Dare to Be Scared: Thirteen Stories to Chill and Thrill

Robert San Souci is an award winning author known for his storytelling. His books Cut From the Same Cloth: American Women of Myth, Legend, and Tall Tale and The Hired Hand both won the Aesop Award, and he is the author of two Caldecott Honor Books, The Talking Eggs, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, and The Faithful Friend, illustrated by Brian Pinkney.

In this creepy collection, award winning writer Robert San Souci draws on myths, legends, and folk tales to create thirteen completely new stories, all featuring boys and girls from 8 to 12 as leading characters. "Ants" features Kyle, who tricks his mother into allowing him to go see a scary movie with his friend, but regrets it when the movie lingers a bit too long after the end credit. In "The Caller," Lindsay, a self-absorbed preadolescent, is visited by a deceased aunt who intends to reclaim a coveted ring, and perhaps Lindsay with it! Other stories include a boy whose frightening dream becomes a waking nightmare, a girl whose tricks on her little sister make her a Halloween treat for a real witch, and four middle-school bullies whose cruel ways bring the wrath of a mountain devil. Dare to Be Scared weaves suspense, drama, and psychological power into eerie, evocative stories, including ghost tales, fantasy, and science fiction, that will spur young imaginations.