Nikki Loftin

Twelve-year-old Peter has never felt at home with his noisy family, but begins to find the strength to live and to be himself when he discovers a special valley in the Texas Hill Country and meets Annie, a girl dying of cancer who knows and accepts him from the start.

Wish Girl

Spooky twists and soaring prose make this foodie update on Hansel and Gretel an unforgettable must-read. Lorelei is bowled over by Splendid Academy—Principal Trapp encourages the students to run in the hallways, the classrooms are stocked with candy dishes, and the cafeteria serves lavish meals featuring all Lorelei's favorite foods. But the more time she spends at school, the more suspicious she becomes. Why are her classmates growing so chubby? And why do the teachers seem so sinister? It's up to Lorelei and her new friend Andrew to figure out what secret this supposedly splendid school is hiding. What they discover chills their bones—and might even pick them clean! Mix one part magic, one part mystery, and just a dash of Grimm, and you've got the recipe for a cozy-creepy read that kids will gobble up like candy.

The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy

In this twist on "The Nightingale," Little John, despite his own poverty and grief, reaches out to Gayle, an unhappy foster child living next-door who sings beautifully and hides a great secret.

Nightingale's Nest

Discovering a young girl perched in the branches of a tall sycamore while doing yard work for a wealthy store owner, 12-year-old John befriends the girl, a foster child in the home of a spiteful family, and confronts his employer's impossible choice, either of which would put the girl's or John's family's future in jeopardy. By the author of The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy.

R. L. Stine

Dav Pilkey

Rita Williams-Garcia

Jon Scieszka

Claire Legrand

Adam Gidwitz

Michael Buckley

Daniel Jose Older

Kelly Barnhill

Lisa Brown

Adele Griffin

Be afraid, be very afraid of Terrifying Tales, the sixth volume in the Guys Read Library of Great Reading. Eleven masters of suspense—Kelly Barnhill, Michael Buckley, Adam Gidwitz, Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown, Claire Legrand, Nikki Loftin, Daniel José Older, Dav Pilkey, R.L. Stine, and Rita Williams-Garcia—have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories with illustrations by Gris Grimly, perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends’ pants off. Compiled and edited by kid-lit madman Jon Scieszka, Guys Read: Terrifying Tales is a creepy-fun read (if you’re brave enough, that is).

Guys Read: Terrifying Tales

Peter pensa di essere nato nella famiglia sbagliata. Da tredici anni infatti il padre, musicista disoccupato, la madre, donna in carriera, e la sorella maggiore Laura non capiscono i suoi silenzi e il suo bisogno di solitudine. Solo la sorellina Carlie gli dona un affetto senza riserve. Quando la famiglia si trasferisce, Peter, preso di mira da due bulli, trova una valle magica e fiorita dove può finalmente rifugiarsi. Ed è qui, fra libellule e amarillidi, che conosce Annie, malata di leucemia e appassionata di arte. Wishgirl, la ragazza dei desideri, non può aspettare di diventare grande per realizzare i suoi sogni. Lei li fa semplicemente avverare Due sofferenze, quella invisibile dell'incomprensione e quella visibile della malattia, in un racconto struggente e realistico sulla forza dei desideri. Finalmente avevo trovato un posto in cui stare da solo, in silenzio, ed ecco che saltava fuori questa ragazza. E magari viveva pure lì vicino. Avrebbe riempito la valle di rumore e di parole. Tornai a guardare l'acqua, sperando che scomparisse. «Una storia toccante e incantevole sulla forza dei desideri, dell'ascolto e della speranza.» Finalmente avevo trovato un posto in cui stare da solo, in silenzio, ed ecco che saltava fuori questa ragazza. E magari viveva pure lì vicino. Avrebbe riempito la valle di rumore e di parole. Tornai a guardare l'acqua, sperando che scomparisse.

Nikki Loftin

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