Dave Shelton

[Note: this is a children's book, but I wouldn't let that put you off]

Loved this book - an existential comedy, for inquisitive, imaginative kids. A very simple concept - which is summed up exactly by the title. The plot is fairly (deliberately) slight, but through the tribulations he and the bear suffer, it you see the boy maturing and learning to appreciate the important things. I thought Shelton judged this just beautifully - sometimes I thought things would work out a bit too show more conveniently, but he subverted my expectations well.

Also, this is a beautiful - and beautifully understated - edition of the book. The cover is lovely, like a solid, well-loved, travelling notebook. The corners have been artfully distressed, to give it just the right degree of batteredness. The binding and dimensions make it a lovely, tactile object. Also Shelton's illustrations are very nicely done - fun and evocative, with a very nicely restrained pallet, which helps just make the book feel like a beautifully realised, singular whole. show less

There was a bit of St Trinians lurking in this story of Daphne, who after an "unfortunate" incident is offered a place in St Rita's School for Spirited Girls which has a reputation, there she is offered a chance to be an Assistant Assistant Librarian and between a bank robbery and a break-in in the school there's a lot to deal with.
Yes, this school was way OTT and there is NO WAY it could be real, but in the grand tradition of St Trinians and Billy Bunter etc it doesn't take itself show more seriously and was a blast to read. show less

A book about a boy who wanders into a house said to be haunted. He finds what is essentially an AA meeting, but for ghosts, and decides to join in to hear the stories they each tell in turn. What follows is a series of 12 short stories, each told by a different ghost. Some are about the ghost themselves, others are more ambiguous, some 'happened to a friend of a friend', but all are engaging in their own way. The reason I gave the book 4 stars is, I didn't like the ending. I don't like show more ambiguous endings, I want to know what happened in no uncertain terms, but I think that's just me. show less

Jack is a curious boy. So curious, that he's found himself drawn into a supposedly haunted house, where twelve people sit around a table, each taking a turn to share a story. One by one, as each finishes his or her story, they blow out their candle and retreat into the darkness. And eventually Jack realizes that at some point he'll have to share a story as well.

Like several others here, I loved reading the Alfred Hitchcock anthologies as a kid. The stories were usually heavier on creepiness show more than horror and gore, and that's how this little book is. In fact, the stories I read in the light of day felt unusually tame and boring, while those I read before bed felt much creepier. The stories are mostly clever and fun - nothing too scary here - but this will definitely be better appreciated by kids who like creepy stories than those more attuned to stuff like Stephen King. It's similar to the few Goosebumps stories I've read but much better written. In spite of the fact that I liked it, I didn't feel overly enthusiastic about it. show less