Nothing to be Afraid Of

I first read this as a child, but it's one of those books which stays with you. I've bought replacement copies at least twice. In the title story, the best of the bunch, a young child who has been sheltered by his mother from all fear (and therefore has nothing to be afraid of) is taken for a walk in the park by his older cousin. She makes up such a torrent of horror stories for him on the way that he has nightmares for weeks, but he can't wait to get back to the park on his next visit. It has much to say about our minds' need for dark places.

Of the other stories, I particularly like "The Choice is Yours" (about a pupil trapped between two warring teachers, with an ending sad on one level yet full of hope on another), "Nule" (about show more sibling rivalry in the face of nightmare), and "William's Version" (about how toddlers perceive narrative). All the stories are worth a read. show less