Stinetinglers 3 More chilling stories by the master of scary tales

Gr 3 Up--It's easy to see why R.L. Stine is beloved by generations--he allows readers to get lost in the suspense while knowing they are in for a safe landing. The author delivers another set of thrilling stories for kids who want to be scared…but not too scared. Pitiful magicians, evil sorcerers, body-snatchers, bad luck imps, and alien stray dogs are some of the featured characters in this collection of thoroughly entertaining stories for middle grader readers and up. Ideal for spooky season class read-alouds or for lessons on character development and plot, Stinetinglers 3 offers the perfect mix of laughter and suspense. VERDICT Stine's fans will not be disappointed, and readers will devour this volume in no time.

Ten more hair-prickling shorts inspired by people or events from the author's life. "My job is to scare you," writes the genial Stine, though--aside from trotting in the odd zombie or Martian pig monster--his frights in this series continue to be of the milder sort. In the opening story, "Full-Moon Sleepover Party," a group of seventh grade girls are joined by an uninvited werewolf. The closing entry, "Eddie the Flash," is a cleverly metafictional entry about an aspiring comics creator whose superheroes and villains come to life. In between, Stine has his hapless preteens encounter ghosts in "The Treehouse" and ominously toothy aquarium fish in "Fish Food." In "The Dream Factory," a boy learns the hard way what can happen when you neglect to read the fine print on a product label. Other characters fall afoul of magicians. As is typical, the author's tightly woven tales aren't big on distinctive characterization, but all feature quick starts and steady build-ups to final, untelegraphed twists. SanAngelo's atmospherically creepy black-and-white spot art opens each story. Names and illustrations cue some diversity in the otherwise racially indeterminate cast. Another satisfying series entry that delivers delicious thrills. (Horror. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.