Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Tales to Keep You Up at Night by Dan Poblocki

 From the co-author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Magic Misfits comes a spectacularly spooky novel that will keep you up way past bedtime.

Perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark!

Amelia is cleaning out her grandmother's attic when she stumbles across a book: Tales to Keep You Up at Night. But when she goes to the library to return it, she's told that the book never belonged there. Curious, she starts to read the stories: tales of strange incidents in nearby towns, of journal entries chronicling endless, twisting pumpkin vines, birthday parties gone awry, and cursed tarot decks. And at the center of the stories lies a family of witches. And witches, she's told, can look like anyone...

As elements from the stories begin to come to life around her, and their eerie connections become clear, Amelia begins to realize that she may be in a spooky story of her own...
With hair-raising, spine-chilling prose, Dan Poblocki delivers a collection of interconnected stories that, if you're anything like Amelia, is sure to keep you up late in the night.


Tales To Keep You Up At Night is a spooky collection of short stories for middle grades, ages 10 and up. I enjoyed them myself and I am long past middle grades and deep into middle age.
Amelia and her little brother, along with their two moms have gone to grandma's house to pack things up because grandma has been missing for quite some time. Amelia happens to find an old library book that she decides to return, but once she gets there she is told by the librarian that the book did not belong to that library. As Amelia settles in to read the creepy tales she finds they are all connected, not just to each other but to her family and to the disappearance of her grandma.

There are stories of revenge, including revenge gone wrong when a bullied child tries to get even with his tormentor, a Halloween tale about the dangers of accepting free pumpkins that aren't cut for jack-o-lanterns, a creepy-crawly tragedy that befalls a girl who steals from her mother's purse, and many more.
I loved the way the stories are all connected. I think the fast pace and multiple chills should keep young readers interested.

Only one of the stories was not a big hit with me and that is mainly because it was written in the second person. I am not a fan of that format and it just doesn't work for me. That is the only thing that prevents this from being a 5-star read.

This title will be released on August 16 which is perfect timing if you are looking to keep your child reading over the summer break, or even if you enjoy a good spooky story yourself. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy this book.

4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy.



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