The Spooky Book

by Steve Patschke

Better keep your nightlight on as a dark and stormy night inspires not one--but three--scary stories that eerily intertwine in this spooky book within a book.

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2004

About the author

VIST STEVE AT: https://stevepatschke.wordpress.com/
Steve Patschke loves adding a dash of spooky fun to Storytime. His newest picture book, The Haunted Scavenger Hunt, invites young readers to search for clues, giggle at ghosts, and enjoy a frightfully fun adventure. Steve is also the author of Don’t Look at It! Don’t Touch It!, The Spooky Book (adapted into a professional video by Spoken Arts), and a pop-up retelling of The Nutcracker, which reached #1 on Amazon.
For more than 30 years, Steve has worked as a children’s librarian and elementary school teacher, sharing stories that spark curiosity and laughter. His writing has appeared in The New York Times and Chicken Soup for the Soul, and his books have been praised by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, The Boston Globe, and The Baltimore Sun.
When he’s not dreaming up new adventures filled with friendly frights, Steve loves helping kids discover that reading can be just as magical—and just as spooky-fun—as Halloween night itself.

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book with circular logic that is both creepy and mindboggling. The illustrations are wonderful, with small details that really make the story come alive. The fact that the little boy is reading about the little girl who is reading about the little boy...and so on, could be a bit confusing for younger children, but our oldest loved it. She borrowed it from her elementary school library, read it on her own, and then insisted we read it together. She liked it so much that she was antsy for us to get to the ending, practically bursting with excitement. While it doesn't have a Halloween theme specifically, it is a great book to read at this time of year. We really enjoyed reading this story together.

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy is reading a spooky book about a girl on a spooky night who is reading a spooky book about a boy on a spooky night....until the thunder and lightning and scary shadows and howling lead them to each other. A bit too confusing for most children to grasp --especially in the K-3 intended audience. Older kids might get a smile out of it.

[Lillian Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly trippy.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 3/4 Stars for me! (Hint hint hint Good Reads I would love a half system!!!

So this book sends you down an weird/scary road, but I think at the first I understand where it is going.

Andrew is reading a book about Zo Zo
Zo Zo is reading a book about Andrew.... and it is SCARY!!

But it wraps up at the end as new friends!!

[Eden Silverfox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew is home alone and reading a spooky book about a girl named Zo Zo who is also home alone and reading a spooky book. And what's strange is what happens to Zo Zo in the book, also begins to happen to Andrew.

Very nice illustrations and a clever story. It's fun, but creepy also. I'm sure children will really enjoy this.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a good choice for Halloween. It's spooky without actually being scary and has a good rhythm. The concept is cool, with two kids reading each other's stories in the 'spooky book'. The pictures are nice.

[Miri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a rather clever story, a boy is home alone reading a spooky book about a girl that is home alone reading a spooky book, as the boy reads the things in the story begin to happen for real, leading to the girl from the story arriving on the boy's doorstep.

[Amber W · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tad predictable.

[Linda Costello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book in which two kids are reading about each other at the same time. Very entertaining.