What do you think?
Rate this book
Book of Screams #2
Pages of Doom
Key Selling Points
In this second installment of the Book of Screams series, we re-enter Tanya's struggle to vanquish the sentient ink that steals people's nightmares; other stories include the tale of a rabbit carcass haunting a young boy, a teacher whose student just might be a werewolf, and a teddy bear that possesses its owner.
As with book 1, Jeff Szpirglas does an excellent job of giving readers a variety of scares, from chilling old-school horror monsters like werewolves to an outlandish giant insect alien masquerading as a dentist, so that kids will get a thorough introduction to horror, but in a manner suited to their age level and in bite-sized format.
Readers of Book of Screams will enjoy reconnecting with Tanya's story as she tries to outwit the evil ink—this time with a new friend by her side.
The character of middle-grade horror novelist Joel Southland (Tanya's nemesis) is affectionately based on Canadian writer Joel Sutherland.
Horror and supernatural stories continue to be in-demand these days, and these suspenseful and gripping narratives will pull in reluctant readers.
Jeff Szpirglas teaches middle school, so he is keenly aware of what entertains kids of this age, and he cleverly sets many of these stories in the ever-relatable school setting.
In this second installment of the Book of Screams series, we re-enter Tanya's struggle to vanquish the sentient ink that steals people's nightmares; other stories include the tale of a rabbit carcass haunting a young boy, a teacher whose student just might be a werewolf, and a teddy bear that possesses its owner.
As with book 1, Jeff Szpirglas does an excellent job of giving readers a variety of scares, from chilling old-school horror monsters like werewolves to an outlandish giant insect alien masquerading as a dentist, so that kids will get a thorough introduction to horror, but in a manner suited to their age level and in bite-sized format.
Readers of Book of Screams will enjoy reconnecting with Tanya's story as she tries to outwit the evil ink—this time with a new friend by her side.
The character of middle-grade horror novelist Joel Southland (Tanya's nemesis) is affectionately based on Canadian writer Joel Sutherland.
Horror and supernatural stories continue to be in-demand these days, and these suspenseful and gripping narratives will pull in reluctant readers.
Jeff Szpirglas teaches middle school, so he is keenly aware of what entertains kids of this age, and he cleverly sets many of these stories in the ever-relatable school setting.
192 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2024
1 person is currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Szpirglas
33 books11 followersJeff Szpirglas has had a varied career. He's shoveled manure, worked in a steelyard (he hails from Hamilton, after all), and even frolicked in the offices at CTV Television and Chirp, chickaDEE, and OWL magazines, where he was the kids' page editor. His manure-shoveling days long behind him, Jeff currently teaches children by day and writes books/fights supervillains by night.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 19, 2024
This was a excellent follow-up to the first book, telling stories about the nightmares that were stolen while continuing Tanya's story.
July 10, 2024
A fun and age appropriate spooky collection of short stories. These were all pretty unique, and the illustrations really enhanced them. A great middle grade short story collection.
March 20, 2024
Scary stories meld with haunting nightmares as tales weave within a tale and form a chilling tomb from beginning to end.
Tanya might have stopped the evil ink from feeding on nightmares and gaining more power, but now, it's in her hands. And it's hungry. It's persuasion grows stronger by the day, and Tanya won't be able to keep control of it for long. Hoping to buy enough time to come up with a plan, she lets it feed little by little, but the ink isn't easily fooled.
I didn't read the first book in this series, Book of Screams, but had absolutely no problem sinking right into this read. The book begins with a couple of short, horror stories before sinking into the over-reaching plot of Tanya and the evil ink. There's enough backstory dribbled in while Tanya considers her possibilities to understand the danger the ink poses and the impossibility (and danger) of her task. The tension stays high while she steers through school and those around her, but that's not the part of the book which really makes it shine.
This is more a collection of horror stories, which range from scary to chilling to spooky and more. Each tale carries a very different direction and holds pretty unexpected endings. These are short, usually only a half-dozen pages or so, and end on the chilling moment. Every two or so tales, Tanya's over-arcing one comes in. This main tale holds slightly longer chapters and continue where the last one left off. So, a back and forth is formed, which keeps everything very loosely tied together and yet apart. It's a clever mix.
The artwork is well-done and adds a nice touch of scare and quirk, a bit like Goosebumps. It didn't take long to realize that the illustrations appear shortly before the story ends... a bit like a warning to the reader to get ready for the grab.
While this book can be read in one sitting, it works very well for smaller reading bursts thanks to the short story set-up. Each tale is very original and holds on its own, making this great for reluctant readers as well. Spooky fans will enjoy the variety and mix, and be able to come back and visit their favorites time and again. I received a DRC through Edelweiss and found the weave fun.
Tanya might have stopped the evil ink from feeding on nightmares and gaining more power, but now, it's in her hands. And it's hungry. It's persuasion grows stronger by the day, and Tanya won't be able to keep control of it for long. Hoping to buy enough time to come up with a plan, she lets it feed little by little, but the ink isn't easily fooled.
I didn't read the first book in this series, Book of Screams, but had absolutely no problem sinking right into this read. The book begins with a couple of short, horror stories before sinking into the over-reaching plot of Tanya and the evil ink. There's enough backstory dribbled in while Tanya considers her possibilities to understand the danger the ink poses and the impossibility (and danger) of her task. The tension stays high while she steers through school and those around her, but that's not the part of the book which really makes it shine.
This is more a collection of horror stories, which range from scary to chilling to spooky and more. Each tale carries a very different direction and holds pretty unexpected endings. These are short, usually only a half-dozen pages or so, and end on the chilling moment. Every two or so tales, Tanya's over-arcing one comes in. This main tale holds slightly longer chapters and continue where the last one left off. So, a back and forth is formed, which keeps everything very loosely tied together and yet apart. It's a clever mix.
The artwork is well-done and adds a nice touch of scare and quirk, a bit like Goosebumps. It didn't take long to realize that the illustrations appear shortly before the story ends... a bit like a warning to the reader to get ready for the grab.
While this book can be read in one sitting, it works very well for smaller reading bursts thanks to the short story set-up. Each tale is very original and holds on its own, making this great for reluctant readers as well. Spooky fans will enjoy the variety and mix, and be able to come back and visit their favorites time and again. I received a DRC through Edelweiss and found the weave fun.
August 4, 2024
An interloper in the school corridor… A sleepover host from hell… A class intent on having contact with some kind of ghost… And that horrid, horrid crawlspace above the styrofoam ceiling tiles in temporary classrooms… Yes, this is a second selection of horror stories, presented with a difference, in this author's current series. While it isn't as great as the first bunch, it was probably rude of me to expect something of that quality a second time, anyway.
The difference remains the same – that the book has a longer story within it, split up into parts to be scattered around the self-contained short stories; a longer tale concerning the nightmarish ink that wants us humans to let it absorb our nasty dreams. Last time a girl was annoyed and worried by what a horror writer was doing with it, but we start with it in her possession – albeit not for long. Does she have to make sure it's appeased, or can she break the cycle completely?
This again seems to have a great ability to turn a junior point of interest into the subject of a horror story – so many of the readers will know an older sibling apparently scared of sunlight, and so here's someone who is that for a reason. If you've ever had a teacher come on with the whole mindfulness, meditation in class shtick, here's why you should be worried. Once again we get a story more for the school librarian among the readership, but it's probably the weakest entry this time – here the one with the adult POV and the adult fear covers a teacher's worst PTA meeting. Debatable, too, perhaps, is a tale where one of the most useful entities gets turned into the enemy, and a large proportion of the audience gains a disliking for the dentist.
On the whole, however, the works are fine, and the success rate again is a strong one. It was a touch awkward that the personal names of many of the characters were so far removed from those I'm culturally used to, and why so much of it revolves around pencils I'll never know – is ink banned from Canadian schools, or something?! Surely the whole country doesn't live below ink freezing point? But such oddities are cancelled out when an enjoyable predictive gravestone is featured – and by the advert for the third in the series. Four stars, easily.
The difference remains the same – that the book has a longer story within it, split up into parts to be scattered around the self-contained short stories; a longer tale concerning the nightmarish ink that wants us humans to let it absorb our nasty dreams. Last time a girl was annoyed and worried by what a horror writer was doing with it, but we start with it in her possession – albeit not for long. Does she have to make sure it's appeased, or can she break the cycle completely?
This again seems to have a great ability to turn a junior point of interest into the subject of a horror story – so many of the readers will know an older sibling apparently scared of sunlight, and so here's someone who is that for a reason. If you've ever had a teacher come on with the whole mindfulness, meditation in class shtick, here's why you should be worried. Once again we get a story more for the school librarian among the readership, but it's probably the weakest entry this time – here the one with the adult POV and the adult fear covers a teacher's worst PTA meeting. Debatable, too, perhaps, is a tale where one of the most useful entities gets turned into the enemy, and a large proportion of the audience gains a disliking for the dentist.
On the whole, however, the works are fine, and the success rate again is a strong one. It was a touch awkward that the personal names of many of the characters were so far removed from those I'm culturally used to, and why so much of it revolves around pencils I'll never know – is ink banned from Canadian schools, or something?! Surely the whole country doesn't live below ink freezing point? But such oddities are cancelled out when an enjoyable predictive gravestone is featured – and by the advert for the third in the series. Four stars, easily.
May 21, 2024
This was a really fun and eye opening read, as someone who reads adult horror I was interested to see how it would translate into a younger audience. Jeff Szpriglas does a really good job of utilising familiar environments like schools and dentists to add an element of spookiness, making the kids who are likely reading it at school feel like they have to look over their shoulder.
As a older reader I enjoyed the little throwbacks like the yes/no pencils, it’s nice seeing it be passed on to future generations.
Overall Szpriglas is a talented author, I hope one day this story gets the recognition it deserves. The casual diversity and underlying messages are something that I think other authors could learn from.
Andrew P. Barr, the man that you are, the illustrations really tied everything together, it managed to put depictions to what could not be explained to that age group. I really love the art especially the last duo. The book would be incomplete without your contribution.
Thank you Netgalley for access to this book.
As a older reader I enjoyed the little throwbacks like the yes/no pencils, it’s nice seeing it be passed on to future generations.
Overall Szpriglas is a talented author, I hope one day this story gets the recognition it deserves. The casual diversity and underlying messages are something that I think other authors could learn from.
Andrew P. Barr, the man that you are, the illustrations really tied everything together, it managed to put depictions to what could not be explained to that age group. I really love the art especially the last duo. The book would be incomplete without your contribution.
Thank you Netgalley for access to this book.
May 28, 2024
This book is a short story collection with horror stories for kids. There are also some illustrations for each story sprinkled in. This is the second book in this series.
I really like these books! They have short bursts of horror, kind of like Goosebumps. They are scary but not too overwhelming for kids to handle. I like how short they are because it keeps the kids attention.
The illustrations are really detailed and fun to look at.
I would recommend this book to kids everywhere looking for some horror!
Thanks so much to netgalley and Orca for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!
I really like these books! They have short bursts of horror, kind of like Goosebumps. They are scary but not too overwhelming for kids to handle. I like how short they are because it keeps the kids attention.
The illustrations are really detailed and fun to look at.
I would recommend this book to kids everywhere looking for some horror!
Thanks so much to netgalley and Orca for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!
May 27, 2024
Just spooky enough! If you read the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books in the 80s/90s, then you'll enjoy this book. I had to put it down and finish the rest today because it's appropriately spooky.
*I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in advance to read and provide an honest review on the material.*
*I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in advance to read and provide an honest review on the material.*
July 26, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. My students will get a kick out if these short horror stories. The drawings were a nice touch as well.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews