Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror by R.L. Stine
ISBN: 978-0-525-42168-9
Stine, R. L. (Ed.). (2010). Fear: 13 stories of suspense and horror. New York: Dutton’s Children’s Books.
Plot Summary
This compilation of short stories includes some by well-known authors of young adult fiction, and is edited by R. L. Stine. Welcome to the Club introduces a young man, JJ, who is new to town. The popular kids tell him their club initiation is to kill someone…they aren’t serious, are they? She’s Different Tonight takes place a Halloween party where an all-American guy decides to pick up a nerdy girl. He ends up getting more than he bargained for. Phil’s family moves to another planet in Suckers, but people keep disappearing. In The Perfects, Hannah gets a babysitting job the first day in her new house, but the Perfects are decidedly imperfect. Dax doesn’t believe there are monsters under his brother’s bed, but what if Jon is actually right? You’ll find out in Shadow Children. An unnamed protagonist uncovers a crime ring in The Poison Ring. A school shooting leaves popular Savannah dead, but was she right girl to die? You decide in Dragonfly Eyes. Elizabeth babysits one evening in Jeepers Creepers, and will never be the same again. In Piney Power, Jack ends up in the New Jersey pines where he finds illegal dumping. When the Pineys take care of the problem themselves, Jack has a secret he can never share. Nina is kidnapped on the way home from work. Will the Night Hunter save her, and does she already know this masked hero? Marlon’s a master safecracker, but he just wants enough money to attend college. He’ll get that money, and more, in Tuition. Tagger tells the story of Soo-ling Choi finds out she is part of an ancient Chinese myth. Ray Gun finds Phil and his scientist father on a train trying to escape from a giant creature, do they make it?
Critical Evaluation
Stine has compiled a list of some of the most-known young adult authors, which leaves some wondering how a few authors and short stories were chosen. An eclectic mix of horror, mystery, science fiction, and crime fighting stories are included. The first eleven are the best of the collection, while the final two are clearly weaker stories. None of the 13 tales are overtly frightening, but do provide some scary moments of suspense. “Welcome to the Club” starts off the compilation with a bang, literally. Suzanne Weyn’s “Suckers” has an ending that will leave an impression, with reminiscent tones of “The Twilight Zone” or “Men in Black.” “The Night Hunter” by Meg Cabot, includes some of her standard romance that leaves readers wanting more. Another standout is “Tuition.” Again, while not clearly horrifying, the ups and downs of the story will leave hearts nervous, relieved, and shocked. With the exception of “Tagger” and “Ray Gun,” clearly the weakest of the collection, the stories are all a good short story length and will provide fun entertainment. A werewolf versus vampire story is also included, a necessity in these post-Twilight years, but is still an enjoyable read with some ‘girl power’ elements. All in all, a solid collection of somewhat creepy stories for a group of teenagers at a campfire or sleepover.
Reader’s Annotation
A collection of 13 horror short stories by some of the most recognized names in young adult literature.
About the Editor
"R.L.'s books are read all over the world. So far, he has sold over 350 million books, making him one of the best-selling children's authors in history. He was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1943. His mother, Anne Stine, was a homemaker and his father, Lewis Stine, was a shipping clerk. He has a younger brother and sister-- Bill and Pam. No one in his family ever called him R.L. Everyone calls him Bob. After graduating from Ohio State University in 1965, Bob headed to New York City to become a writer. He wrote dozens of joke books and humor books for kids. And he created Bananas, a zany humor magazine which he did for ten years. In those days, he wrote under the name Jovial Bob Stine.
In 1986, R.L. turned scary! In 1989 he created the Fear Street series, the best-selling young adult book series in history. Goosebumps began in 1992. The book series quickly became a hit around the world. Translated into 32 different languages, it made R.L. a worldwide publishing celebrity. The Goosebumps TV show was the number-one kids' show in the U.S. for three years. R.L. lives in New York City with his wife Jane and his dog Minnie. His son Matthew is a composer, musician, and sound designer."
Genre
Horror/Short Stories
Curriculum Ties
N/A
Booktalking
Murderous clubs, life-changing babysitting jobs, and life on other planets; what else would you want from a collection of short stories edited by R.L. Stine?
Reading Level/Interest Level
RL: 5th grade
IL: 8th grade and up
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues include the horror themes and existence of aliens and monsters.
In my defense file, I would include the following:
1) Library Mission Statement
2) Library Selection Policy approved by any or all of the following individuals—principal, school board, district librarian OR library manager, city council, mayor.
3) Library Bill of Rights adapted from CSLA Bill of Rights, AASL Bill of Rights and/or ALA Bill of Rights
4) Reviews, both positive and critical, from respected sources such as School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist
5) Rationale for book inclusion for titles anticipated to be controversial, frequently challenged, or created when a book is challenged including: summary, audience, purpose, controversial issues and how they are handled
6) How the book fits within Common Core Standards or State Standards
7) Reconsideration form for challenger to complete—include a section asking which part was of particular concern, if the entire book was read, and what other similar titles are suggested instead
8) Student reviews from those who have read the book and either enjoyed or disliked the book and why.
Why Included
My cousin, an R.L. Stine fan, recommended this to me. I was initially interested in the Meg Cabot story, but ended up really enjoying the first 10 stories.
Others in the Series
N/A
References
Stine, R. L. (2013). About r. l.: For book and school reports. Retrieved from: http://www.rlstine.com/about/.
ISBN: 978-0-525-42168-9
Stine, R. L. (Ed.). (2010). Fear: 13 stories of suspense and horror. New York: Dutton’s Children’s Books.
Plot Summary
This compilation of short stories includes some by well-known authors of young adult fiction, and is edited by R. L. Stine. Welcome to the Club introduces a young man, JJ, who is new to town. The popular kids tell him their club initiation is to kill someone…they aren’t serious, are they? She’s Different Tonight takes place a Halloween party where an all-American guy decides to pick up a nerdy girl. He ends up getting more than he bargained for. Phil’s family moves to another planet in Suckers, but people keep disappearing. In The Perfects, Hannah gets a babysitting job the first day in her new house, but the Perfects are decidedly imperfect. Dax doesn’t believe there are monsters under his brother’s bed, but what if Jon is actually right? You’ll find out in Shadow Children. An unnamed protagonist uncovers a crime ring in The Poison Ring. A school shooting leaves popular Savannah dead, but was she right girl to die? You decide in Dragonfly Eyes. Elizabeth babysits one evening in Jeepers Creepers, and will never be the same again. In Piney Power, Jack ends up in the New Jersey pines where he finds illegal dumping. When the Pineys take care of the problem themselves, Jack has a secret he can never share. Nina is kidnapped on the way home from work. Will the Night Hunter save her, and does she already know this masked hero? Marlon’s a master safecracker, but he just wants enough money to attend college. He’ll get that money, and more, in Tuition. Tagger tells the story of Soo-ling Choi finds out she is part of an ancient Chinese myth. Ray Gun finds Phil and his scientist father on a train trying to escape from a giant creature, do they make it?
Critical Evaluation
Stine has compiled a list of some of the most-known young adult authors, which leaves some wondering how a few authors and short stories were chosen. An eclectic mix of horror, mystery, science fiction, and crime fighting stories are included. The first eleven are the best of the collection, while the final two are clearly weaker stories. None of the 13 tales are overtly frightening, but do provide some scary moments of suspense. “Welcome to the Club” starts off the compilation with a bang, literally. Suzanne Weyn’s “Suckers” has an ending that will leave an impression, with reminiscent tones of “The Twilight Zone” or “Men in Black.” “The Night Hunter” by Meg Cabot, includes some of her standard romance that leaves readers wanting more. Another standout is “Tuition.” Again, while not clearly horrifying, the ups and downs of the story will leave hearts nervous, relieved, and shocked. With the exception of “Tagger” and “Ray Gun,” clearly the weakest of the collection, the stories are all a good short story length and will provide fun entertainment. A werewolf versus vampire story is also included, a necessity in these post-Twilight years, but is still an enjoyable read with some ‘girl power’ elements. All in all, a solid collection of somewhat creepy stories for a group of teenagers at a campfire or sleepover.
Reader’s Annotation
A collection of 13 horror short stories by some of the most recognized names in young adult literature.
About the Editor
"R.L.'s books are read all over the world. So far, he has sold over 350 million books, making him one of the best-selling children's authors in history. He was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1943. His mother, Anne Stine, was a homemaker and his father, Lewis Stine, was a shipping clerk. He has a younger brother and sister-- Bill and Pam. No one in his family ever called him R.L. Everyone calls him Bob. After graduating from Ohio State University in 1965, Bob headed to New York City to become a writer. He wrote dozens of joke books and humor books for kids. And he created Bananas, a zany humor magazine which he did for ten years. In those days, he wrote under the name Jovial Bob Stine.
In 1986, R.L. turned scary! In 1989 he created the Fear Street series, the best-selling young adult book series in history. Goosebumps began in 1992. The book series quickly became a hit around the world. Translated into 32 different languages, it made R.L. a worldwide publishing celebrity. The Goosebumps TV show was the number-one kids' show in the U.S. for three years. R.L. lives in New York City with his wife Jane and his dog Minnie. His son Matthew is a composer, musician, and sound designer."
Genre
Horror/Short Stories
Curriculum Ties
N/A
Booktalking
Murderous clubs, life-changing babysitting jobs, and life on other planets; what else would you want from a collection of short stories edited by R.L. Stine?
Reading Level/Interest Level
RL: 5th grade
IL: 8th grade and up
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues include the horror themes and existence of aliens and monsters.
In my defense file, I would include the following:
1) Library Mission Statement
2) Library Selection Policy approved by any or all of the following individuals—principal, school board, district librarian OR library manager, city council, mayor.
3) Library Bill of Rights adapted from CSLA Bill of Rights, AASL Bill of Rights and/or ALA Bill of Rights
4) Reviews, both positive and critical, from respected sources such as School Library Journal, VOYA, Booklist
5) Rationale for book inclusion for titles anticipated to be controversial, frequently challenged, or created when a book is challenged including: summary, audience, purpose, controversial issues and how they are handled
6) How the book fits within Common Core Standards or State Standards
7) Reconsideration form for challenger to complete—include a section asking which part was of particular concern, if the entire book was read, and what other similar titles are suggested instead
8) Student reviews from those who have read the book and either enjoyed or disliked the book and why.
Why Included
My cousin, an R.L. Stine fan, recommended this to me. I was initially interested in the Meg Cabot story, but ended up really enjoying the first 10 stories.
Others in the Series
N/A
References
Stine, R. L. (2013). About r. l.: For book and school reports. Retrieved from: http://www.rlstine.com/about/.
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