Toy Terror: Batteries Included

Give Yourself Goosebumps #20

by R.L. Stine

Readers are placed in the character of a contest winner who must decide between two toy prizes, including Nasty Kathy the talking doll and a robot called the Annihilator 3000. Original.

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Fiction, Childrens, Gamebooks, Horror Thriller, Choose Your Own Adventure

137 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

Robert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.

Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.

http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...

Reviews

[Billie Pritchett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for what it is. Toy Terror: Batteries Included by R.L. Stine is a choose-your-own adventure story. You play a kid who gets invited to a toy factory. You don't know why.

Don't worry, you're not going there alone. Your friend Benny is going with you. The trouble for you two comes when you get locked into the toy factory! An evil doll comes to life named Nasty Kathy, and she is commanding a toy armor. What are you going to do?

This is the point where decisions come. In this book, you uncover a mystery that goes beyond the toy factory. Beware of bad endings.

One note: A book like this is really fun to read with friends or loved ones out loud. It's good for a road-trip, delay, or something like that. Really quite wonderful.

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First choose your own adventure book that I've ever read in my life.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

So the reading things themed around M3gan hasn't stopped yet.I've never really wanted to read Toy Terror :Batteries Included for a long time,mostly because it just didn't seem interesting .I figured it would be another slappy like book.And I was kinda rightish.But as an excuse for a doll coming to life story. I figured it was an appropriate theme for the movie I seen 2 months ago.Anyway the story starts off with you getting a letter in the mail telling you that you won a contest and in this contest you can either get a tour of this toy store at Halsey Toy Company or get the newest toy in fashion called the Annihilator 3000. If you get the Annihilator 3000 you get this toy robot that gets sent to your house that literally just burns everything and freezes your hands, which does hurt. I've had that happen before. The Annihilator story is very very short but honestly really satisfying. I got the good ending the second time I tried it.I really enjoyed the hurricane aspect of it also. It really added to the story. As for the toy company storyline. it was good too, or at least It had its moments. You get trapped in the store with a bunch of dolls coming to life ,and other toys coming to life like toy soldiers ,toy cars and a very adorable stuffed pig. Their is also a doll in this warehouse named Nasty Kathy a doll that basically insults you(Hi Slappy.) Kathy actuay has motives that are really like a Toy Story scenario.But If you escape early on,you get a lot of deeper details such as this guy named bobalu who is a a guy working for the company . He has motives for certain things. too which are a little less impressive. One of the best endings for this book was easily using a toy phone to call toy police officers and they literally come up to you and say "get in." I actually thought I was pretty funny.No cap as the kids would say.This book is mainly for laughs. It's definitely one of the funniest of the Give Yourself Goosebumps books I've read so far.The worst ending is easily the hologram ending.But as for Toy Terror : Batteries Included,I had a hard time rating this book.It was funny and definitely better then the hotel book I read.But I'd also say it's not super better I'd give it a three out of five stars also.

[Tiffany Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Toy Terror Batteries Included (Updated)
When I read this the first time I got a “bad ending” but I liked it so much that I’ll give you that one and then I’ll give you a good one. After the bad one I was satisfied with it and didn’t try another but there are A LOT of really “good” and “bad endings” for this one. I wish I had the space to give you all of em. This one is one of the better GYGB’s books. Here’s the bad one.

(Bad Ending)
It seems I’ve won a prize. I can either tour a mega toy store or I can see be the first to see a fancy robot. I choose the toy store -of course would I choose anything else? -. I can invite a friend. It creeps up on me how I was selected but the owner hangs up before I can ask (or either when I ask).

I get to the toy store there’s a large dog guarding it. It gives chase! Turns out it’s mechanical. I get inside the factory and see a living doll inside one of the rooms. (And this one isn’t Alyssa Milano or Halle Berry). It hops off the conveyor and I decide to chase after it. I convince my friend to chase after it with me. (The other suggestion will only lead you home to get dead batteries and the tour will be over).

So we see her shoe and go inside this room. Good thing! It’s full of toys! Bad thing! The door locks and we’re stuck in here. (Well I can honestly think of more unpleasant places to be BUT what else is alive in here?) We all know this isn’t an ordinary toy store, don’t we? Even though I know I shouldn’t the temptation is too strong and we go and check out the toys. Everything goes BLACK!

So Bobaloo got called away on an emergency and we’re stuck. We hear a thump (I take it back. This doll might be Chucky’s evil twin sister). There’s a (hog tied no pun intended because it really is) pig that’s beginning to be set free (and I guess we decide to trust it because it has a tear in its eye. Which could be totally FAKE). But when we try to help it ALL the toys start to come alive (and I’m seeing a darker version of Toy Story).

As you witness all these toys coming to life, a light flashes on and machines start up. The doll (whose name is Nasty Kathy) is controlling the factory. (Is she related to Chatty Kathy the doll I think my aunt told me she had? Twins?) She’s building an evil army and one of her soldiers points right at you. But Nasty Kathy is RUNNING this! So she tells him to just look pretty, smacks him on the booty, and sends him on his merry way.

She threatens us (as all villains do.) Yal know the speech. (I’ll make you pay) Only Benny escapes through the door her man candy went through. We decide to try the door and we make it out of the factory. In a car outside is Bobaloo. So we sneak up on him. Man, Candy Officer is in the car and they’re plotting about a “glitch in the plan”. But first in Voldermort fashion they have to “kill the spares”. They want to take us some place called the Dark Hole (aka The Graveyard because Bobaloo is secretly Voldemort and Man Candy Police is really Wormtail).

Also, this plan involves a patrol car from someone at a gas station that’s one of them. Benny has this idea to sneak inside the trunk (and I wonder have the plastic fumes in the factory made him high as a kite because he sounds kinda dumb right now). I decide to sneak past the car. We past the gas station but then there are police cars (ok here’s a thought maybe ditch the bikes) and we over hear there are at least fifty. (Tumans?)

So we’re thinking we should tell someone about this plan and then that we can tell the tumans by their feet (that’s where the batteries go inside). When we accidently kick a can (and the real me just groans because I saw this coming PAGES before). They grab Benny. I take off running. (Nice knowing ya Ben). And that bush must have been right up on them. How the hell where they close enough to grab one of us?

We make it home but we see our dad fooling with his foot (and I LOVE this!). We run to our BFf house (Amy). Benny’s there and he tells us this story I don’t believe about the police believing that we were lost and they let him go. So I take off running into the night and run into a phone booth. A hand grabs me. It’s Benny and Babaloo. They shove me in a car and are about to take me to the Dark Hole (coughs Graveyard). I grab the wheel and the car swerves off a bridge. They’re plastic. I’m not!

(Good Ending)
Excitedly I tell my mom I’m the winner of HASLEYS TOY COMPANY. I get to either tour the company or I get their best toy-the Annihilator 3000-(a cool robot). But the weird thing is -as she points out- you never entered this contest. Your mom gives a reasonable enough explanation and says it must be the registration you filled out for a game you bought last year. But then she says don’t get your hopes up. It might be fake and they want you to purchase something. So, you call the number on the letter and a man with a scratchy voice says he’s been waiting for you to call. He already knows your name. He asks what’s it gonna be, the tour or the robot. You choose the tour (44).

You ask can you bring and friend and choose a new guy in town (Benny). When you get to the factory, your greeted by a snarling dog at the gates. The dog leaps and attaches itself to your pants leg, It’s a Doberman. Luckily a man comes out, aims a remote at “Mittens” and he freezes. He’s just a toy (a very REAL looking one). The man says his name is Bob Marvin but everyone calls him Bobloo. He then leads you into the factory. Across the factory is a huge glass wall. Through the glass you can see a warehouse. Its shelves are stacked to the ceiling with toys.

A doll on a converyor belt catches your eye. She looks at you, jumps off, and runs behind a machine. You wonder should you run after her or go home and get your dad’s camera. You decide to run after the doll (98). The doll makes its way into the warehouse and the doors shut. So, you drag Benny to come help you find it. You see her shoe, but then the door shuts once your inside. Inside the room tho are shelves and shelves of model cars, computer games, and hundreds of other toys. Should we play with the toys or pound on the door to be let out? Might as well take advantage of it (76).

Before you can tho, the lights go out. Benny didn’t tell you that Bobloo (why do I keep wanna to call him Babaloo?) left on an emergency and told him to tell u both to go home. So now it’s Friday and your locked in the factory. Emergency lights ome on. You tell Benny the doll is still there somewhere but he thinks you made it up. Suddenly you hear a loud thump from overheard. It turns out to be a pig. It confirms the doll is alive and so is he. While you’re helping it try to get out his box, you hear rustling and then realize all the other toys are coming alive.

Dolls. Robots. Dinosaurs. Soldiers. They pour off the shelves, laughing, snarling, shouting to one another. Even the board games seem to be alive! One game has set itself up. Then you hear sounds indicating someone is running the factory. You see the doll (whose name is NASTY KATHY) commanding some ninja action figures to crank out more life-sized dolls. The first doll that comes out she calls “Officer Murphey” she commands he do what he was programed to do, but he asks what he should do about the security problem and he points at us through the glass wall. Kathy says she’ll handle this and comes over to you. You see she has sharp teeth. She pulls her string and says she doesn’t like you. You’re a human. Your not supposed to be here and can’t find out about the plan. (So now you have to die). Benny says no and races for the door, but it’s the same one “Officer Murphey”w ent out. Should you take a chance or find another door? We choose to find another door (123).

You call out to Benny to find another way but don’t wait for him and take off running. Nasty Kathy sends out an alert and then seconds later motorcycles are chasing you down. You run to the main aisle and then you see 4 glowing green eyes. They belong to a toy called Zorg. Only these have steel claws and teeth instead of plastic. Their mouths drip with green slime and purple ooze. Their eyes glow with a hideous green light. Zorg’s claw your face and rip it to shreds. They want your brain. They all leap at you.

You struggle to get them off you while they attack you -and you do- but you’re not out of the fire yet. All the other toys are coming at you. You see a red light that could possibly be an exit sign but you hear Benny’s voice calling for help. Which do you choose? You choose to help Benny (33). You come to some “people” having a tea party. You try to avoid them but slip on something. Then crash to the floor. You land on the pig’s foot but he’s ok. He advises you not to go to Benny or you’ll never get out of there.

You decide to take the pigs advice (74). The pig says the only way to find them is to find the key that shuts everything down. It’s chaos there every night and quite scary. He confesses he doesn’t like Nasty Kathy. She calls him names and she has a secret plan. He doesn’t know much. Only that it has something to do with changing the world and making human sized toys. Only the key is in Nasty Kathy’s play truck. All of a sudden, she’s right behind you and she’s holding a Lazer Blaster. The pig takes off. She aims the good for you. Should you try to run? Yes, you do (53). Kathy calls all the Zorg’s to aisle 4 -the one your on-.

Should you go to the doll aisle or should you go to the aisle where Benny’s voice is coming from? You head to Aisle 3 (63). When you find Benny, you see that the toys have set up a barricade. Benny is on the ground and dozens of tiny soldiers are on his chest. With the Zorg’s gaining on you, you try to find a weapon fast. You find some walkie talkies and try to toss one to Benny but his hands are tied. You head for the doll aisle.

On the next aisle you spot the trunk. You see the key in the lock. You try to take it but feel something crawling up your leg. It’s (no lie) “Thing” (from the Addam’s Family). He says what you see is the wrong key. The real one is inside the trunk. You decide to trust “Thing” (109). It says when you find it put it in the Incredible Talking Spelling Thinking Intelligent Machine. You thank “Thing” and then find a small CD with a picture of a key on it. You try to think which aisle the learning toys are on but just that quick your surrounded by Zorgs and soldiers.

They spray something at you called Spider’s Web that traps you. Then they pick you up and take you to Nasty Kathy. Kathy wants to show you what it feels like to be treated like a toy. So, she has you placed on a conveyor belt and starts to send you throw a hair planting machine that punches holes in your head. Should you act like you’re a toy or try a bribe? I decide to pretend to be a toy (9). The soldier says you’re lying. A ninja says prove it and asks to see your batteries. You have an idea. You did stop in A3 and pick up the walkie talkie (81).

They take off your shoe and don’t see a battery. You tell them its in another place and try to get them to cut one arm free but they aren’t buying it. All of a sudden, a voice (the pigs voice) comes from your stomach and it tells them to free you. You’re a toy. They believe it because a human can’t have a voice coming from its stomach. The pig has found Benny’s walkie-talkie. The ninja’s cut you lose.

Then you head for Benny who’s still lying there tied up with jump ropes. Only he isn’t moving. Benny wakes up and tells you to free him, but you say you have something else to do and head to aisle 1. What to do? Which key do you have? We have the CD with the key so we go to page (128). You see every toy but the one the pig told you about. Then you hear its voice say ITS TIM. Then you catch sight of it. And it all makes sense.

Incredible Talking Spelling Thinking Intelligent Machine. A red plastic toy, shaped like a book. And the first letter of each word spells out IT’S TIM! You are about to insert the CD — when you hear Benny’s voice. From two aisles over. He sounds terrified. “Don’t do it! Should you put the key in or see what Benny knows? We decide to hear Benny out (68). Benny instructs to untie him then run to Aisle One and get IT’S TIM. Bring it with you — no matter what. Then we’ve got to grab some more good stuff. I’ll get the computer games, a Laser Blaster, the hockey game, and a remote-control car. You get whatever toys you want. Then run for your life and meet me at the front door. You do and even grab the pig, but Kathy has followed you to the front door. Benny throws a hockey stick at her and you make it out.

He puts the disc in the speller. There’s a flash of light and then silence. He explains that all the toys in the factory have gone to sleep. He says he knew about the living dolls and the secret plan because he is a doll. That’s why he didn’t want him to use the key inside the factory. He takes his shoe off and shows him the space in his heel. He’s the one who put his name on the list for the tour. We ask about the secret plan. He says that’s a story for another day.

(A Similar Ending)
They’re about to send you to the hair-planting machine cause they don’t believe you’re a toy. The pig saves you and the ninja cuts you lose. You run to Benny. Then you run to Ailse one and have to decide what to do with the key. You look for the device and the pig tells you ITS TIM. But this time you *don’t* listen to Benny and put the disc in (43). There’s a light, a hum, and silence. All the toys are still. You discover Benny’s really a toy. You head home but then start wondering how else could really be toys. Your mother? Your father?

Rating: 8 I really (REALLY) liked these endings and this plot! It reminds me of something I wrote that hopefully one day I will be able to share. It also reminds me of the good ol days when there were toy store like “Kay B’s” and “Toys R Us”. Something I don’t see a lot of these days unless it’s a store that’s combined with other things like “Target” or “Walmart” And then I just don’t hear about toys now like I use to in the “nostalgia” years. And I also reallylike the concept of toys coming alive and turning dark.

[Alejandro Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 2015 Goosebumps film took a bit of inspiration from this book: both the movie and its tie-in game had the Annihilator 3000 as a monster, while the game also has Ralph, the robot cop. Both came from this book, so I was excited to see if it was any good—and it was. My immediate upside is the twists. There’s some big twists with some characters and the plot that really complimented the story, and it’s a bit rare to get stuff like that in GYGs. Nasty Kathy is a bitch—in a good way—and other villains like the Annihilator 3000 (plus the Annihilator 1500s) and the… without spoiling it… bigger and more lifelike toys. There’s some solid setting and decently good moments, but there’s some small issues. The plot is very hard to follow in both paths, which is likely a personal issue that coincides with my biggest gripe: the overwhelming chaos. I understand what’s happening, but forget where we’re headed due to the constant and repetitive fighting sequences and pages full of action. Mind you, I don’t really like action—especially in books, and this just happened to have more than I would’ve been okay with. A lot more. There’s also no notable endings here, which saddened me. They all felt normal for GYG quality but the lack of standouts was sad, but it’s good there weren’t any awful endings lol. Also, could’ve used more to it overall. The factory arc overstayed its welcome for sure and would’ve been better with little branches that kept it fresh rather than sixty pages of running around and beating up toys. Overall, 7.5/10. Pretty dang good, and I even rounded it up to four stars. Still awaiting the Annihilator 4000.

[Paige Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toy Terror took me on one heck of an adventure. I didn't get the ending I wanted but it was still a fun time and I ultimately enjoyed the path it led me down.

In this story a kid wins a contest that gives the choice to tour the biggest toy factory ever or the hottest new toy! I decided to choose the tour in hopes of a more fun adventure and I wasn't wrong. The toys all have their quirks and even come to life but not all the toys are good.

[Raquel Pilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ⭐
Goosebumps can definitely grip readers! R. L. Stine never fails with his cliffhangers in every chapter's last words and very straightforward development... This 'choose your path' series is a huge success among students, even being so old!
For those who are not readers yet and are a bit older (9ish), it can be a great beginning in the world of books.
I read every possible ending (there are 21) and the Toy Factory tour was my favourite path!

[fanboyriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun read. I enjoyed all the dramatic scenes and endings. Plus the read along on YouTube by Turn to Page was so funny. The voices they do for the characters really bring things to life.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time with a GYG book that I made it all the way through without encountering a bad ending :)

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book before and it didn’t stick out to me as much but I went down the right path of nasty Kathy in the toy factory and it was GREAT! Definitely one of the best gygs and I’ve read all of them multiple times. It was so cool having the toys come to life and nasty Kathy is an iconic villain. The little pig is a great character in the story and the little policeman ninjas and the crazy zorgs really bring the story to life. And the twist ending! Didn’t see that coming. 5/5 highly recommend! Some of these GYGs you really have to give a chance or you miss out on amazing journeys. I gave this one 4 stars before with the route I took but this one was way better! I need to go the annihilator 3000 way next time and see how that way is. But the toy factory way would be an awesome Goosebumps episode hands down

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este fue el segundo libro que leí de Goosebumps, realmente me gusto, sobretodo el tema de que dependiendo la página que leas, sera el final que obtendrás. Estuvo increíble la historia, el hecho de ganar un juguete embrujado, realmente me fascino y lo mejor fue que... OBTUVE EL MEJOR! FINISHED ON: FEBRUARY 14 (Forever Alone)

[isabella ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's been a while since I read this but there are 2 possible routes, and I only liked the Nasty Kathy route. The Annihilator 3000 route was not scary, just frustrating. It just made me want to kill the robot because if that thing was destroying everything in my house the way it did to the protagonist, yeah it's going down.

-2 stars-

[sol ☼ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1,5⭐ Una interesante propuesta la de elegir tu propia historia e ir salteando páginas hasta llegar a la de tu hilo, sin embargo al ser un libro orientado para niños bastante pequeños no puedo darle más estrellas porque en cuanto a contenido deja bastante que desear para alguien adulto

[Craig Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

X-mas present when I was younger.

[Kevin Xu · Rating 4 out of 5]

toys are scary

[Antonio Talamantes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty entertaining ! and the different endings ...the coolest idea :D

[Earline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read on a long car trip with the family.