Product Description

What if revenge were a monster of your own creation? If all you needed to summon this monster was enough hatred and enough imagination? Which of you would really be the monster? One boy is about to find out.

The New York Times bestselling author Brian Jacques (Loamhedge; The Angel's Command) spins six all-new tales of horror and suspense. Read on, but be careful of what brews in your heart. You may just find yourself the next victim of the Ribbajack. . . .:

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #739687 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

Amazon.com Review
Self-described "scalawag" Brian Jacques (venerable author of the beloved Redwall series ) sets out to spook young readers with six scary (but, of course, not too scary) tales, steeped in a mulligan stew of folk fables, ancient myths, and horror-flick fiends.

The star of the sextet is undoubtedly Jacques' eccentric style--his diction, humor, and unmistakable brogue--which (in context) shouldn't give young readers too much trouble, and often makes for very-fun reading besides: "No, sir, I h'arrived too late. But I knows me rats, sir. If the h'Oriental chap says that's wot 'appened, then I'll back 'im h'all the way." Kids, of course, figure prominently in each story, too--whether as protagonists or as more scurrilous lads and lasses getting their well-deserved comeuppance. One such schoolboy causes much mayhem in the book's first (and by far best) story, in which an aspiring scoundrel named Archibald Smifft summons an occult creature, the Ribbajack, to do his evil bidding. Other stories riff off various other creepy creatures, from werewolves to ghosts to even Medusa, usually with some winking moral woven in by Jacques.

Some of the tales (the title story and "Miggy Mags and the Malabar Sailor," in particular) pack more punch than others, but there's more than enough fun here for a few late-night, flashlight reads. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Jacques offers six original ghost stories to follow up on Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales (Putnam, 1991). The title story is more grotesque than scary, and the ghost in "A Smile and a Wave" is inexplicably evil, existing only to scare the main character into wearing her detested coat. The most satisfying selections are "Miggy Mags and the Malabar Sailor," in which a mongoose champions a young girl against her abusive uncle, and "Rosie's Pet," a preadolescent werewolf love story. The heavy northern English dialect used in the tellings would work well in an audio book, but may deter some readers. While this is an acceptable addition to general collections, true fans of the scary and strange will find more satisfaction in the short-story collections by Australian writer Paul Jennings, such as Unreal! (Formac, 1992).
Farida S. Dowler, formerly at Bellevue Regional Library, WA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. The author of the wildly popular Redwall books spins half a dozen wickedly imagined yarns filled with surprises and the cheerful satisfaction of seeing some thoroughly nasty villains come to grief. Some children will be reminded of Roald Dahl, but Jacques, a natural-born storyteller, is very much the master of his own material and writes tales that almost demand to be read aloud--at night, in a darkened room, by flickering candle or firelight. Although not great literature, these tales are a salutary reminder that books can be read simply for entertainment. And that is meant as high praise, indeed. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

A master of short stories as well!
I'm normally not a fan of the short story, especially when it comes to the adolescent light horror genre. I thought I would give this book a try, however, since the author is one of my favorites. He did not disappoint.

While the setting for most of the stories is modern, each of these is told in the tradition of the old folk tales. In other words, it is not just stories for the sake of chills, but rather each story has its own moral to share.

My favorite among the stories concerns the graffiti artist who decides to deface a museum that happens to be hosting a visiting display from Egypt. You can pretty much guess who the characters are gonna be, however, Jacques brings a fresh twist to the story that I wasn't expecting.

Another great story concerns the thugish kid who, on a dare, visits the local graveyard at midnight. Again, while the concept is old, Jacques manages to bring a new twist to the story. There are several other good stories.

I recommend this book as great for campfires in the summer, or sitting around the fireplace during the winter. And, as usual with Jacques, he keeps things clean so each of these stories can be told in the family, church groups, scout outings, and other organized youth activities.