Only if You Dare

Coleman, Allen. Only if You Dare

August 31st 2021 by Holiday House 

Public library copy

The only short story collections that circulate well in my library (other than the Guys Read collections, which take a lot of hand selling) are the scary stories ones. Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (which I don't think are very good), San Souci's Short and Shivery or Dare to Be Scared, and Scholastic's Midnight Library books all do very well. Let's not forget Lubar's Lawn Weenies books, which look like they will be goofy but are rather chilling.

Like Lubar's work, these stories generally tick along with a somewhat creepy vibe, and then take a surprise twist, like the weird The Substitute. It's hard to say too much about the stories without ruining them. My favorite was Hi, Jenny, about a cell phone that made a few too many demands on its young owner. 

I'm definitely putting this one, as well as Out to get you : 13 Tales of Weirdness and Woe on my order list, since I cannot keep enough scary books around to make my students happy!