Friday, April 26, 2024

Only If You Dare by Josh Allen, illustrated by Sarah J. Coleman - ADVISABLE

Only If You Dare
by Josh Allen, illustrated by Sarah J. Coleman
, 200 pages. Middle Grade Holiday House, 2021. $17 

G (0 swears) PG (peril) PG (implied deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

APPEALS TO MANY 

Touted as 13 stories of darkness and doom, the stories cover everything from a creepy scrabble game, a bizarre substitute teacher, and yes, even a creepy doll. Inanimate objects come to life and you should probably never want to leave a piece of yourself behind. 

The stories are fresh and appropriately creepy. They make for a fast and engaging read and have great twists. The black and white illustrations are well done and add to the creepiness. Just the right amount of scare for middle readers! No culture or race is mentioned and characters change in each story. 

Michelle in the Middle 

1 comment:

Test said...

Fun fact! The cover glows in the dark. I know this because I had a student who left it next to her bed and woke up in the middle of the night and was scared silly by the glowing hand! Now I mention it to the students who check it out!