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Short Is Good: David Lubar and Why Short Stories Are Awesome

David Lubar is the author of many children’s books, including some great books to introduce to kids who love scary books, such as the Weenies books and the Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series, and he now has published a “young adult” collection of horror stories called Extremities (the publisher failed to send us a copy for review, so I can’t tell you what that actually means in terms of age appropriateness).  It wasn’t an easy thing– he wrote about how difficult it was to get a publisher to show interest in short stories in this essay.

I think publishers in general have missed out on the appeal of the short story, especially for kids and young adults. A short story can have a solid impact that a novel makes too diffuse (if you want to see how awful translating a short story into a novel can be go check out Isaac Asimov’s short story “Nightfall” (I first read this in high school) and then read the novel version, Nightfall, co-written with Robert Silverberg (or not– how two giants of science fiction managed to make such a mess of such a masterpiece is beyond me). When a short story ends suddenly, it doesn’t feel like a cheat. It takes your breath away. You have to muse on that last moment– did the princess choose the lady or the tiger?  If a novel ends suddenly, it’s annoying– I want things tied up.

The short story requires economy of language. Every word must count, and what is left out can be as important as what is visible on the page. A collection of short stories provides variety. You can flip through and find something that probably will fit your mood. Even if one story doesn’t float your boat, it doesn’t mean you’re sunk with hundreds of pages. The next one might be fantastic. A short story can be read in one sitting. Someone who finishes what she’s reading builds a sense of mastery. It’s not required that you slog through a thousand page novel for that feeling of “Aha!”

Lubar wrote that he felt that one reason he wasn’t able to sell the concept was because, although he described it as an anthology of horror stories, not all of them had supernatural forces. That may matter if we’re niggling over the details of genre– Becky Siegel Spratford’s definition of horror states that it must have a supernatural creature or aspect. But it mostly doesn’t matter to the readers. Maybe it’s better to call them scary stories than horror stories, if genre definition matters that much. We receive anthologies and short story collections all the time (check out this link to our YA anthologies page and this link to our adult anthologies page). Some have supernatural horrors, some have human horrors, and some have both. Kids and adults both like short and scary stories, and a short story collection is a great place to take risks. Publishers, take notice.

Posted on July 24, 2013 by , Reply

Help a Reader Out: Hot Dogs On a Campfire

A mystery keyword searcher is looking for:

…books for kids with an orange cover and a hotdog on front of book by a campfire.

I think we’re looking at a series here. David Lubar has a great series for upper elementary kids and young adults, and all the books have hot dogs on the cover (the series, naturally, is called the Weenies Series). One of the books has an orange cover(Beware the Ninja Weenies: And Other Warped and Creepy Tales), and another has a hot dog hanging over a campfire on the cover (The Curse of the Campfire Weenies: And Other Warped and Creepy Tales). There are several other volumes in the series, including:

In the Land of the Lawn Weenies
Invasion of the Road Weenies
The Curse of the Campfire Weenies
The Battle of the Red Hot Pepper Weenies
Attack of the Vampire Weenies
Beware the Ninja Weenies

I haven’t read them personally, but they’ve been described as “perfect for fans of The Twilight Zone.” So I probably wouldn’t give them to the faint of heart. But if you or a kid you know are looking for something both creepy and funny, the Weenies Series will probably fit the bill perfectly.

Posted on January 5, 2013 by , Reply

The Not-Halloween Book List for Kids

It drives me bananas that my kids’ school doesn’t even recognize the existence of Halloween. Their preschools encouraged costumes, had Halloween parties, and even invited parents to a Halloween parade. The school I taught at, a public elementary school in a rural area (where you might think there would be objections) encouraged costumes, had Halloween parties, and held a costume parade. The day of Halloween, my cadet teacher showed up in a bloodstained cafeteria worker’s uniform with a dismembered arm in her pocket and a beatific smile on her face (which was the scariest part, really). But at the school my children now attend, there’s no such holiday. It’s sad, really. But I understand– public schools are under siege from all directions for the way holidays are celebrated (or not celebrated, for that matter). And there are lots of other schools in the same situation, as well as parents who are looking for slightly spooky but not too scary picture books for their little ones. So here are a few to try out.  Not all of them have been reviewed on the site, but you can click on the titles of the ones we’ve reviewed to find out a little more about them. Enjoy!

 

The Not-Halloween Book List for Kids from MonsterLibrarian.com

 

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson and Shmuel Thayer

This is a great book that traces the growth of a pumpkin’s life cycle. It’s got beautiful photographs and is a perfect complement to the trip to the pumpkin field that kids will probably make either with their class or their parents.

 

Bat Jamboree by Kathi Appelt and Melissa Sweet

Bats definitely have their place in the Halloween season, but it is possible to go batty without ever mentioning the holiday. Bat Jamboree is a very silly concept book that preschoolers and kindergarteners will love. There’s a second book as well, called Bats Around The Clock.

 

Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert

Lois Ehlert’s wonderful illustrations and simple language are a perfect way to introduce the colors of the season.

 

Spooky Hayride by Brian James (Level 1 Scholastic Reader)

This is a wonderful easy reader that will satisfy any kid who has ever been tricked by their big brother. Or wanted to trick him.

 

Little Goblins Ten by Pamela Jane and Jane Manning

This is a fun counting book based on the rhyme “Over in the Meadow”.

 

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Okay, this one can be scary for some kids, but others find it exhilirating, especially when they get to “roll their terrible eyes, and gnash their terrible teeth”.

 

A Beasty Story by Bill Martin, Jr. and Steven Kellogg

Perhaps you are familiar with the story that begins “There was a dark, dark, wood…” Imagine that made into a cartoony concept book that reinforces kids’ knowledge of colors, and you have one of my favorite kindergarten reads. You can’t go wrong with an author/illustration combination like Bill Martin, Jr. and Steven Kellogg!

 

Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler and S.D. Schindler

Skeleton has the hiccups, and desperately wants a cure. It doesn’t get much sillier than watching a skeleton attempt to drink a glass of water in an attempt to get rid of them.

 

The Gobble-uns’ll Git You Ef You Don’t Watch Out! James Whitcomb Riley’s “Little Orphant Annie” by James Whitcomb Riley and Joel Schick

Sadly, this book has been out of print for years and years, and it’s doubtful that it ever will be reprinted. But you just can’t have October here without mentioning the great Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley. Even if you can’t get your hands on this wonderfully illustrated book, with its menacing cartoon gobble-uns, find yourself a copy of “Little Orphant Annie” to share with your kids. It’s a fantastic read-aloud. I loved Riley when I was a kid– what an amazing imagination the man had!

Posted on September 16, 2012 by , Reply
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