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Terrifying Tales
Be afraid, be very afraid of Terrifying Tales, the sixth volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading.
Eleven masters of suspense—Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel José Older, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia—have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends’ pants off.
Compiled and edited by kid-lit madman Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Terrifying Tales is a creepy-fun read (if you’re brave enough, that is).
Before we begin / Jon Scieszka
Mr. Shocky / Michael Buckley
Licorice needles / Nikki Loftin
The blue-bearded bird-man / Adam Gidwitz
Don't eat the bay / Kelly Barnhill
My ghost story / Dav Pilkey
Marcos at the river / Daniel Jose Older
Coconut heads / Rita Williams-Garcia
Manifest / Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown
Disappear! / R.L. Stine
The Mandigore / Claire Legrand
Eleven masters of suspense—Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel José Older, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia—have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends’ pants off.
Compiled and edited by kid-lit madman Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Terrifying Tales is a creepy-fun read (if you’re brave enough, that is).
Before we begin / Jon Scieszka
Mr. Shocky / Michael Buckley
Licorice needles / Nikki Loftin
The blue-bearded bird-man / Adam Gidwitz
Don't eat the bay / Kelly Barnhill
My ghost story / Dav Pilkey
Marcos at the river / Daniel Jose Older
Coconut heads / Rita Williams-Garcia
Manifest / Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown
Disappear! / R.L. Stine
The Mandigore / Claire Legrand
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2015
100 people are currently reading
893 people want to read
About the author
Jon Scieszka
257 books1,591 followersJon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
January 28, 2021
Funny and actually slightly creepy tales. Stumbled upon it on my library’s book app and was in the mood for short stories.
May 30, 2019
The first story, Mr Shocky, is about a kid's imaginary friend coming back to haunt his brother, and what main character had to sacrifice in order to protect his family. It had a great ending, unexpectedly profound, and I really enjoyed it.
Don't Eat The Baby is about a kid desperately wanting a younger brother, but he may not get what he hoped for.
Every other story was so-so, not very scary and not very meaningful. The book is geared towards a younger audience, with a shorter attention span and lower expectations.
Don't Eat The Baby is about a kid desperately wanting a younger brother, but he may not get what he hoped for.
Every other story was so-so, not very scary and not very meaningful. The book is geared towards a younger audience, with a shorter attention span and lower expectations.
September 30, 2015
3.5 Terrifying stars....
I first learned of this series through a free download of Guys Read: Funny Business. My family listened to the audio version of the book on a road trip and we couldn't stop laughing at the gross stories geared to young boys. When Guys Read: Terrifying Tales was made available to me, I jumped at the chance to read and review the book.
The stories are perfect for young boys and reluctant readers. Most of the stories were short, some had the author's own opinions in boldface type warning the reader to stop reading (a sure-fire way to make most people continue on). The stories were written by well known writers and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
My favorite story was Manifest by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown. I'd love to see that story expanded into a full novel.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
I first learned of this series through a free download of Guys Read: Funny Business. My family listened to the audio version of the book on a road trip and we couldn't stop laughing at the gross stories geared to young boys. When Guys Read: Terrifying Tales was made available to me, I jumped at the chance to read and review the book.
The stories are perfect for young boys and reluctant readers. Most of the stories were short, some had the author's own opinions in boldface type warning the reader to stop reading (a sure-fire way to make most people continue on). The stories were written by well known writers and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
My favorite story was Manifest by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown. I'd love to see that story expanded into a full novel.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
May 1, 2024
Terrifying Tales was a fun listen with some great narrators. The tone between the stories is very pleasingly diverse. While some of the stories fall on the silly side of horror, others are very serious and go all in on the horrific. Each one does have a scary vibe, which made it a good fit for the collection. These are all really short, so I am trying not to hold that against them, because that often can be a bit of a turnoff for me when stories end too abruptly. I'll just briefly share my thoughts of each story.
"Mr. Shocky" by Michael Buckley --This one goes there about what's scary. It's about an imaginary friend who has some fiendish plans for Tyler's younger brother because he moved on and forgot him. My mom said I had an imaginary friend. I don't remember, but it's pretty common. Well, what if they were real and they could turn dark? I found the tone rather mature, but not in a bad way. This book gave me something to think about, and it takes imaginary friends in a direction that I found unique and I enjoyed. 4 stars.
"Licorice Needles" by Nikki Lofton --Wow, talking about going hard. Wicked witch stories really scare me. I liked how this is very much rooted in the reality of a pre-adolescent, which being authentically unnerving. What if your reading tutor was using you to enact some harmful magic spells on other kids who get on her naughty list? And how do you explain that your English tutor might be a malevolent witch? That's Jeremiah's dilemma. The ending is pretty shocking. 4.5 stars.
"The Blue-Bearded Bird-Man" by Adam Gidwitz--I'm an Adam Gidwitz stan for real! I love his fractured fairy tales with a dark, Grimm (wink!) edge. I was so glad that his narrator from the Grimm series is back on board for this story. This is a different telling of Bluebeard. I will say that I enjoy this story, but I also liked how it felt slightly different and has a humorous spin. It's pretty gory and dark too. I will say if you like happy endings, you'll like this one. 5 stars.
"Don't Eat the Baby" by Kelly Barnhill--I had some trouble with this book because Arne acts so dumb at times. I always remind myself that I am reading middle grade books and to not be so hard on the characters when they make really bad choices, however, this guy was sloooww on the uptake. Seriously, why did so much damage happen before you did something? I understand how much he wanted a brother, but it got to the point of things being super-duper obvious. Anyway, the ending saved it for me. After all that, he pulls out some smarts. I did love the narrator and how he nailed the humorous aspects of the novel. 3.5 stars.
"My Ghost Story" by Dav Pilkey--I didn't like this one too much. It was way too short and kind of silly. It was a bit on the nose for me. 2 stars.
"Marcos at the River" by Daniel Jose' Older--This is the most somber of the stories and feels very much like magical realism. I loved the cultural aspects and the fact that the narrator beautifully captured Abuela's accent. It was sad but satisfying at the same time. 4 stars.
"Co"Manifest" by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown--Historical and Gothic in feel, the atmosphere is on point. It is about one's sins catching up with them. This ones for the fans of BBC productions and dark Victorian tales. 3.5 stars.
"Disappear" by RL Stine--A "be careful what you wish for" type of story in which a boy meets a magician and learns that we shouldn't ever put people on pedestals. It was on the funny side, but has a satisfying, and twisted ending. 4 stars.
"Coconuts" by Rita Williams-Garcia--There's something about this story that hit me hard. It's about cultural clashes between generations, but it's also about dysfunction. The malignancy that the mom directs towards her son about his disconnection from her Jamaican culture, instead of taking the time to sit down with her son and strengthen their bond and find some understanding there. That was more scary to me than what was the object of fear in the story. 4.25 stars.
The Mandigore" by Claire Legrand--What an end to this collection. Whew! The most scary story in the volume. I didn't love the ending, but I was along for the ride. It has some great easter eggs for science fiction of the 2000s nerds. 4 stars.
Final thoughts: I enjoyed listening to the audiobook because the narrators were all great. I absolutely love middle grade horror, so this volume only makes me want to read more. I'm glad my library had this available through Libby.
"Mr. Shocky" by Michael Buckley --This one goes there about what's scary. It's about an imaginary friend who has some fiendish plans for Tyler's younger brother because he moved on and forgot him. My mom said I had an imaginary friend. I don't remember, but it's pretty common. Well, what if they were real and they could turn dark? I found the tone rather mature, but not in a bad way. This book gave me something to think about, and it takes imaginary friends in a direction that I found unique and I enjoyed. 4 stars.
"Licorice Needles" by Nikki Lofton --Wow, talking about going hard. Wicked witch stories really scare me. I liked how this is very much rooted in the reality of a pre-adolescent, which being authentically unnerving. What if your reading tutor was using you to enact some harmful magic spells on other kids who get on her naughty list? And how do you explain that your English tutor might be a malevolent witch? That's Jeremiah's dilemma. The ending is pretty shocking. 4.5 stars.
"The Blue-Bearded Bird-Man" by Adam Gidwitz--I'm an Adam Gidwitz stan for real! I love his fractured fairy tales with a dark, Grimm (wink!) edge. I was so glad that his narrator from the Grimm series is back on board for this story. This is a different telling of Bluebeard. I will say that I enjoy this story, but I also liked how it felt slightly different and has a humorous spin. It's pretty gory and dark too. I will say if you like happy endings, you'll like this one. 5 stars.
"Don't Eat the Baby" by Kelly Barnhill--I had some trouble with this book because Arne acts so dumb at times. I always remind myself that I am reading middle grade books and to not be so hard on the characters when they make really bad choices, however, this guy was sloooww on the uptake. Seriously, why did so much damage happen before you did something? I understand how much he wanted a brother, but it got to the point of things being super-duper obvious. Anyway, the ending saved it for me. After all that, he pulls out some smarts. I did love the narrator and how he nailed the humorous aspects of the novel. 3.5 stars.
"My Ghost Story" by Dav Pilkey--I didn't like this one too much. It was way too short and kind of silly. It was a bit on the nose for me. 2 stars.
"Marcos at the River" by Daniel Jose' Older--This is the most somber of the stories and feels very much like magical realism. I loved the cultural aspects and the fact that the narrator beautifully captured Abuela's accent. It was sad but satisfying at the same time. 4 stars.
"Co"Manifest" by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown--Historical and Gothic in feel, the atmosphere is on point. It is about one's sins catching up with them. This ones for the fans of BBC productions and dark Victorian tales. 3.5 stars.
"Disappear" by RL Stine--A "be careful what you wish for" type of story in which a boy meets a magician and learns that we shouldn't ever put people on pedestals. It was on the funny side, but has a satisfying, and twisted ending. 4 stars.
"Coconuts" by Rita Williams-Garcia--There's something about this story that hit me hard. It's about cultural clashes between generations, but it's also about dysfunction. The malignancy that the mom directs towards her son about his disconnection from her Jamaican culture, instead of taking the time to sit down with her son and strengthen their bond and find some understanding there. That was more scary to me than what was the object of fear in the story. 4.25 stars.
The Mandigore" by Claire Legrand--What an end to this collection. Whew! The most scary story in the volume. I didn't love the ending, but I was along for the ride. It has some great easter eggs for science fiction of the 2000s nerds. 4 stars.
Final thoughts: I enjoyed listening to the audiobook because the narrators were all great. I absolutely love middle grade horror, so this volume only makes me want to read more. I'm glad my library had this available through Libby.
October 18, 2017
10 stories. 10 stories with all sorts of monsters, real and imaginary. Oh, and be careful what you wish for!
The book itself was a bit hit and miss. Five of the 10 stories were pretty great, at times even terrifying, but sadly 5 stories were boring and I had the urge to stop reading.
My favourite story? The Blue-Bearded Bird-man.
For each story I have written a mini-review + given them a star-rating.
Story 1: Mr Shocky: 4.5 stars! Wow, what a story. Watch out with your imaginary friends... I never thought the story would take that direction, it was way darker than I had expected. Not a bad thing, I am really happy with it. I came here for terrifying tales after all. I quite liked Tyler, though I did feel sorry for him in the end. There are a lot of nice twists and turns that will keep you on edge. Loved it!
Story 2: Licorice Needles: 2 stars. The story was creepy, but I just didn't like the old lady. I just found her selfish and mean. I didn't like what she did at the end, he didn't deserve it. He was just afraid as hell, anyone would act like that, plus he did say sorry. :( Plus all the other things she did. :| It was just too much. No one deserves that. No matter what they did. I just hope someone stops her one day.
Story 3: The Blue-Bearded Bird-Man: 5 stars. Welp, I knew I would love this one, it is by Adam Gidwitz and I just love how he tells his stories. With him/the narrator popping in at times to warn us, or make us laugh, or anything else. It just adds a certain flavour to the story. And this one was creepy, though also faintly familiar. I am not sure why. I felt sorry for the sisters, but really if someone tells me to NOT open a certain door? I would definitely not be opening anything at all. No way. Nope. I had a laugh at the youngest and how smart she was. The fowler certainly never saw that coming. :P I just adore a kick-ass girl who knows what to do in a dire situation. The ending was as expected, but I still had a bit of a chuckle.
Story 4: Don't Eat The Baby: 4 stars. A pretty decent story that will warn kids to be careful with what they wish for. It may just come true and you may just not like what you get. The story was quite scary, though I did wonder why Arne didn't notice until it was much too late. I knew immediately what the brother was, what he was eating, and what his plans were. The ending was great. I am happy it ended like this, though I do wonder if that last sentence has meaning. Or if it is just the baby growing up. I do hope it is the last option.
I also did quite like that Arne found love for his family. He was quite grumpy in the beginning (which is kind of logical), but at the end he is caring and he doesn't mind that his family acts this way. Plus he becomes quite protective of his sister.
Story 5: My Ghost Story: 1.5 stars. Props to it being a comic, but sadly the story was mostly boring and I was annoyed at the parents and how, instead of just talking, instead of believing the boy, they tore apart his whole room and made it the ultimate kid-friendly place. Plus... come on this wasn't terrifying at all. Considering the other stories this one just didn't fit at all. I had expected so much more. :(
Story 6: Marcos at the River: 1 star. Sorry, but again not scary. Come on, are these stories terrifying or just cute little kittens waiting to be petted? *sighs* I was mostly frustrated with Marcos and that he let things get out of hand this much. And that it was that easily solvable. Boy, I had hoped for something creepy, but instead poof. Done. :|
Story 7: Coconut Heads: 0.5 stars. Welp, this was terrible. :| Not only was it not scary, but I was also so pissed off at the mom and how she acted. How she cared more about her family in Jamaica than her sons and husband. She was just so hurtful, sorry, this may sound harsh, but some people don't deserve kids. If you treat them this shitty... :| I also didn't like how the dad was totally wussy and didn't say much.
Story 8: Manifest: 0.5 stars. Yawn, is this how the rest of the book is going to be? I do hope not. So we have some sort of curse, a guy getting tattoos all over his body? Ohh, how terrifying. Ohhh, how scary. Sorry, *snort* it wasn't scary at all and I found my mind wandering while reading, wondering how much longer I would have to go through this quicksand of boredom. The end was also just lacklustre.
Story 9: Disappear!: 3 stars! Phew, thankfully here is R.L. Stine to bring a bit more scariness back in the book. I was already worried. This wasn't that scary, but comparing it to the other stories before this one.. :P I quite liked Mark, even though he often argued with his little brother (then again, given his little brother, I don't blame him). The magic show, the magician, it was all good. Plus the ending was as I had expected from Stine. I was happy to see that even if he writes short stories he sticks to his endings.
Story 10: The Mandigore: 4 stars. Well, this one was properly creepy again. A monster, missing kids, a library one doesn't want to go to (really, you should have listened to your grandma, for once I agree on avoiding libraries). Plus I loved the Noctiluca stuff, how it bonded Nina and Clark, and how even when things got dire they talked as if in the series. It was bittersweet. The ending was disturbing and sad.
I also liked that each story had an illustration at the beginning. Something to start the terror inside of you. I loved the style of the illustrations, it fitted perfectly with each story, even if they were all different. The illustrations were haunting.
All in all, there are some stories in here that I would highly recommend. Sadly, I do feel the book in overall could have been much scarier and terrifying.
Review first posted https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
The book itself was a bit hit and miss. Five of the 10 stories were pretty great, at times even terrifying, but sadly 5 stories were boring and I had the urge to stop reading.
My favourite story? The Blue-Bearded Bird-man.
For each story I have written a mini-review + given them a star-rating.
Story 1: Mr Shocky: 4.5 stars! Wow, what a story. Watch out with your imaginary friends... I never thought the story would take that direction, it was way darker than I had expected. Not a bad thing, I am really happy with it. I came here for terrifying tales after all. I quite liked Tyler, though I did feel sorry for him in the end. There are a lot of nice twists and turns that will keep you on edge. Loved it!
Story 2: Licorice Needles: 2 stars. The story was creepy, but I just didn't like the old lady. I just found her selfish and mean. I didn't like what she did at the end, he didn't deserve it. He was just afraid as hell, anyone would act like that, plus he did say sorry. :( Plus all the other things she did. :| It was just too much. No one deserves that. No matter what they did. I just hope someone stops her one day.
Story 3: The Blue-Bearded Bird-Man: 5 stars. Welp, I knew I would love this one, it is by Adam Gidwitz and I just love how he tells his stories. With him/the narrator popping in at times to warn us, or make us laugh, or anything else. It just adds a certain flavour to the story. And this one was creepy, though also faintly familiar. I am not sure why. I felt sorry for the sisters, but really if someone tells me to NOT open a certain door? I would definitely not be opening anything at all. No way. Nope. I had a laugh at the youngest and how smart she was. The fowler certainly never saw that coming. :P I just adore a kick-ass girl who knows what to do in a dire situation. The ending was as expected, but I still had a bit of a chuckle.
Story 4: Don't Eat The Baby: 4 stars. A pretty decent story that will warn kids to be careful with what they wish for. It may just come true and you may just not like what you get. The story was quite scary, though I did wonder why Arne didn't notice until it was much too late. I knew immediately what the brother was, what he was eating, and what his plans were. The ending was great. I am happy it ended like this, though I do wonder if that last sentence has meaning. Or if it is just the baby growing up. I do hope it is the last option.
I also did quite like that Arne found love for his family. He was quite grumpy in the beginning (which is kind of logical), but at the end he is caring and he doesn't mind that his family acts this way. Plus he becomes quite protective of his sister.
Story 5: My Ghost Story: 1.5 stars. Props to it being a comic, but sadly the story was mostly boring and I was annoyed at the parents and how, instead of just talking, instead of believing the boy, they tore apart his whole room and made it the ultimate kid-friendly place. Plus... come on this wasn't terrifying at all. Considering the other stories this one just didn't fit at all. I had expected so much more. :(
Story 6: Marcos at the River: 1 star. Sorry, but again not scary. Come on, are these stories terrifying or just cute little kittens waiting to be petted? *sighs* I was mostly frustrated with Marcos and that he let things get out of hand this much. And that it was that easily solvable. Boy, I had hoped for something creepy, but instead poof. Done. :|
Story 7: Coconut Heads: 0.5 stars. Welp, this was terrible. :| Not only was it not scary, but I was also so pissed off at the mom and how she acted. How she cared more about her family in Jamaica than her sons and husband. She was just so hurtful, sorry, this may sound harsh, but some people don't deserve kids. If you treat them this shitty... :| I also didn't like how the dad was totally wussy and didn't say much.
Story 8: Manifest: 0.5 stars. Yawn, is this how the rest of the book is going to be? I do hope not. So we have some sort of curse, a guy getting tattoos all over his body? Ohh, how terrifying. Ohhh, how scary. Sorry, *snort* it wasn't scary at all and I found my mind wandering while reading, wondering how much longer I would have to go through this quicksand of boredom. The end was also just lacklustre.
Story 9: Disappear!: 3 stars! Phew, thankfully here is R.L. Stine to bring a bit more scariness back in the book. I was already worried. This wasn't that scary, but comparing it to the other stories before this one.. :P I quite liked Mark, even though he often argued with his little brother (then again, given his little brother, I don't blame him). The magic show, the magician, it was all good. Plus the ending was as I had expected from Stine. I was happy to see that even if he writes short stories he sticks to his endings.
Story 10: The Mandigore: 4 stars. Well, this one was properly creepy again. A monster, missing kids, a library one doesn't want to go to (really, you should have listened to your grandma, for once I agree on avoiding libraries). Plus I loved the Noctiluca stuff, how it bonded Nina and Clark, and how even when things got dire they talked as if in the series. It was bittersweet. The ending was disturbing and sad.
I also liked that each story had an illustration at the beginning. Something to start the terror inside of you. I loved the style of the illustrations, it fitted perfectly with each story, even if they were all different. The illustrations were haunting.
All in all, there are some stories in here that I would highly recommend. Sadly, I do feel the book in overall could have been much scarier and terrifying.
Review first posted https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
October 29, 2019
Like every short stories books, this one has some great ones, some gone ones and some that are kind of lows. The overall is a good enough to make the read worth it. I like that is was horror/terror short stories for kids, which we don't see often enough for me (and some are actually very dark). I also like that the book present some stories in a different «format», when include more drawing that served the story and one is a comic/graphic story. Not perfect, but definitely a book that young horror fans should check out! Well done!
August 31, 2020
What an extremely amusing and spooky read. This anthology of short stories was definitely one of the most entertaining and amazing book that I listened to. The audiobook was absolutely well-done. I loved the scary elements and the surprise of supernatural in each story. It was a good five stars read.
March 24, 2019
This is a wonderfully terror-inducing collection of horror tales. Although the stories are written for children, they were creepy enough to give me the shivers.
I think they quite scary, even compared to the numerous short stories I've read by Stephen King.
They are written by many of today's popular children's book authors and I could recognize the different styles from other stories we've read.
I really enjoyed listening to the different narrators tell the stories. The audiobook is fairly short and left me wanting to hear more.
I've listened to a few of the different books in the Guys Read series and I will certainly look for more of them through our local library's Overdrive catalog.
I think they quite scary, even compared to the numerous short stories I've read by Stephen King.
They are written by many of today's popular children's book authors and I could recognize the different styles from other stories we've read.
I really enjoyed listening to the different narrators tell the stories. The audiobook is fairly short and left me wanting to hear more.
I've listened to a few of the different books in the Guys Read series and I will certainly look for more of them through our local library's Overdrive catalog.
September 14, 2020
Fun stories geared toward young teens or so to get them reading, so they were short, occasionally gross, & some were actually fairly scary. Very well narrated. I've read others in the "Guys Read" series & they never fail to disappoint. The only surprise here was how much I enjoyed them since I don't read much horror.
January 4, 2016
Delightfully scary. Much scarier than the Guys Read: Thriller volume.
September 7, 2017
I found some of the stories really good but others were so boring.
April 4, 2021
I read this with my 8-year-old son, and as to be expected from a short story collection from multiple authors, some stories were stronger than others. Overall, it held his interest and mine throughout, and I recommend it for both children and grownups who like spooky tales.
October 15, 2017
Kudos to these authors for creating middle grade stories that are truly creepy and unsettling! Great reading for October.
October 19, 2018
My favourite: Mr. Shocky.
For each story I have written a mini-review + given them a star-rating. The book rating is 3 stars + 1 star for the illustrations that really add to the atmosphere of the book.
1: Mr Shocky: ★★★★★
I think it was a bit too dark for a children’s book but then it depends on what you read into it and a child may not read it the same way I did. The superficial horror of imaginary friend turned bully is suitable for children but takes on a far darker turn when you look at it as monsters created by our own psyche and the hold they can exert on us, even leading us to ruin. Made me think of Tibetan Tulpa’s I read about way back when – sinister scary creations that develop a life of their own.
Tyler was quite a likeable character not only for his protectiveness over his brother but also the determination he showed in the end where he solemnly states that he will keep up his struggle against his monster. Made me root for him and left me thinking about possible ways and devices he could employ to destroy Mr. Shocky.
2: Licorice Needles: ★★★★
This one channeled a nasty old witch that moves into the neighborhood masquerading as a retired English teacher going blind with age, or her misadventure. She offers to tutor, or failing that, hires children to read out her curses prepared by cutting out relevant newspaper clippings, on anyone who displeases her – mostly the children in the neighborhood for their juvenile pranks and silly behaviour. The punishment is way out of proportion and that highlights her evilness. But the build-up of the curse being read to its final rollout is well written with creepiness. Being a middle grade story, it ends with her cursing Troy when he falls foul of her. What would have made the story much better is, her having a weakness that is noticed, and used to cleverly orchestrate her downfall. Kill her with kindness maybe; saccharine sweetness of false politeness or baked goods to satisfy a disastrous sweet tooth.
3: The Blue-Bearded Bird-Man: ★★★
I know Adam Gidwitz does fractured fairy tales, I’ve read one from him before which is a whole novel that fractures fairy tales as the protagonist’s story progresses – forgot the name now. As hinted in the title this one was a retelling of the Bluebeard and a suitable addition to a horror story collection as where else would you put that tale – in any of way or form you tell it. Good to see a smart girl work her way out of a tricky situation.
4: Don't Eat The Baby: ★★★★
Another one on making wishes carefully for they can come true in more ways than one and the way they do is most certainly not going to be the way you anticipated.
A young boy wishes for a baby brother but gets a sister instead and then the wished-up brother comes but he is eerily strange and spookily destructive and has to be sent back – but that is going to take some planning and some smarts, for wishes may be hard to come true but they are even harder to undo once take form.
So Arne learns his lesson and the value of the family he has and it takes some cool, freaky magic wishing to get him to it.
5: My Ghost Story: ★★
This was a graphic story and was more funny than scary in any way. More for younger kids really who will enjoy the fright the little boy gave himself by surrounding himself with monstrous things. But then we all know, with the benefit of age of course, that your environment does leave an impact on your psyche.
6: Marcos at the River: ★★★
This was more creepy than outright scary. A young boy with magical ability to see spirits is haunted by them ever since the day he witnessed his father’s murder and went mute. He can’t talk anymore and can’t find a way to deal with the ghosts that follow him everywhere. Finally he dredges up the courage to re-visit the site where his father was murdered. Although he cannot find any clues or remember the face of the murderer, he comes to term with what happened and the ghosts recede.
On a psychological front this is more to do with PTS suffered at that loss of his father and the trauma of first hand witnessing his violent end. Once he makes his peace with what happened and is ready to move on, the swamp spirits move on too.
7: Coconut Heads: ★★★
This is rooted in generation gap and parent dictatorship. The mother wants him to respect his roots, he wants to live his life as per the modern era he is born in. Finally, the constant badgering breaks his mind and he has a nervous breakdown and the mother takes this as an opportunity to send him off to live with the dreaded relatives. Both are not wrong in what they want, but the boy is particularly fragile and traumatized by the life his mother keeps pushing on him and this puts the mother in the spot of an unlikely monster terrorizing the boy, a dark side of parenting where a parent forgets to draw a line and treats the child as an extension of themselves instead of as individuals in their own right with their own likes and dislikes and not giving them the space they need or even recognizing such a need.
8: Manifest: ★★★★
The was a well done one too. A crime is done, and a boy reaches out for freedom using the leverage of the crime, suffering through a long and torturous ocean journey to the other side of the Atlantic only to have his karma catch up with him in unexpected and creepy ways and he finds that he escaped bonded slavery by foul means only to end up a slave again. The tatoos that kept appearing on his skin were a nice creepy touch with a link back to his victim who was an artist.
But is he the real villain, or it is the grownups and the system put in place by them that lets them prey unchecked upon the small, the weak and the destitute – reducing their victims to their own level of morality?
9: Disappear!: ★
This one was a typical middle grade children’s story right down to the annoying sibling that the protagonist ends up wanting to protect anyway, and a tidy ending with stumping the villain magician using his own bag of tricks.
10: The Mandigore: ★★
The librarian was suitably creepy in both human and the monstrous version – but what does the word ‘mandigore’ have to do with it, I could not work out. He could have been any monster or a demon, why mandigore? I could not find any particular link to that particular monster being referenced here.
The Noctiluca fangirling and the geeky friendship was nicely done. We also had a glimpse of Nina’s family background but that just seemed unnecessary – the story was not long enough to put those details to good use.
Apart from the stories, the illustrations were really a highlight of the book – creepily well done to set the tone of the story before you even start to read. This book would be a good addition to the library of any child that enjoys scary stuff, to be read by themselves or read aloud by a parent on a cold rainy night huddling together near the warmth of a heater or a fireplace – far away from the glaring lights of the television.
For each story I have written a mini-review + given them a star-rating. The book rating is 3 stars + 1 star for the illustrations that really add to the atmosphere of the book.
1: Mr Shocky: ★★★★★
I think it was a bit too dark for a children’s book but then it depends on what you read into it and a child may not read it the same way I did. The superficial horror of imaginary friend turned bully is suitable for children but takes on a far darker turn when you look at it as monsters created by our own psyche and the hold they can exert on us, even leading us to ruin. Made me think of Tibetan Tulpa’s I read about way back when – sinister scary creations that develop a life of their own.
Tyler was quite a likeable character not only for his protectiveness over his brother but also the determination he showed in the end where he solemnly states that he will keep up his struggle against his monster. Made me root for him and left me thinking about possible ways and devices he could employ to destroy Mr. Shocky.
2: Licorice Needles: ★★★★
This one channeled a nasty old witch that moves into the neighborhood masquerading as a retired English teacher going blind with age, or her misadventure. She offers to tutor, or failing that, hires children to read out her curses prepared by cutting out relevant newspaper clippings, on anyone who displeases her – mostly the children in the neighborhood for their juvenile pranks and silly behaviour. The punishment is way out of proportion and that highlights her evilness. But the build-up of the curse being read to its final rollout is well written with creepiness. Being a middle grade story, it ends with her cursing Troy when he falls foul of her. What would have made the story much better is, her having a weakness that is noticed, and used to cleverly orchestrate her downfall. Kill her with kindness maybe; saccharine sweetness of false politeness or baked goods to satisfy a disastrous sweet tooth.
3: The Blue-Bearded Bird-Man: ★★★
I know Adam Gidwitz does fractured fairy tales, I’ve read one from him before which is a whole novel that fractures fairy tales as the protagonist’s story progresses – forgot the name now. As hinted in the title this one was a retelling of the Bluebeard and a suitable addition to a horror story collection as where else would you put that tale – in any of way or form you tell it. Good to see a smart girl work her way out of a tricky situation.
4: Don't Eat The Baby: ★★★★
Another one on making wishes carefully for they can come true in more ways than one and the way they do is most certainly not going to be the way you anticipated.
A young boy wishes for a baby brother but gets a sister instead and then the wished-up brother comes but he is eerily strange and spookily destructive and has to be sent back – but that is going to take some planning and some smarts, for wishes may be hard to come true but they are even harder to undo once take form.
So Arne learns his lesson and the value of the family he has and it takes some cool, freaky magic wishing to get him to it.
5: My Ghost Story: ★★
This was a graphic story and was more funny than scary in any way. More for younger kids really who will enjoy the fright the little boy gave himself by surrounding himself with monstrous things. But then we all know, with the benefit of age of course, that your environment does leave an impact on your psyche.
6: Marcos at the River: ★★★
This was more creepy than outright scary. A young boy with magical ability to see spirits is haunted by them ever since the day he witnessed his father’s murder and went mute. He can’t talk anymore and can’t find a way to deal with the ghosts that follow him everywhere. Finally he dredges up the courage to re-visit the site where his father was murdered. Although he cannot find any clues or remember the face of the murderer, he comes to term with what happened and the ghosts recede.
On a psychological front this is more to do with PTS suffered at that loss of his father and the trauma of first hand witnessing his violent end. Once he makes his peace with what happened and is ready to move on, the swamp spirits move on too.
7: Coconut Heads: ★★★
This is rooted in generation gap and parent dictatorship. The mother wants him to respect his roots, he wants to live his life as per the modern era he is born in. Finally, the constant badgering breaks his mind and he has a nervous breakdown and the mother takes this as an opportunity to send him off to live with the dreaded relatives. Both are not wrong in what they want, but the boy is particularly fragile and traumatized by the life his mother keeps pushing on him and this puts the mother in the spot of an unlikely monster terrorizing the boy, a dark side of parenting where a parent forgets to draw a line and treats the child as an extension of themselves instead of as individuals in their own right with their own likes and dislikes and not giving them the space they need or even recognizing such a need.
8: Manifest: ★★★★
The was a well done one too. A crime is done, and a boy reaches out for freedom using the leverage of the crime, suffering through a long and torturous ocean journey to the other side of the Atlantic only to have his karma catch up with him in unexpected and creepy ways and he finds that he escaped bonded slavery by foul means only to end up a slave again. The tatoos that kept appearing on his skin were a nice creepy touch with a link back to his victim who was an artist.
But is he the real villain, or it is the grownups and the system put in place by them that lets them prey unchecked upon the small, the weak and the destitute – reducing their victims to their own level of morality?
9: Disappear!: ★
This one was a typical middle grade children’s story right down to the annoying sibling that the protagonist ends up wanting to protect anyway, and a tidy ending with stumping the villain magician using his own bag of tricks.
10: The Mandigore: ★★
The librarian was suitably creepy in both human and the monstrous version – but what does the word ‘mandigore’ have to do with it, I could not work out. He could have been any monster or a demon, why mandigore? I could not find any particular link to that particular monster being referenced here.
The Noctiluca fangirling and the geeky friendship was nicely done. We also had a glimpse of Nina’s family background but that just seemed unnecessary – the story was not long enough to put those details to good use.
Apart from the stories, the illustrations were really a highlight of the book – creepily well done to set the tone of the story before you even start to read. This book would be a good addition to the library of any child that enjoys scary stuff, to be read by themselves or read aloud by a parent on a cold rainy night huddling together near the warmth of a heater or a fireplace – far away from the glaring lights of the television.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2025
"Grandma Ruby had never trusted libraries."
Grandma Ruby - you may have been onto something, if this book is anything to go by.
I was initially drawn to this book because of Gris Grimly; he is one of my favourite illustrators, so when I saw that he had contributed some of his work to this collection, I was eager to see and read more.
The collection has 10 tales, all by different authors. Grimly has an illustration at the beginning of each one, so when I say that it is illustrated, it is only 10 pictures. As the title would suggest, this collection of tales sets out to send shivers up your spine. And, even though they are aimed at young readers, there are tales which will accomplish this. As a younger reader, this is exactly the sort of book that I would have snapped up. There was something in all of the tales that I enjoyed, but out of all of them, "Coconut Heads" was my least favourite. There should be something for everyone here, and that cover is just perfection. A great, quick read.
Grandma Ruby - you may have been onto something, if this book is anything to go by.
I was initially drawn to this book because of Gris Grimly; he is one of my favourite illustrators, so when I saw that he had contributed some of his work to this collection, I was eager to see and read more.
The collection has 10 tales, all by different authors. Grimly has an illustration at the beginning of each one, so when I say that it is illustrated, it is only 10 pictures. As the title would suggest, this collection of tales sets out to send shivers up your spine. And, even though they are aimed at young readers, there are tales which will accomplish this. As a younger reader, this is exactly the sort of book that I would have snapped up. There was something in all of the tales that I enjoyed, but out of all of them, "Coconut Heads" was my least favourite. There should be something for everyone here, and that cover is just perfection. A great, quick read.
March 30, 2018
I wish I could rate these stories individually but I was listening to them on audiobook while driving. I think there is a good mix of stories in this book and is pretty good for any elementary/middle school kid. (Not just boys.)
July 14, 2015
I love anthologies, I love scary stuff, and this collection not only gives students some creepy tales, it also introduces them to some terrific middle grades writers.
March 31, 2020
I am a K-12 gifted coach in a small, rural school. My goal is to get my students reading and I have the most difficult time finding engaging literature that's appropriate for boys.
Guys Read Terrifying Tales was a fortunate find. I selected this book because my own, eleven year old son, is very in to scaring himself right now, and I imagine that he's probably on par with his friends in that respect. This is definitely going to be a book that I pass on to him and, as you can tell by the single day it took me to read it, I enjoyed it as well.
I'm not usually a fan of short story collections; I like a longer story that can engage me. This collection was no less engaging, however, and the stories were extremely well developed. Scieszka did an excellent job gathering writers who could create characters a reader could visualize, long after the story was over.
I don't follow scary folklore, but many of these stories read like retellings of fables or folklore from the history of certain groups of people. It was easy to imagine grandparents ritualistically passing some less modern versions of these stories on to their children and grandchildren as a right of passage. There was a lot of culture introduced in this book, and that's rather difficult to find in books that are specifically written for boys.
Overall, I recommend this book for any child (girl or boy) in grades 4-9. I would be careful with children who are prone to nightmares. The book is called "Terrifying Tales," and they might be for some kids. They include some blood, missing (presumed dead) children, evil creatures, and other things you would expect to find in "Terrifying Tales." There is some novel vocabulary that kids might not encounter in their daily lives, and that might be a challenge for some, but overall its not a difficult read. Happy reading!
Guys Read Terrifying Tales was a fortunate find. I selected this book because my own, eleven year old son, is very in to scaring himself right now, and I imagine that he's probably on par with his friends in that respect. This is definitely going to be a book that I pass on to him and, as you can tell by the single day it took me to read it, I enjoyed it as well.
I'm not usually a fan of short story collections; I like a longer story that can engage me. This collection was no less engaging, however, and the stories were extremely well developed. Scieszka did an excellent job gathering writers who could create characters a reader could visualize, long after the story was over.
I don't follow scary folklore, but many of these stories read like retellings of fables or folklore from the history of certain groups of people. It was easy to imagine grandparents ritualistically passing some less modern versions of these stories on to their children and grandchildren as a right of passage. There was a lot of culture introduced in this book, and that's rather difficult to find in books that are specifically written for boys.
Overall, I recommend this book for any child (girl or boy) in grades 4-9. I would be careful with children who are prone to nightmares. The book is called "Terrifying Tales," and they might be for some kids. They include some blood, missing (presumed dead) children, evil creatures, and other things you would expect to find in "Terrifying Tales." There is some novel vocabulary that kids might not encounter in their daily lives, and that might be a challenge for some, but overall its not a difficult read. Happy reading!
October 15, 2021
It is about many different spooky tales. One I like is called Mr.Shocky. It is about a 12-year-old boy named Tyler who had an imaginary friend when he was 4. It comes back and becomes friends with his younger brother Dylan. Mr. Shocky (the imaginary friend) tells Dylan to do dangerous things then Tyler starts noticing it and acts on it. The mood is dark, thrilling, fear. Example of mood “Chad’s imaginary friend was called Zaxx. He wouldn’t go away and when Chad fought back, it attacked his mother and father,” Nicholas explains. “Attacked?” “It killed them.” It seems like an enjoyable book but I haven’t finished it yet. I’d rate it 5-stars as of right now because the first story is written well, you can tell they didn’t just think of something random and write it down, they put thought and effort into it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2022
Excellent collection, with some very good readers as well! There's a good range of how spooky the tales are, from the very spooky ending on The Mandrigore, to the silly My Ghost Story by the ever lovable Dav Pilkey. I wish I also knew which readers were which, because I've heard on two collections the man who read The Blue Bearded Bird Man, and he is wonderful! Marcos at the River was a wonderfully cathartic moment in the middle of more creepy tales. And I think my very favorite was Manifest, by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown. The perfect amount of classic ghost story, vile devilry, and satisfying closure. This is an excellent fit for the series it's published in, Guys Read, as I imagine it will be perfect for young guys (and girls, for sure!) looking for some satisfying spooky stories, and it's a great fun listen at any age!
October 23, 2017
Another book I reviewed as a future read for my son. Once again a winner. It’s too scary for him right now at five, but it will be perfect for him around third to fourth grade. My son is starting his reading adventure at a great time. Because of these authors, he now has engaging material to read. Mothers of sons just a few years older didn’t have the options and really struggled to find good boy focused reading material. I love the overall concept of this series. Unfortunately it looks as though the Guys Reads website has been abandoned. It had so much potential. To be able to find a list of great early readers by age would save me hours weekly and save my son from another Junie B. Jones experience.
Read
February 28, 2022Be afraid, be very afraid of Terrifying Tales, the sixth volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading.
Eleven masters of suspense—Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel José Older, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia—have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends’ pants off.
Compiled and edited by kid-lit madman Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Terrifying Tales is a creepy-fun read (if you’re brave enough, that is).
Eleven masters of suspense—Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel José Older, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia—have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends’ pants off.
Compiled and edited by kid-lit madman Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Terrifying Tales is a creepy-fun read (if you’re brave enough, that is).
May 28, 2023
I checked this one out of the library because one of the authors of these short stories is Kelly Barnhill and I am in a Kelly Barnhill phase right now. There are definitely some creepy moments here but I do have to say one thing. WHAT IN TARNATION IS WRONG WITH AN AUTHOR WHO WRITES A HORROR STORY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT LIBRARIES? Seriously, that last story in the collection made me so angry. Angry enough that I didn't enjoy the book as much as I thought I would. As with any short story anthology, there are the good, the bad, and the ugly. The two standouts for me in this bunch were Mr. Shocky by Michael Buckley and Manifest by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown.
September 25, 2020
As with most short story collections, a couple of these were good, a couple not so good, and one that I found straight up dumb. That's what I get for listening to an audiobook aimed at "middle grade boys." Not only is this a "Guys Read" but the point is clearly made at the beginning that is directly at GUYS, not their "little sisters." Ugh
I'm all for trying to get kids to read, boy or girl. I think the focus of the Guys Read series is to try to draw specifically boys into reading something they will actually like. I just think anyone can read, of any description.
I'm all for trying to get kids to read, boy or girl. I think the focus of the Guys Read series is to try to draw specifically boys into reading something they will actually like. I just think anyone can read, of any description.
March 9, 2023
If you wanted to read a scary, short book, I would recommend this. Though I do give it a 4 star for the one in the middle with the coconut heads that made me bored. I loved how they put Dav Pilkey as the comic, for he is one of my favorite authors. If you are bored of some of these stories, then just read Mr. Shocky. That gave me Thrills and Chills up my spine. Anyways, this book is a 4.5/5 for me!
March 29, 2021
Finally, tbh, I've been reading this for Halloween(but lost track of time) and I was reading this because both Dav Pilkey and R.L. Stine made a short story(ies) in this and I thought it be rude to not read the other stories
November 25, 2022
Mr. Shocky 4 stars
Licorice Needles 4 stars
The Blue-Bearded Bird-Man 5 stars
Don't Eat the Baby 5 stars
My Ghost Story 4 stars
Marcos at the River 1 star
Coconut Heads 3 stars
Manifest 3 stars
Disappear! 3 stars
The Mandigore 5 stars
Licorice Needles 4 stars
The Blue-Bearded Bird-Man 5 stars
Don't Eat the Baby 5 stars
My Ghost Story 4 stars
Marcos at the River 1 star
Coconut Heads 3 stars
Manifest 3 stars
Disappear! 3 stars
The Mandigore 5 stars
June 5, 2025
This is a series of short stories from different authors. I really liked some that were just more surprising and suspenseful than others. It was nice to be able to get a feel for authors I didn’t know about and get something familiar from those I did.
August 13, 2017
My boys (8 and 10) thought this was not scary enough, but I think it was just right for them, especially the younger one.
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