Check Out the Library Weenies: And Other Warped and Creepy Tales

Weenies #9

by David Lubar

Master of the macabre David Lubar is back with Check Out the Library Weenies, his ninth collection of Weenies Stories. Here are thirty more scary stories for the middle grade audience--perfect for both avid and reluctant young readers who like a few chills and a lot of laughs.

Don't be a weenie. Read these stories. If you dare!

"Fans will be shivering and laughing...evilly. --Kirkus Reviews on Strikeout of the Bleacher Weenies

"With its mix of humor and chills, this collection is a sure bet for fans of R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series and reluctant readers." --Booklist on Wipeout of the Wireless Weenies

"Whoever thinks the short story is dead, or that kids don't like short stories, hasn't talked to any real live kids and hasn't read the latest in this popular series." --School Library Journal on Attack of the Vampire Weenies

How to slay vampires for fun and profit --
Come back soon --
All that glitters --
Bald truths --
Tough crowd --
Gordie's gonna git ya --
Fairyland --
Off the beaten track --
The sword in the stew --
The doll collector --
Physics for toons --
The heart of a dragon --
Searching for a fart of gold --
On one condition --
Ghost dancer --
Check out the library weenies --
Call me --
The running of the hounds --
A boy and his frog --
Black Friday --
Romeo, Romeo, wherefloor Argle Roblio? --
My family history --
When death comes calling --
2D or not 2D --
Mummy misses you --
Seeing red --
Watch your grammar --
At stake --
Rumplecodespin --
I can't quite put a finger on it --
A word or two about these stories --
Reading and activity guide

Genres: Horror, Childrens, Short Stories, Middle Grade, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2018

About the author

David Lubar created a sensation with his debut novel, Hidden Talents, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. Thousands of kids and educators across the country have voted Hidden Talents onto over twenty state lists. David is also the author of True Talents, the sequel to Hidden Talents; Flip, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a VOYA Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror selection; several short story collections: In the Land of the Lawn Weenies, Invasion of the Road Weenies, The Curse of the Campfire Weenies, The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies, and Attack of the Vampire Weenies; and the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series. Lubar grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, and he has also lived in New Brunswick, Edison and Piscataway, NJ, and Sacramento, CA. Besides writing, he has also worked as a video game programmer and designer. He now lives in Nazareth, Pennsylvania.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidl...

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lubar presents another fine collection of not-so-scary stories for young people. Like the other volumes in the "Weenies" series, these tales tend to be more humorous than horrific:

- Two young girls step into a fairy circle and are transported, only to discover that Fairyland is a dank, smelly place with slippery rains and flesh-eating tadpoles.

- What's a kid to do when his pet frog grows large enough to eat chihuahuas?

- Some shoppers get more than they bargained for on Black Friday.

But, there are also some genuinely creepy tales: imagine sleeping in a room full of doll heads or meeting a creature so insidious it can make its victims forget they've been victimized.

I remember reading the first book in this series aloud to my boys, and it resulted in shrieks and giggles a plenty. If you've got a kid who doesn't spook easily, and has a sense of humor - I highly recommend all the Weenies.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 9th book in the Library series and the first one for me. It's a collection of short stories that are meant to be scary, dark or twisted. What I loved was that if a reader doesn't care for one of the stories, he/she can skip to the next one. I also appreciate that because of the variety of stories, each reader can have their own personal favorite. Mine was 2D or Not 2D. It features a mad scientist and insects; it made me gasp and laugh out loud. Another one I enjoyed was Black Friday which combines the tradition of Black Friday and vampires.
As an added bonus, author David Lubar includes notes about his inspirations for each short story. Now I want to read more of the books in this series. This is definitely a book and series that I will be recommending to others!
This book was provided to me for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mikey ಠ◡ಠ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A funny little anthology kids will enjoy reading

[libreroaming · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weaker but still fun edition to the Weenies series. Highlights include "All That Glitters" and "Seeing Red" with an honorable mention to the story about farts that turn into gold. Like previous Weenies books and unlike Goosebumps, the mortality rate is pretty high for these characters.

I'll also mention this one is a little looser/darker with the themes, as previous Weenie books had clearer delineation of good kids escaping a scare and naughty kids meeting unfortunate ends, swinging between silly and scary. At least one, "Mummy Misses You" is straight up sad. Some examples or nuanced/complicated morality plays being: a well-intentioned kid trying to save his neighbor and being indirectly responsible for his death, a well-intentioned teacher being lured into a death trap, group of kids creating a golem to stop a bully only for the bully to be smarter and save them when the monster runs amuck, "Seeing Red" has no likeable characters and thus no survivors, and a straightforward horror theme of chomping doll heads that would normally be a gruesome fate reserved for truly heinous antagonists.

[The Keepers of the Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the spirit of Twilight Zone, David Lubar brings to young readers short, creepy tales that are bound to make their skin crawl. Library weenies turn the school bully into a reader, two friends beg the queen of the fairies to let them visit her realm and get stuck, and two siblings take a ride on a freight train and have to wrestle with a killer are but a few of them. The stories are well-developed, engaging, and as creepy and warped as they claim. There are a variety of genres included and the author includes a behind the scenes look at what inspired each story. Fans of David Lubar, dark humor, scary stories, and horror will enjoy reading this book.

Please Note: A Copy of this book was given to us in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are our own.


For more reviews, recommendation, and online librarian advice, please visit us at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCK3v...

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 bk 35: David Lubar combines the macabre with humor. Even though his intended audience is those of a middle school age, this 60+ reader thinks it is the older reader that will more thoroughly enjoy his light touch at horror. Case in point - I dislike horror, as in hate it. However, when my friendly neighborhood middle school librarian says "There is a new David Lubar book out - do you want to read it and write a quiz?" I say yes - and this book I deem the best of his short story collections. It contains 30 short (1-3 pages) stories. I think my favorite is "Black Friday" and poor Alice whose Mother never lets her stop learning. For those minutes when your mind turns to the dark side!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like I was with all the other Weenies books, I’m impressed. They just keep getting better and better! I have read them all except for Strikeout of the Bleacher Weenies, and they were all A+++ in children’s literature! I love how the stories all balance each other out; first a happy story, then scary, then sad, then funny. Or switch those around. They’re all very imaginative and quirky, in the best of ways. If you like fun, weird stories this book (and all the other Weenies books) are perfect for you. Thanks for writing this series, David Lubar! PLEASE WRITE ANOTHER!!! I’M BEGGING YOU!!!

[Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent more time on this book than I wanted to, but it was hard to find the motivation to keep reading. Some stories were great, but many seemed like fillers. Overall, it’s a great book to recommend to children who want slightly creepy, unusual stories to read.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Lubar has a very vivid imagination and uses it to conjure up a wide variety of scenarios and characters. Whether it is vampire slaying, time machines, creepy dolls, or ghosts, each story builds up the tension quickly and generally has a surprising ending.

These anthologies are perfect for reluctant readers, or those who prefer to read in short bursts rather then extended periods of time. Most of the stories are only a few pages long and have horror, humor, and plot twists to keep even the shortest attention spans entertained. The title story is a good example of what to expect within the pages; the library weenies learn a valuable lesson about judging a book (or anyone else) by its cover, while also fighting off an evil golem.

If you have enjoy unexpected developments and don't mind a bit of bathroom humor now and again, then you should try out this series.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

More geared towards kids but when i was younger I started reading these and have kept up with the releases until now. As all the others this is a great edition towards the weenies series I hope they continue for years to come!

[Brandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, silly, scary and delightfully creepy.

[Sebas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I really enjoy all of David Lubar's collection of short stories. This one was yet another amazing one. Thanks David for sharing your creativity with all of us.

[Luella Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by David Lubar.
Some stories were more interesting than others. As the author states, a lot of stories near the end were very dark.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun addition to the weenies collection. Perhaps, overall, one of the best.

[Rob Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some scary stuff here, well written, with stories that linger.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son liked it, so 4 stars!

[Edie Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are always a delight! I had one when I was a kid that I read over and over again, so it's fun to come back with older (and still horror-loving) eyes. I would love to track down and read the rest of the series!

[D Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

From "Twilight Zone" type plot twists to funny, yet repulsive characters, David Lubar delights readers with more short stories that will be sure to please reluctant readers.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check Out the Library Weenies: and Other Warped and Creepy Tales is the ninth short story collection by David Lubar. There are thirty stories for middle grade readers with a mix of spooky and silly in each tale in the collection. What I love about collections like this is that if one of the stories does not make you happy, it will be over soon or you can just skip ahead to the next tale. Each story of short, so it is the perfect book for those with short attention spans or reading times as well as anyone that enjoys stories with a dark twist, but that ever get too scary. One of the best parts of the collection is that Lubar shared some of his inspirations for the stories with readers.

Check Out the Library Weenies: and Other Warped and Creepy Tales is the perfect read for middle grade or older readers that like scary stories. There are vampires, werewolves, magic, suspicious pets, zombies, scientists, and more. There is a good amount of bodily humor, and none of the stories are too scary for some of the more sensitive readers. I like that the stories and dark and creepy, with unexpected twists, but never nightmare inducing. There is humor and a generally entertaining, non-threatening vibe to the read. Those that like the Schwartz scary stories books will enjoy these as well. The only down-side to this series is that the covers are a little goofier and younger that the content of the books. While it might encourage readers that are intimidated by books, it might also discourage those that consider the books to young or silly for them because of the cover.