Grave Secrets

Deadtime Stories #8

by A.G. Cascone, Annette Cascone, Gina Cascone

Some secrets refuse to stay buried….

Amanda Peterson has a pet cemetery in her backyard. It’s where she’s buried all her family’s dear departed pets, like Ralphie the hamster, Herman the goldfish, and Snitch the canary. But when Amanda and her friends set out to bury a dead squirrel, they accidentally dig up a grave that’s already occupied—and not by a pet. The scary old lady who lives next door has lots of buried secrets. And she’ll do anything to keep them that way….



Deadtime Stories by “Twisted Sisters” Annette Cascone and Gina Cascone—they’ll scare you silly and give you more than goose bumps.

Hill & Brand Entertainment has inked a deal with Cookie Jar Entertainment to distribute (worldwide) the first season of 26 half-hour, live action episodes based on the Deadtime Stories books. “Grave Secrets” will serve as the pilot episode(s). Cookie Jar distributes over 6,000 episodes of kid’s television programming around the world and serves as a worldwide merchandising agent for the properties. Previously, they were the producers (together with Nickelodeon) and distributors of the very successful Nick show “Are You Afraid of the Dark.”

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Mystery, Young Adult, Childrens, Fantasy, Supernatural

192 pages, Hardcover

Published January 3, 2012

About the author

The team of Annette Cascone and Gina Cascone, sisters.

Reviews

[Austin Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5⭐ rounded up.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great kids spooky story. It reminds me of other great book series like Goosebumps or Are You Afraid of the Dark. A ghost story with terrific elements and twists.

There are fabulous supporting characters and an engaging lead in Amanda. She is an every-kid kind of character who drives the narrative with her POV. You are hoping she succeeds from eh very beginning.

There are great lessons here about forgiveness and not judging. Even a little anti-bullying message. This would appeal to most any middle grade reader and above. I was thoroughly entertained.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ilyana Kadushin, who is wonderful. I loved the energy she brings to the read and how her pace moves things along. Her kids voices are young without sounding like a caricature. She has a great tone that suits the feel of the story. I will definitely be looking for more of her enthusiastic reads!

I am so happy to have discovered this new series. Well new to me! The best part is that they are on the library online! Yeah for Overdrive!

*** If you found this review at all helpful, please take a moment to let me know. I love reading and sharing my opinions with other readers. Thanks for taking the time to read my review! You can see more audiobook reviews on my blog www.eargasmsaudiobookreviews.com ***

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl and her friends dig up a doll in her backyard, and mysterious bad luck immediately follows.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

We return to the world of the Cascone sisters with this Deadtime Stories. One of them happens to be a ghostwriter for this week's Animorphs we'll get into when I review that, so I had to pop in one before we get there. This time the randomizer picked book 8, which had a reprint. I could not get acess to the OG print which on one hand is fine as this cover is way better. But the reprints make the font bigger for some reason so the books could appear long. That affected my reading, I'd get through it quicker if it was shorter which it is.

It was the basis for the first episode of the TV show but I'll talk about that when I re-watch it for a twitter thread at some point. Let's focus on the book. It's good! Easily the best one of these I've read since Appleheads. It d0esn't quite top that one but it comes close. Protagonist Amanda Peterson lives next door to cranky old Miss Barnes. There are various rumors about her, that she's a witch who does bad spells to people she doesn't like.

One day she and her friends discover a doll buried in Amanda's backyard, but they find out that it was on a part that once belonged to Barnes meaning it was buried on her property. Then they starts seeing messages saying "I want my baby back" and other odd things happen. Is Mrs. Barnes a witch that wants this doll back or is something else going on?

So I will say that for an adult, this one is fairly predictable. I've been reading too many of these, because early 0n I knew where it was going. I got some details wrong as more unfolded, but I was mostly on the money in a general way. It's not too bad but it isn't super surprising if you've read enough of these.

Writing wise it's on the basic end with some clunky short sentence stuff, but also some decent atmosphere and at least one vocab word, making them perfect for Animorphs. Amanda is fairly bland as a protagonist, we just jump right into without getting to know her super well. She is likable and you feel for her plight as it goes on though.

The parents are actually decent so they aren't in it much, and instead this friend Jarrad plays the annoying disbeliever role. The scares are tame here which can make it a bit slow at first, and it does feel a tad padded. That said, that mostly works given where this goes. Spoilers, there isn't exactly a big bad in this one.

I grew t0 like the dynamic between the friends. They prove to care about each other as they get all in this together but give each other shit, with some amusing exchanges. Jarrad gets some cool moments and even a nice bit to counteract the disbeliever stuff. There's a sister that isn't too annoying and is at least kinda important.

While it is a bit obvious, I did get into the mystery as things start to unfold. Where it goes works well and it gets decently emotional. The climax works and was pretty nice. It's no The Peephole or The Howler but it is up there as far as emotion goes is.

This is a lot less silly than the others I've read, it's more serious and emotion based. Not super scary although the backstory is a bit dark. I appreciate this, it seems like they were willing to get more serious and it does work well for me. It's not amazing and perfect but it is pretty solid.

Overall, it's a good one. After Cyber Scare was a bit lacking, this was a welcome surprise. If you want a good example of a solid ghost story with em0tion to it, this is a good one to check out. See ya Thursday for more of a Cascone's work.

Side note, Chucky Child's Play gets name dropped but they spell it "Chuckie", huh.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm constantly in search of books for my tweeage granddaughters, and my younger one (elementary school) and my surrogate granddaughters (elementary and pre-school). I'd heard that this series, written by two sisters, was a good one, so decided to check it out. If this book is any indicator, then the series has enough plot, humor, and scare to carry it along, written at a solid elementary to early middle school level. Older kids will roll their eyes and reach for volumes where boys and girls stop being just pals and begin to admire each other's curves and/or muscles, but here, they're still kids. It's nice to see this type of book: modern day kids who haven't grown up too fast, or too savvy. I picture the girls in tee shirts rather than crop tops with sequins, trying to show off nonexistent cleavage.

The story was good: mean old lady next door, who might be a witch or murderer or both, kids being where they're not supposed to be, dead squirrel, creepy old doll, ghost. You know. The usual suspects.

Oh -- and I think this is going into film production -- there's even a facebook page for Deadtime Stories (the series).


This was a wishlist fulfillment from a friend at Tor Books. Thank you, Paul!

[Leslie Preddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This re-release of this series boasts on its cover that “They’ll give you more than goose bumps…”. With a group of friends placed in unusual circumstances, each chapter ends with a cliff-hanging, and often predictable, safe scare resolved logically in the next chapter, only to be replaced with the next dramatic chapter close. After all of these false scares, the story escalates to the real fear, then seems to conclude with a safe, happy ending until the final conclusion leads the reader to the realization that the fear has just begun and the real fearful events are left to the imagination of the reader. In Grave Secrets, Amanda and her friends are caught up in a neighborhood scare when they begin unburying secrets from the back yard of the creepy old lady living next door. Each novel is independent with a new cast of characters, different setting, do not need to be read in a particular order, and offer a scare without the gross. Each book has been updated for a new generation. For Goosebumps fans looking for something new, this is a good fit and with a coordinating series of movies being produced, these will be popular.

[Arnela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Basically I'm trying to read through this series before I hand it off to a reader younger than me, so please bear in mind this review is from someone above the age group that this book is for.

A group of 4 friends, 2 boys and 2 girls, are playing baseball when their ball falls into the yard of this spooky old house that a little old lady lives in. The kids are positive that she's a witch, and while they get the baseball back but Amanda loses her friendship bracelet, and 3/4 of the kids are pretty sure that the witch is gunna curse her because she has it now and then shenanigans happen.

For a kid, it is kinda spooky, there's a witch next door, there's a ghost that appears, the kids are all on their own with this problem. A younger reader would probably get a kick out of this.

Me, personally, I think it could have been better. The plot centers around a doll that seems haunted that Amanda and her friends dig up in the yard, that helps the ghost appear, and they think the little old lady next door is a witch and is cursing them. Lot's of potential, but personally I felt the reason they went digging and managed to dig up the doll, was a little forced. Amanda has lost a lot of pets in her life, they're all buried in the backyard, having to bury a random squirrel that just appears feels almost like a cop out reason. I don't think we needed the whole "kids think the neighbor is a witch", that felt like a mini plot point that wasn't as necessary if the main plot point was the haunted doll and the ghost. I just think it could have been better, I've read other deadtime stories that have been written a little more succinctly, so I just felt like this one was lacking.

[Bris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice book for kids, but even though as an adult you can engage with it. Its is a nice story, the plot is good and with a twist. Feels like its a Kid's version of Annabel, which I don't have any problem with at all. The end was a little sudden, probably I expected a little more, in the last chapter everything went back to normal after 27 intriguin ones. But overall, its a nice little book that me and my daughter enjoyed reading ❤ together for 🎃 halloween.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one for my niece (10 years old).
I don't think I've read any middle-grade fiction since Goosebumps. And speaking of, this kind of has the same tone and pacing as those books, and is also part of a line of light/young-horror called Deadtime Stories. It's clearly something that would keep a young reader's attention and keep the pages flowing, especially for those who are into a bit of creepiness.

[Shyla Colt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy story perfect for middle grade readers. I liked this book better than previous ones I read in the series. Everyone in the neighborhood knows Barnsey is a witch. If you let her get hold of an item that belongs to you, you're in trouble. Amanda's troubles begin when she puts a baseball over Barnseys fence and gets more trouble than she bargained for.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm enjoying these light, children's audiobooks from Scribd. I usually like the Deadtime stories more, but this was my least favorite of the four I've tried. Just found the story dull from start to finish.

[Zachery Reeves · Rating 4 out of 5]

I personally enjoyed this book. I loved how creepy it was and it interested me quite a lot. It was a short and fun read.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goosebumps Amanda Peterson and her friends are looking for a place to bury a dead squirrel, while digging they found a cracked and broken doll who must have belonged to a little girl who lived there before. They soon have their suspicions about the doll and wonder if has anything to do with their terrifying neighbor Mrs. Barns. with all the rumors about Mrs. Barns being a witch and getting weird messages all around the house, they think the doll must be possessed by Mrs. Barns dark magic.
This book is very interesting because the way the author writes is like no other horror story plot were there's a murderer and people are trying to run away from him/her but the way that the author writes is most of the evidence in the story is based on rumors they heard which means its on about 50% true if even that. Annette and Gina Cascone did a great job describing all of the characters thoughts and feelings in the book. they also did a great job leaving cliff hangers at the end of each chapter so you would want to read more and giving each character a reputation. I thought it was constructed greatly but would not be as memorable because I felt like they may have based this a little off the movie Monster House with the thought of a dark evil neighbor that no one wanted to be around or near her house. The major themes in this book that you need to pay attention to because you wont see it unless you read the WHOLE book is don't judge people by how they look or act and that rumors start and end in the same place. what that means is that if someone creates a rumor the only way they can see if its real is if they test that person, look for great evidence, or just simply ask them. There were things in this book that were great and all but there were a couple things that got on my pet peeve. Like the fact that everything in here is based on a roomer told by their friend Kevin and they all believe it, even if Kevin is the biggest goof in the whole story. I didn't like the fact that at the beginning of the story they introduce all the characters at the same time and it makes it hard to keep track of them until you figure out their reputation and what kind of words they use. The last thing is that there is one part in the story were someone is dreaming but you can tell if its actually night/day or if it is reality or not so its hard to know what's happening and if its even a clue.
In conclusion, this book is made for people who like horror stories but are in some where between 2-5 grade. if you like the Goosebumps series, you will defiantly like Dead Time Stories-Grave Secrets by Annette and Gina Cascone.

[Monster Goddess of Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Want a similar vibe to Goosebumps but more recent era? Give these books a go! Short books with a chill!

Rating System:
⭐️
DNF
⭐️ ⭐️
Finished but should’ve been a DNF
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Decent story/world building, not shelf worthy but a recommend
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Amazing story/world building, shelf worthy and a recommend
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Don’t talk to me, I’m LIVING in this book from now on

[Teresa Bateman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book at ALA midwinter. Kids love creepy. The Goosebumps books in my library are falling to pieces. "Do you have anything scary" is a common question. Well, clearly the "Deadtime Stories" series answers that need. A mean old lady with a reputation for cursing local children. A doll dug up from a backyard that, despite its lack of a voice box calls out "Mama." A ghost who is seeking...what? Revenge? Redemption? The main characters are children, drawing in the target audience. Late night trips with a shovel, and mysterious messages written on a steamy mirror add to the shivery horror. There's plenty of eerie to be had in this book, but a resolution that doesn't leave kids sleepless at night. Sure, it's not great literature. It is, however, guaranteed to be popular.

[Shamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I went a little young with my reading. I had this book since October where I picked it up at Comic Con and even meet the authors (so it's signed). What can I say, but I love it. I love the characters, the suspense, and everything in the story. As an author of books in the same genre and age group it was worth reading to get a lesson how it should be done.

The book and story over all was great. Amanda, Jarrad, Kevin, and Laura are all wonderfully written characters. I wont give any of the story away but it has you guessing the whole time about Ms. Barns. I would most definitely recommend this book for your readers that are into goose bump giving reads.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amanda and her friends find a doll buried in her backyard, a doll that says "Mama" even though it has no voice box. Then Anna, a ghost, starts appearing to them, saying she wants her doll back. The problem is, the doll has disappeared. Anna says Emily has it. And then the kids find out that Emily is the scary old lady next door who, supposedly, eats the heads off of rats and puts spells on people.

If you like the Goosebumps book by R.L. Stine, you'll probably like this one. However, it is much like Mary Downing Hahn's "The Doll in the Garden," and I would recommend Hahn's book over this one.

It's written for ages 8-12.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not terrible, but very predictable from an adults perspective. I didn't like how the characters in the book continually called each other moron or idiot or stupid. I think friends should respect each other, especially when we as a society are trying to knuckle down on bullying. I also did not find Emily's character the least bit believable in the final chapters.

I should say, I read this book aloud to my 9-year old daughter. She enjoyed it and asked to continue reading the series. She tells me that she likes that it was a mystery.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amanda Peterson and her friends have always been slightly anxious about her elderly next door neighbor, Mrs. Barns. When they discover the body of a squirrel and a decrepit doll buried in Amanda's back yard, that anxiety increases to full-out fear as Amanda begins to think that she is haunted. Could the old lady be behind all her nightmares and the odd things that are happening? This is the sort of story best read or told late at night with the lights out. Of course, there's an explanation for everything, but the story shows just how wrong assumptions about others can be.

[Cynthia Allgood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted a quick read that was somewhat entertaining, and that's what I got. This book is geared towards kids and young teens, between the ages of 8-14. I liked the story because at first, the reader doesn't really know what's going on, and that's what keeps you reading the book. As an adult, I figured out the plot rather quickly, but kids will find the story to be rather engaging, especially those who like mysteries and a little scariness.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really can't remember this book. All that I can really remember about this book is that I read it in about 5th grade and I liked it. I remember some bits and pieces of what happened but not enough to make a review about it. I think younger kids (8 and up) would like this book, it's good and worth a read but not really rememberable.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift and read it in a short time. It was an easy read, I don't usually read books like this one anymore, but for some reason, this one reminded me a bit of the goosebumps books which I loved as a child.

[☯Meera☯ · Rating 1 out of 5]

These books...I have all but forgotten. I searched up "The Witching Game," clicked the Goodreads website ㅡ and was shocked to see that I'd read it. And this. I remember reading this years ago... I wouldn't recommend it to older teenagers, though ... but for grades between 3 & 4.

[Taylor Manookian]

i forgot this existed until i saw a copy at half price books when i went with chrissy and jason and madison. I remember buying it from the book sale at the guilford library and I remember liking it and that it was creepy. i have vague impressions from the story but i dont really remember.

[Susanna Chan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ghost, a "witch" and a broken doll from a "grave". Not too scary with have a happy ending. Good read for 3-5 graders.

[Ratforcekids · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will scare you silly, and give you lots of goosebumps!

[Ismailin Espinal · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Far I Really Like This Book Its Full Of Mystery :) I Like It A lot :)

[Sharon Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read, not a lot of in depth substance, however, very creepy and good theme of being non-judgmental

[Myriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept my kids interested and end of every chapter made them beg me to read just one more chapter!

[Andria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as creepy as r. .l. Stine but a good next step as the story was a little fuller.