Fear

Gr 7 Up—Unlucky 13 sets the stage for this collection (Dutton, 2010) of spine-tingling, hair-raising, and heart-stopping short stories written by assorted young adult authors. The introduction, narrated by master of the macabre R. L. Stine, promises a selection of scary, surprising, and supernatural tales ranging from a haunting piece set in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey to the goings on in the home of a "perfect" family whose children's behavior is anything but stellar. Among the stories are "Tuition" by Walter Sorrells, "Suckers" by Suzanne Weyn, "Jeepers Peepers" by Ryan Brown, and "Shadow Children" by Heather Brewer. Each story is expertly narrated by a different voice, lending variety to the listening experience. Although the thrills and chills rating is higher for some stories than others, the overall collection will please listeners.—Cindy Lombardo, Cleveland Public Library, OH