All Hallow's Eve: 13 Stories

by Vivian Vande Velde

A boy is trapped in a possessed car that has stalled in the path of an oncoming train. A girl is dragged into a crypt during a field trip to an eighteenth-century cemetery. A group of friends meet their fate after an unsettling visit with a backwoods psychic. And that's just the beginning. Vivian Vande Velde is at her spine-tingling best in this collection of thirteen scary stories, all of which take place on Halloween night. With tales that range from the disturbing to the downright gruesome, this is one collection that teens will want to read with the lights on . . . and the doors locked.

Scary Stories

by Barry Moser (Illustrator)

Authors as Edgar Allan Poe, O. Henry, Bram Stoker, Washington Irving, H. P. Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce, and H. G. Wells, this spellbinding collection also includes modern masterpieces by contemporary legends like Stephen King, Roald Dahl, Shirley Jackson, Joyce Carol Oates, and Ray Bradbury.
Celebrated artist Barry Moser's twenty unforgettable engravings capture all the suspense and horror in these brilliant stories, making this a deluxe illustrated edition that readers of all ages will want to return to again and again...if they dare!

New Sudden Fiction

Edited by Robert Shapard and James Thomas

Responding to America's love affair with the short-short, editors Robert Shapard and James Thomas searched thousands of books and magazines to select these sixty stories—each under 2,000 words, each with its own element of surprise, whether traditional, experimental, humorous, moving, or magical. In the process they discovered both new talents and a wealth of celebrated writers, such as Jorge Luis Arzola, Aimee Bender, Teolinda Gersão, Romulus Linney, Yann Martel, Sam Shepard, and Tobias Wolff.

Dreams and Visions

Edited by M. Jerry Weiss and Helen S. Weiss

Let your imagination soar and take flight with these fourteen original tales of fantasy and science fiction by a distinguished line-up of award-winning children’s and young adult authors. Joan Bauer gives us Chloe; Suzanne Fisher Staples introduces us to the powers of djinn; Charles de Lint offers a romantic tale; a witch’s son seeks revenge in a chilling murder mystery by Michael O. Tunnell; Craig and Jessica, two high school runners, star in a story of transformation by Rich Wallac; Patrice Kindl’s mysterious Mrs. Duck moves into the boring town of Refreshing Acres; S.L. Rottman’s world is on fire; David Lubar thrills us with his story of Deborah; Mel Glenn shares a conversation between Ryan and an Angel in the afterlife; Nancy Springer's Jessie encounters with a toad that changes her life; John Ritter's soldier meets the ghost of Timothy McVeigh; An oracle makes an unsettling prediction in Sharon Dennis Wyeth’s tale; Neal Shusterman introduces us to a young thief; and Tamora Pierce’s story takes us to the land of Hartunjar, wherewomen are subservient to men, but not for long.

White Time

by Margo Lanagan

Australian author Margo Lanagan's 10 thought-provoking, loosely connected short stories in White Time will appeal to both fantasy and science fiction fans, especially those who enjoyed her Black Juice. Each 20-page story captures a pivotal moment in the main character's life. In "Wealth," for instance, an Ord named Rill grapples with her decision to work secretly with a wealthy Leet to earn enough money to free her irresponsible brother from jail, not knowing the Leets' murderous plans. The textured language and imaginative situations will draw readers into these challenging tales.

The Horrors!: Terrifying Tales Book I

by Peter Carver, Editor

A collection of 15 horror stories by Canadian young adult writers. In one tale, a yearbook editor makes psychic predictions about students' futures. Another selection involves an old man telling his son about the day he met Johnny Cash on his way to the Promised Land and how the encounter changed his life. In another, a girl can't understand why her family has locked her out of the house and why no one will talk to her. When she overhears her friends talking about a train crash, she realizes that she was the victim. All of the stories offer scary scenes of everyday life, but they are not filled with blood and gore.

My Dad's a Punk: 12 Stories About Boys and Their Fathers

by Tony Bradman

This superb collection of original stories by twelve contemporary male writers explores the relationship between fathers and sons with thoughtfulness, comedy, and wisdom. There are stories about a boy who wants a different father and others with fathers who are demanding, loving, and absent. There is even a digital father from the future. This unique collection will give boys food for thought on a subject that is close to home.

Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction & Fantasy

Edited by Sharyn November

Firebirds Rising is a captivating collection of 16 original stories offering a rich variety of selections. "Huntress," by Tamora Pierce, which grew from news stories about teens "wilding" in New York City's Central Park, proves a strong jumping-off place. In Charles de Lint's "Little (Grrl) Lost," a human teenage girl and a Little teenage girl meet when the Little girl runs away from her home behind the bedroom baseboard. Patricia A. McKillip, Carol Emshwiller, and Emma Bull are also among the contributors. The selections range in length from 9 pages to 50 pages. Fantasy stories outnumber sci-fi two to one, and the great majority of the tales feature female protagonists.

Harrowing the Dragon

by Patricia A. McKillop

A man determined to drive off a fearsome dragon learns that pride can be as cold and monstrous as any beast. "The Snow Queen" and "The Lion and the Lark" (based on Beauty and the Beast) clothe old classics in new magic to examine the price of identity and the value of freedom. The bleak "Star-Crossed" details the official investigation into the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, while "Voyage into the Heart" tells of the heartless hunt to capture a unicorn's horn. "Baba Yaga and the Sorcerer's Son" is full of charm and humor, while the sly "Toad" reveals a frog prince who is far from innocent. Each of these tales is a gem of storytelling, a rich treasure for both fans and those yet to discover McKillip's deceptively simple magic.

The Human Fly and Other Stories

by T. C. Boyle

One of the best ways to appreciate T. C. Boyle is through his richly imagined short fiction. Boyle's kaleidoscopic humor and wit, his keen, unforgiving take on American life, and his all-too-human protagonists all contribute to making his voice unique. Here is a collection of classic Boyle stories about teenagers (including the O. Henry Award–winning "The Love of My Life") that will speak directly to them, as well as to anyone else who was once a teenager.

Every Man for Himself

Edited by Nacy E. Mercado

Word on the street is that being a guy these days can be kinda rough. Well, here are ten fictional stories, some funny, some sad, that deal with that very subject. Stories about being a guy, written by guys. From Walter Dean Myers's story about a black boy who takes a white girl to the prom, to Mo Willems's comedy about an invincible kid who goes to a high school for superheroes, to graphic novelist Craig Thompson's story about the skaters vs. the football players, each manages to ever-so-subtly reflect the contemporary concerns of guyhood.

Black Juice

by Margo Lanagan

Provides glimpses of the dark side of civilization and the beauty of the human spirit through ten short stories that explore significant moments in people's lives, events leading to them, and their consequences. As part of a public execution, a young boy sadly helps to sing his sister down; a servant learns about grace and loyalty from a mistress who would rather dance with Gypsies than sit on her throne; a terrifying encounter with a demonic angel gives a young man the strength he needs to break free of his oppressor; on a bleak and dreary afternoon a gleeful shooting spree leads to tragedy for a desperate clown unable to escape his fate. In each of Margo Lanagan's ten extraordinary stories, human frailty is put to the test by the implacable forces of dark and light, man and beast.

Red Ridin' in the Hood

by Patricia Marcantonio

Eleven classic tales are retold with an injection of Latino culture, providing a twist on the traditional forms while keeping a freshness all their own. The title story, "Red Ridin' in the Hood," moves the setting to the barrio, where Red decides to brave dangerous Forest Street in order to reach her abuelita and encounters the menacing wolf in a thumping Chevy lowrider. Some stories are set in the Mexican countryside; in "Belleza y La Bestia," the beautiful heroine is a defender of the Revolution and teaches the beast about the righteousness of the freedom fighters. "El Día de los Muertos," a retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, takes place in the time of the Aztecs and casts Orpheus as the feather-maker Nochehuatl. These and the other cuentos in this book are further brought to life by abundant illustrations, by turns comical and poignant.

Help Wanted

by Gary Soto

Ten original short stories about Mexican-American teens in central California. The fundamental theme of "needing help" is the common thread among the stories, which range from the satirical to the peculiar to the humorous to the sad. Sometimes the "help" is administered in unusual fashion or never quite arrives at all, and each character is left to puzzle the complexity and edginess of life. The interesting characters are placed in unique situations with thought-provoking endings. The occasional insertion of Spanish words is done skillfully so that even non-Spanish speakers will understand all aspects of the stories.