Don't Turn Out the Lights

 This collection of short stories edited by Jonathan Maberry was created in tribute to Alan Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.  Fans of the original collections will be eager to read this new book.  It is good spooky fun!

Here are some of my favorites:

• "The Carved Bear"--A wooden bear gets revenge on the wicked boy who stole him.
• "The Neighbor"--A boy finds a new playmate in the forest, but nothing is as it seems.
• "Jingle Jangle"--Be careful what you wish for.
• "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board"--A slumber party goes terribly wrong in this might-be-true tale.

Like the original collections, some of the stories have a moral, but the ones that are truly creepy do not.  Books written for kids are often predictable because readers have the comfort of knowing things will turn out ok in the end.  The good guys don't always win in this collection, and that's what makes it so deliciously creepy and unsettling.  Highly recommended.