"Twisted Sisters" Annette and Gina Cascone's excellent tale of terror is bound to keep children close to home. Amanda Peterson and her friends escape from the backyard of their neighbor Mrs. Barns, whom they suspect is a witch. They stumble upon a dead squirrel and dig up a hole in what has become Amanda's pet cemetery. They're careful not to disturb the plots of Ralph the hamster, Herman the goldfish and Snitch the canary, only to unearth something incredible: a talking doll looking for its mommy.
In order to be rid of the doll, the gang must learn who its owner is, a feat made difficult when the doll is kidnapped and often goes missing on its own. Children frightened by Goosebumps will find their skin prickling again with simple and haunting descriptions, such as Anna the ghost, whose "clothes were bloodied and torn, and she was covered with dirt--as if she'd just climbed out of a grave." Despite its female protagonist, the novel will appeal to boys because of Jarrad, a prominent character who's often trying to rationalize what his friends seem convinced are supernatural occurrences.
This second installment in the Deadtime Stories, The Witching Game, will be published in March, with a new ensemble caught up in a game of Bloody Mary gone wrong. These thrilling tales are best read before bed either with a parent or--for maximum scare tactics--under the covers alone with a flashlight. --Adam Silvera, a bookseller and intern at Figment