Great Writers and Kids Write Spooky Stories

by Anne McCaffrey, Peter Straub, John Jakes

Book Overview

Here is a collection both kids and grownups will be thrilled to share--13 original stories, all written by bestselling authors of adult fiction in collaboration with their children or grandchildren.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679876626
• ISBN13: 9780679876625
• Release Date: August 1995
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

A BOOK TO BE TREASURED BY ADULTS AND CHILDREN.

This is a wonderful anthology. Top-notch mystery writers and their children (and, in some cases, grandchildren) collaborated on a variety of entertaining stories. Pay particular attention to "Releve", the story contributed by Patricia Wallace and her daughter. This story introduces us to Sydney Bryant, the private eye that Pat Wallace has featured in a terrific series for adults. The titles in the series include "Deadly Devotion" and "Blood Lies". Other outstanding stories include those by Wendy Hornsby, Scott Turow, Stuart Kaminsky, and Sharyn McCrumb (and their collaborators). This is a book that parents can read and enjoy with their children. It might inspire them to collaborate on some mystery stories of their own! I look forward to reading the companion volume, "Great Writers and Kids Write Spooky Stories". I

mini-lesson on mystery writing

"When you think of a mystery, what comes to mind? A dark secret? An unsolved crime? A curious detective hunting for clues?" The only mystery, the only secret, the only crime is how this anthology could be so easily overlooked. "Great Writers and Kids Write Mystery Stories" (1996) is a collection of stories written by some of today's greatest mystery authors in collaboration with their children and grandchildren. Jonathan Kellerman, Sharyn McCrumb, and Scott Turow are three of the thirteen award-winning writers that create wonderous whodunits with their offspring, ages 6 to adult. While written at about the junior high/ middle school level, this complilation is enjoyable to all. The stories are five to several pages. Some are written with the child as the amateur detective, some are written as a type of psychological thriller. The introduction serves as a "mini-lesson" on mystery writing. And, each story features a short personal introduction by the adult and child writing team on what it was like to collaborate on their included story. Other contributors include Barbara D'Amato, Ed Gorman, Stuart Kaminsky, Elizabeth Engstrom, and many others. This book has the unique ability to be educational as well as entertaining. Those that enjoy this book may also enjoy the first volume as well: "Great Writers and Kids Write Spooky Stories" (1995).