Heart-Pounding Horror Speed Reads

by Anthony Wacholtz, Anthony Wacholtz, George Ermos (Illustrator)

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Childrens, Mystery

72 pages, Library Binding

Expected publication January 1, 2027

Reviews

[BookCharmedLife]

Heart-Pounding Horror Speed Reads is exactly the kind of book I was reading when I was a kid. I wanted something spooky, not nightmare inducing. This is that kind of book! Heart-Pounding Horror Speed Reads includes seven short stories that will have your kids entertained, possibly a little frightened, but excited to talk about what happens next. There’s a section in the back filled with questions to keep the conversation going and imaginations running wild.

I really like the vocabulary builder words throughout. There’s even a handy definition guide in the back with pronunciations, perfect for kids who haven’t heard the words said out loud.

This book isn’t gory or graphic, only a little bit spooky. (Think Goosebumps).
If you love horror and have little gothlings in the making, this is a great book to buy! (For grades 3 - 6)

Thank you to Stone Arch Books and Capstone Publishing for the Advance Reader Copy, and to author Anthony Wacholz for the entertaining and spooky stories.


I received this book for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Chuck Jones]

As advertised, this was a collection of very short, spooky horror reads, that were very enjoyable! I liked the diversity of the stories abs how they seemed to touch on a lot of the major creepy-crawlies/monsters/fears surrounding Halloween & how they left just enough to the imagination to allow for some spooky endings.

[Stormi (StormReads)]

I don't normally enjoy short stories, but I found these middle-grade one's fun, and I think young readers will enjoy them and find some funny and some slightly spooky.

[Mehsi]

I received this book from the publisher/Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Oh, this was a delightful collection of stories with just one that was a miss for me. I would recommend this one to all. Review to come at the end of the year closer to the release day.

[Crimson Books]

Thank you to NetGalley and Capstone for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5/5 Stars)

I picked up Heart-Pounding Horror Speed Reads because I thought a collection of short horror stories for middle-grade readers sounded like something I would enjoy, and I was right! Plus, I loved how vibrant and colourful the cover was; it definitely gives me Halloween vibes.

This is a collection of short stories, so it's really easy to pick up and read whenever you have a bit of time.

I liked that the stories didn't take long to get going, and there were a few that ended up being favourites of mine.

Since they are made for children, they get straight to the point, and each story takes up no more than 10 pages.The writing is very easy to read, which I think will work really well for middle-grade readers.

The stories don't feel overly complicated, and I can easily see kids picking this up, enjoying the different creepy situations, and returning yearly to read it or have it read to them.

As an adult who enjoys horror, I had fun with this collection, but I think the intended middle-grade audience will probably get even more out of it, and I can see kids absolutely loving it.

Overall, this was a fun and easy read with some stories that really stood out to me.

[Alice]

Thank you Net Galley, Capstone and Anthony Wacholtz for a copy of the eARC.

This book made me reminisce about my childhood years where my dad would read us bedtime stories. I know horror isn't usually the genre a parent would read to their kids, but I vaguely remember my siblings and I begging our dad to read us something scary. I think he ended up picking up Five Funny Frights from the next Scholastic book sale. This book reminded me of that.

The stories were very short & sweet. However, it will probably be somewhat impressionable on children. Similar to how "Bloody Fingers" from Five Funny Frights still remains in the back of my mind... I suspect " Follow Me" will do the same to children of this generation. The horrors are toned down for children, but might still leave them wide awake at night. Out of all the story, the two that stood out for me most is " Do you have any pets?" and " Follow Me". Wacholtz definitely plays into fears that people may already have such as arachnophobia.

I would probably recommend this for children that are grade 4 and older, just because there are some things that might spook the younger children ... And if it doesn't scare them, they may not understand the story fully.

[Joey-Susan]

Thank you so much to Capstone and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

What a fun collection of creepy horror short stories. These are a great read, with such a variety of monsters and twisted events that unfold. From spiders, to being stuck as your Halloween characters, to mass manipulation, to being eaten and so much more. You’ll be gripped in by these stories and creepy out by them all.

These are the perfect read for campfire stories, for a Halloween story night and other events like that. They are actually creepy, incredibly unique, gripping and will make your mind whirr. Most stories left off on a cliffhanger never giving you the full answers which was a great addition as it made them all the more creepy.

A wonderful collection of creepy horror stories for a middle grade audience, the stories are really creative and you’ll be intrigued by the twists and unexpected events unfolding in the stories. Each story is so different that you’ll be kept in the edge by each one you read. They are nice and short but very impactful. Also at the end it gives you a glossary and some questions to answer to further your thoughts on what you’ve read, which is a great extra addition.

[Gee]

Be still, my horror loving heart! As a little baby goth, I would have gobbled this up. It has all the nostalgia of “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and Stine novels, in bite sized form. I also adored the attention to all of the little details– like the skulls by the page numbers, the batty dividers, and the onomatopoeias having an enlarged, funky font. They added to the overall aesthetic of the book. Each of these 7 stories leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger, letting kids fill in the blanks with their imagination. (The questions/prompts to inspire their own writing at the end was also a brilliant touch.) I could see upper elementary kids loving this during the Halloween season– or realistically, all year round.

Be sure to grab a copy when it’s released on January 1, 2027!

Thank you to Anthony Wacholtz & Capstone (Stone Arch Books) for providing this eARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Cait]

The cover initially drew me into this book, which I absolutely love! I also love the skull illustration for each chapter in the book.

The stories were bite sized and fun, and have potential for longer developed stories or even illustrated companions done by kids who read this book. Although I'm reading as an adult reader and am older than the target audience, these stories were so nostalgic to me and reminded me of the ones I grew up on that created my love for horror. I think there is a great variety of stories, from haunted antiques, ghosts, haunted house, creature features, and more. My favorite of the bunch was Halloween Forever, I could picture that one as like an animated television show episode especially well.

I'll definitely recommend this one to anyone who's looking for some spooky age appropriate stories for children!

Thank you to Anthony Wacholtz, Capstone (Stone Arch Books), and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

[Taylor]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy.

'Heart - Pounding Horror Speed Reads' is an engaging and thought-provoking read that would be a valuable addition to any school library - especially in the era of reluctant readers. Each story is captivating in its own way, drawing the reader in quickly and leaving them wanting to know more. What I particularly enjoyed was the way many of the stories were somewhat open-ended leaving you to think about what actually happened. Rather than providing the reader with a clear answer or conclusion, each story encourages you to think about what has happened, consider different interpretations and decide for yourself what the author may be trying to communicate. Included at the end are some questions pertaining to each story that could have kids thinking a little deeper about each topic. I do think this is more middle grade than YA though.

[Riley Lockhart]

I picked up this book as a refresher to get back into reading, and I’d say it worked! The chapters are very short and definitely more for children, but it can be a short and enjoyable read for anyone wanting something similar to me.
I can imagine this being a good book for children getting into horror for the first time. It’s more of an imagination stimulator than anything too nightmare-inducing which is a bonus. I’m sure this would do very good for kids who are wanting inspiration to write stories of their own! There’s a glossary and writing prompts at the end that I think are a very good added touch.
I prefer some chapters to others in terms of the pacing, but overall- still a good book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
-Riley

[Donna Maguire]

Review to be added to Amazon UK and US on 1 January 2027 - publication day!

4 stars — Seven quick, fun horror bites — perfect for reluctant readers

Heart-Pounding Horror Speed Reads by Anthony Wacholtz features 7 different spooky stories, each a quick, bite-sized read. Liked the front cover too — it definitely grabs your attention and sets the tone for what's inside.

It's easy to read and follow, and possibly better suited to early teens rather than younger children, though I read it as an adult and still enjoyed it — I got through all 7 stories in one sitting over an afternoon.

I liked the length of the stories, and it would be great to see some of them turned into longer stories in a follow-up.

A fun, fast-paced collection perfect for young horror fans. 4 stars

[Stella Salimov]

Thank you so much to the NetGalley and to the Author the opportunity I could read this book. I had a good experience with it. Good stories, perfect for the Halloween season, may I will read again in the next year. I recommend for little bit older children some of the stories can be scary or horrified. But as an adult I found very entertaining book. My favorite story was 1+1=3 , the story starts in happy mode and with laughter but later get more serious when the students start to scare from the replacement teacher, who try to teach them the “good math”. I think in the end of the story quite creepy, I started to apologise Aaliyah.

[Marina]

This was a fun collection of short horror stories, and I really liked the idea of having quick stories that you can read without committing to a whole book. I think the format would work really well for younger readers who are getting into horror.

The last chapter was definitely my favorite! I enjoyed that one the most and thought it was the strongest story in the collection.

For me, though, some of the other stories just didn’t hit the same. I wanted to love the book more than I actually did, and I felt like something was missing for me. Still, I think it would be a good choice for kids who enjoy shorter, spooky stories.

Overall, a solid 4 stars for me!

[Leah]

Growing up, I used to love quick, scary stories. This did not disappoint. The stories were fast reads and a little creepy. Most were not overly scary so I don’t think it would scare too many kids. Some were left a little open-ended to leave some things to the imagination which was fun! I also thought the questions at the end would be a great way to engage in conversation if you’re reading this with your child. How fun!

Thank you to Capstone, Stone Arch Books, and NetGalley for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[DarkTwistedReads]

Thank you netgalley and publishers for access to this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A short story horror collection that will definitely scare your kids, but not too much.
From evil clones, to spiders. Itll be sure to thrill and delight.

As an adult, I still thought this was a good one. The writing was good and there was even a pronunciation guide which is nice to help kids learn bigger words.
Fairly short. Did I find the stories scary? No, but I did find some concept to be quite creepy.
It was still a good pallet cleanser and I had a good time.

[Audrey Mckenzie]

This collection of middle-grade horror shorts was a delightful, quick read. Many of the stories had an original feel to them. They remind me of when Night Gallery did those comedy/horror vignettes.

These are perfect “around the campfire” scary stories.

The only thing keeping me from giving this 5 stars is a couple of the stories either had old tropes or didn’t have as good of a punchline as the others.

Still, enjoyable and for young people will be a treat.

I’d like to thank Capstone, the publisher, for providing this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jada Reads Horror]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Major goosebumps vibes with this one!!
“Heart Pounding Speed Reads” is indeed as the title suggests; fast paced spooky stories.
This book would be an amazing choice for reading to young children. Although not as “scary” as Goosebumps, it is a perfect read for younger readers who have a love of all things Halloween and spooky.
I think that it would be a lot of fun to read to children in October, leading up to Halloween!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Anthony Wacholtz for this Early Arc copy of “Heart Pounding Speed Reads”!! 👻🎃🦇

[Stephanie]

This was a fun collection of horror stories for middle-grade readers. They were nice little bite-sized stories that my 7- and 11-year-olds both enjoyed. They weren’t too scary, but just the right amount of creepy, which kept them engaged and asking to read the next story. My one son was very excited to see his name included in a story, which made him want to reread it. I do think these stories are perfect for this 7-to-11 range, but probably not for much older than that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Ageliki]

Loved it! Short stories, perfect for teens who want fast reading. Loved the setting of the book! Glossary and questions at the end were to the point. The stories where fast yet descriptive and very cinematic. I could visualise while I was reading. Looked like modern goosebumps, not bad at all! Vocabulary was also simple for the teens but yet with nice additions! I would totally recommend it to a teen who likes scary readings!

[Natasja]

This was a very fast but very fun read. The stories are short, perfect for younger readers without being too scary and also leaving some things to the imagination, but as an adult who grew up with R.L. Stine, I still had tons of deliciously nostalgic, creepy fun. If I happen to find a physical copy of "Heart-Pounding Horror Speed Reads", I will definitely buy it, just for that cover alone. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this as an ARC!

[Zhyar]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC copy in exchange of an honest review

a fantastic collection mixed with enough spook & horror that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.
I found the stories very spooky and age appropriate for kids without it being too graphic or too scary.

some of my favorite ones:
do you have any pets?
field trip of terror
follow me
halloween forever

[Ambi]

What a fun and spooky time!! These speed reads are reminiscent of the “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” collections with plenty of haunting cliffhangers and frightful fun. My 8 year old loved these, and so did I! Bonus stars for the questions at the back of the book and the glossary—I think it’s a great way for young readers to engage with short fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Lili Hill]

Fabulous short horror stories for kids. Very reminiscent of Goosebump-type books. These stories end in a way that is left to the imagination, which is probably the best ending for horror stories. Thank-you, Capstone and Stone Arch Books, for this complimentary copy. Opinions expressed in th8s review are entirely my own.

[Mrn Saldana]

Heart-Pounding Horror Speed Reads

This quick and straightforward book is perfect for introducing children to the world of horror. It gets a bit formulaic and relies heavily on creature features but as an adult it hit me right in the nostalgia.

Great to start the autumn with.

I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[kenny thomas]

Thank you for the arc! These stories stay true to their title, speed read horror stories. This works great for the 8-11 year old range, scary but not anything that would have kids up at night. The stories were all super creative and I enjoyed each one. The glossary and questions at the end were a great touch.

[bookishblunders]

This book was a quick and fun read, each short story exploring a different terror! I would have eaten this book up as a kid. Particularly enjoyed the 1+1 story (no spoilers!!), and feel like that one has application to adults lives as well. Overall, I spent a fun hour going back in time and reading the spooky tales of my youth, and I don't regret it one bit.

[Bibliohiker]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a fun and quick read. This is just right for kids that want to get in a good but not really scary scare. It kind of had the Goodebumps feel to it.

[Kristen]

This was a super cute and quick read. It reminded me of Scary Stories to Tell In The Dark and the Goosebumps book. I think my kids will absolutely love these short stories!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review!

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

These were very quick horror stories that were gently creepy rather than scary, and would be a good choice for elementary school libraries. They weren't quite what my middle school students would deem "scary enough", so I will pass on purchase for my school.