramatic. However, there is a clear delineation between the good guys and the villains, which is acceptable for a young target audience.

I received an ebook edition of this story as part a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.… (mais)

Billy and Amanda go into detective mode when children and adults start disappearing in their town. In addition, there are whisperings of pumpkins biting children and then that child disappearing. They become suspicious of a new shop owner in town, but cannot figure out exactly what is going on—and, to boot, no one, even their parents, will listen to their concerns and/or suspicions. Billy and Amanda keep on the trail of this mystery until they figure it out (no spoiler here). This is a fantastic tale, one that combines mystery, scary and small town life. The main characters, Billy and Amanda, are quite well done and work well together. I hope the author has ideas about additional books in a series, for I would love to read more about these two sleuths. The story is scary, but not too much so, just enough to keep you reading and a bit on edge. I think most adolescents would enjoy this story as well as the main characters and their detective work. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.… (mais)