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Eerie Tales from the School of Screams

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From the director of the Oscar-nominated movie Boxtrolls comes a middle grade horror anthology that will leave you holding onto your blankets for dear life! Perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Goosebumps !

School is tough.
School is scary.
School is EERIE .

No one knows this better than Davis and Emily. But they’re not scared of school because of tough tests or merciless vice-principals. No, they’re scared because their teacher wants her students to present the class with the spookiest, most chilling stories they can think of.

From the twisted mind of Graham Annable comes five horrifying stories that will scare your skeleton right out of your skin. Are you ready to stare down “The Face in the Forest”? Do you think you can handle the truth behind “The Village that Vanished?”

Lock the doors, turn on all the lights, and arm yourself with candy― you’ll need all the help you can get to face these nightmares.

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 18, 2022

5 people are currently reading
882 people want to read

About the author

Graham Annable

22 books31 followers
Oscar-nominated director Graham Annable is a cartoonist and animator living just outside of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with his wife and two boys. Mr. Annable's unique voice has been consistently recognized in the mediums of film, games, and graphic novels throughout his career, garnering numerous awards and nominations along the way. When he's not taking his pugs on a walk in the woods he can usually be found doodling ideas for his latest project in the studio.

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5 stars
450 (39%)
4 stars
503 (43%)
3 stars
164 (14%)
2 stars
25 (2%)
1 star
7 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews
Profile Image for Bookishrealm.
3,246 reviews6,428 followers
September 14, 2023
This was really fun! I didn't see that twist coming.

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams is the perfect middle grade horror anthology for readers who love spooky things. I've been anticipating reading this one after the marketing that was conducted by Graham Annable and his team. I'm excited to say that it did not disappoint. The story follows a group of classroom students who take turns sharing eerie stories. Each story is seemingly self-contained until the reader is able to connect the dots at the end. All of the stories ended in a wild cliff-hanger that left me wanting more. I found the art to be eerie and chilling which worked perfectly for the narrative. A simple monotone palette was utilized for each story giving this almost "dated" feel to the artwork which upped the creep factor for me as a reader. THE TWIST! It was so amazing. Annable effectively added it and made the story even more amazing. With Halloween coming up, I promise this is a title that you don't want to miss.
Profile Image for La Crosse County Library.
573 reviews203 followers
September 12, 2023
A collection of scary stories in a graphic novel format. Students in Ms. Nomed’s class are asked to present a scary story. Each child shares a short chiller for the class. In all, five students share their scariest story that they can think of, and each one has a fantastic horror twist at the end.

What I like about this story is that it’s illustrated to capture the horror of the tales. One example is in the first story, The Village That Vanished, an isolated man lives in the only house in the former village of Wattersburg. His ankle is shackled just outside of the house, tethering him to the one location; however, he dismisses it as a precaution to being blown away by the winds. But, what is he really hiding?

This is a must read just in time for Spooky Season. Adults and children will enjoy the stories. This would also be a good read-aloud for bedtime, or stormy weather, since there are many elements within the illustrations and text that could be discussed further.
Profile Image for Rocio Voncina.
556 reviews160 followers
November 21, 2023
Titulo: Eerie Tales from the School of Screams
Autor: Graham Annable
Motivo de lectura: Letras Macabras (Isla Macabra 2023)
Lectura / Relectura: Lectura
Mi edicion: Electronico
Puntuacion: 5/5

Esta antologia incluye cinco relatos, se presenta de una manera muy original, niños que estan en un salon de clase se turnan para contar cada uno una historia de terror. Me encantaron las ilustraciones, y las historias son excelentes.
Esta antologia esta dirigida a un publico Middle Grade, pero por favor no duden en darle una oportunidad, se disfruta de principio a fin.


The village that vanished: Alvin es quien cuenta la historia sobre el pueblo Wattersburg y el pacto que llevan a cabo los pobladores del lugar, todo parece marchar en paz, hasta que un evento lo cambia todo. Gran manejo del plot twist y desenlace, me encanto. 5/5

The face in the forest: Janine es quien cuenta la historia sobre el sufrimiento de una niña (Luanne) a mano de sus tios. Es una historia triste, pero con un gran giro, y lo que considero un final justo. 5/5

The ghastly ghost chase: Bernie es quien cuenta la historia sobre una persecusion muy particular, realmente no puedo decir nada mas porque seria spoiler, me encanto el giro. 5/5

The infinite loop of lunacy: Emily es quien cuenta la historia sobre una tripulacion espacial, un cuento de ciencia ficcion terrorifico muy bien desarrollado, con un desenlace sorprendente. 5/5

The door to demons: Davis es quien cuenta la historia sobre el mismo, su hermana y su abuelo. El cuento es probablemente el mas terrorifico de todos (por su ilustracion). Un gran giro final, y una gran ambientacion. 5/5
Profile Image for Jenn ~ Smalltown Bookworm.
214 reviews69 followers
September 1, 2024
I LOVED this. Growing up in the 80s/90s, I watched a lot of Are You Afraid Of The Dark. This gave me Midnight Society vibes. Fun middle grade graphic novel but just fine for adults too. I’d actually consider it cozy horror. Would definitely read more of these if they exist. Skipping on over to google next :)
Profile Image for Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight).
1,857 reviews26 followers
September 23, 2023
3.5 stars

A fun, spooky collection of short stories told by children in a classroom. The stories are a bit uneven, but they would appeal to readers of Goosebumps and other stories that aren’t too scary. Would recommend for Grades 3-5.
Profile Image for Nic.
368 reviews11 followers
June 9, 2025
Very creepy strange! Graham Annable’s artwork and quirky sense of humor are so enjoyable. I love the panels where something is barely happening, just a facial expression that inevitably makes me laugh. It’s all quite silly and a quick read.
Profile Image for Kay S..
483 reviews1 follower
February 29, 2024
This is some of the best horror for middle graders I've read. Ever. Full stop.

From the framing narrative of being scared of speaking in class, to the stories from the kids, to the TRUTH OF IT ALL... Big Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark vibes (which we all read when we were probably too young. Let's be honest.) but in a visual medium.

If you're reading this digitally, I urge you to go out and have a look at the print copy. The colour choices and the stories' end papers are works of art. This author manages to snare such terror into an a cartoony and joyous style that when the REAL monsters are revealed, they're twice as horrifying and their impact is intensely felt. I love this book. I love this book. I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Profile Image for Brooklyn.
121 reviews24 followers
July 9, 2023
never speak of the fish people ever!!
Profile Image for Lillian.
224 reviews1 follower
July 10, 2024
My cousin said I HAD to read this graphic novel so I did!! It’s a super quick read. (I think I read it in like 20 minutes!) it’s a great story idea and just a fun little scary read!
Profile Image for Luke Lindon.
276 reviews3 followers
August 29, 2024
My son found this and handed it to me and said: Papa! Read. THIS!

I did. Genius little book of creepy stories. So now I say this to you: Friend! Read. THIS! Then let’s talk about it.
Profile Image for Cris.
2,304 reviews26 followers
August 31, 2023
Eerie Tales from the School of Screams

This is my first Graham Annabel book but it won’t be last! Yes it’s written for younger readers than me, but isn’t everyone a child at heart, especially around Halloween? 👻 🎃 The book is not Halloween based, it is based around a classroom and each child is supposed to make up a story that is eerie.
Profile Image for Rachel.
Author 4 books182 followers
September 13, 2023
If you know a kid (or adult) who is into spooky stories then they will love this! Think Ronald Dahl meets R.L. Stein in graphic novel form. With each short, eerie tale, they get weirder and weirder, each one with an unexpected twist. A perfect read for spooky season!
Profile Image for Mallory .
167 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2023
This was such a fun and spooky read. The artwork is great (very fluid, like a storyboard) and the character expressions and writing are funny. This has Gravity Fall vibes all over it, but is uniquely its own bizarre thing. This is perfect to read during the spooky season, and I think readers of all ages will love it.
Profile Image for Riley.
69 reviews45 followers
July 9, 2023
I really liked this!!!
Profile Image for Heather Cain.
194 reviews
November 20, 2023
Very interesting and eerie collections of stories! This book reminded me of Through the Woods with the short scary stories but at a middle school age level to not frighten kids too bad. Each tale was unique in their own way and a lot of the horror tropes are similar to what we know from classic horror movie tropes. While the book starts off as a collection of short scary stories based on the word "Eerie", the ending was a complete plot twist! Having a background story to the kids that are asked multiple times to share a story, makes so much more sense towards the end. I thought maybe it was about including the brand new kids as some schools do, but everything fit very well with the ending that was given. I cannot help but to want to read more anthologies like this to awaken my reader's spirit.
Profile Image for Jillian Mouton.
62 reviews1 follower
February 29, 2024
When I saw that Guillermo del Toro had blurbed a graphic novel for kids, I knew I'd have to read it. Graham Annable did not disappoint! These short stories are horrifying and hilarious, with a finale that left me audibly gasping. Annable relies on psychological horror rather than visual horror, which keeps the book kid-friendly without letting it feel childish.

My only complaints are about representation: Annable definitely could have included more bodily and racial diversity, and I didn't appreciate that two of the book's few fat characters were portrayed as lazy and cruel. Still, I'll be recommending this to kids (and adults!) in search of something truly spooky.
Profile Image for Kelly Anderson.
852 reviews12 followers
December 24, 2024
This was the perfect thing to read in the darkness of my hotel room as I rocked my 2 year old Houdini boy to sleep. Eerie Tales was creepy, 10000% eerie, and everything I have ever needed in a graphic novel. The ending was so satisfying that I might just read it again to try and catch missed details.

ET is definitely for an older crowd, although I can see some of my 5th grade horror lovers eating this up. I finished this in one sitting.
Profile Image for Lin Reads.
Author 1 book11 followers
July 16, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The stories in this are CREEPY. I love it when children's literature doesn't hold back. Usually, children's horror can get me more since they're forced to be way more creative, unable to rely on gore and violence. The subtleties and implications in each of the short stories in this collection are masterfully done with visual storytelling.

Let's talk about the visuals because they're absolutely stunning. I had no prior knowledge that the artist was Oscar nominated, and it shows. The sequential storytelling and action are done so well that I was reading this and picturing it as an animated film. You can hear their voices, feel the comedic timing, and have affective jump scares.

Each of the stories was creative with nice little eerie twists that would befit an adult story, but done perfectly for children. We need so much more horror like this in every age range. The author trusts their young audience to fill in the blanks, which is always a plus for me: children are extremely smart and clever, they don't need things spelled out or dumbed down.

I only wish that the ending had been a tad longer. The twists were great, and it's a surprisingly bleak ending for a young reader's graphic novel, but just a page or two more would have helped it with pacing.

All of that being said, this is a definite win! I'll be recommending this one for sure! For read alikes, I'd suggest it to fans of Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker.
23 reviews
July 21, 2023
Gorgeously illustrated, beautiful colors, perfect pacing, and some genuinely eerie stories in a fun, short read!
Profile Image for Amanda.
566 reviews
December 19, 2023
This was super good! I feel a little ridiculous for not catching on sooner with some things that were going on, but I didn't realize it was going to go in that direction. I loved all the little spooky stories included throughout. Great illustrations and coloring, too. It was neat how each story had a different main color theme.
Profile Image for Shylo.
276 reviews4 followers
June 19, 2024
Fun collection of middle-grade spooky stories! I hope we get another volume.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 217 reviews

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