4 Days of Creepy: Killing Britney

Britney use to be unpopular and kind of geeky. Then she started dating a hockey star at her high school. She transformed from unpopular to one of the popular girls-one of the “hockey wives.”

Things weren’t so great after that…

First, her mother drowned on a family outing. Then her hockey star boyfriend was killed in a hit-and-run. More deaths continue, people who are close to Britney. Is she the real target? Is someone trying to kill Britney? Who would want to kill her?

 

There is a lot of suspense in this book, along with graphic detail as well. O.o Just like What Happened to Cass McBride this book had me on the edge of my seat eager to read on and find out what was going to happen. Before I even finished reading the book, my mother grabbed it and started piggyback reading*. I highly recommend this book, read it before or after Cass and you’ve got a creepy weekend on your hands!

 

Killing Britney  by Sean Olin

*reading the same book, same copy, etc as a person you live with. this occurrence is worse when three people are trying to read the same book…

StoryTubes: a New Contest for Kids

“This new contest promotes reading by capitalizing on the popularity of YouTube.” (Library Hotline July 14, 2008)  It is sponsored by several public libraries and by some children’s book publishers.  Children in grades 1-6 are asked to choose a favorite book ans summarize it in a video less than  two-minutes long, then upload it to YouTube.com  The most creative and compelling videos are then posted on www.storytubes.com Enter between January 8 and February 15, 2009 and check StoryTubes web site for rules.

4 Days of Creepy: What Happened to Cass McBride

Cass McBride wakes up inside a box that has been buried underground.
Why?
Because Kyle blames her for his brother’s suicide.
No one knows where she is. How do you find someone who has been buried underground?
So now she waits and suffers.
How long does it take to die of dehydration? To suffocate? Cass is about to find out.

Imagine if you woke up like that. What would you do? How would you react? Would you give up, or would you fight?

This book is told in alternating points of view. To me, this added to the suspense and “GAAAAAAAAH” reaction. What Happened to Cass McBride is a quick read and worth every minute you spend reading it!

What Happened to Cass McBride by Gail Giles

4 Days of Creepy: Clockwork

All the pieces of this story are laid, and like clockwork the pieces fit together to create a tale worthy of fireside storytelling on a cold, dark night.

Fritz, the local storyteller, is telling his latest tale to the townsfolk in the local tavern one cold night. It appears his newest tale is coming to life-from the prince with a mechanical heart to a courageous girl; from the clockmaker to the murderous clockwork knight. Then a strange man (who may be the devil himself) appears at the tavern. He goes by the name Doctor Kalmenius…

I first read this book years ago. It creeped me out so much for some reason. Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe it was the characters, or maybe I just wanted to be scared, who knows. Either way, it was an enjoyable read!

Clockwork: or All Wound Up by Philip Pullman

4 Days of Creepy: Black Juice

Ten short stories by Margo Lanagan.
Ten short stories that push the boundaries of humanity.
Ten short stories of death, murder, clowns, monsters, angels, gypsies, and much more.
Ten short stories that will leave you with the knowlege that black juice runs through us all.

Not all creepy or scary, but these stories will haunt you, will take residence in your mind, gently playing and tugging at you. Little everyday things may whisk you back to the stories without you even realizing it. The empty expanse of the new blacktop streets sends me back to Singing My Sister Down. While clowns reminds me of Red Nose Day. And then there is Yowlinin…scary disturbing Yowlinin.

The Margo Lanagan collection of short stories:
Black Juice
White Time
Red Spikes

Graves Mortuary and Boneyard: Better Late than Never!

Our Halloween diorama is on display here at Forest Park, and it came very close to not being at all! 

Graves Boneyard and Mortuary

 

Because I am constantly scrambling to finish our dioramas up to the last moment, and because of the complexity involved with this display, the staff and I started assembly of the models in August.  We’d hoped to have the diorama ready to go into our display case early this month.  But other projects and circumstances intervened – the Forest Park Branch history display, the business of opening our new Teen Zone, staff absences – and with my inexperience with electrical wiring and creative blocks, the whole project was delayed so seriously that it was almost abandoned!  But the usual last minute scramble got the project finished (and saved a lot of my co-workers’ hard work!)  Better late than never!

The diorama depicts a path winding through an old cemetery passed crypts and gravestones, leading up to a mortuary up on a hill.  A shadowy figure watches as a “resident” wakes from her rest and rises from her coffin!

Ray Keim’s Haunted Dimensions website provides the graveyard and mortuary models for our display. (His models inspired last year’s Haunted Mansion display as well)  A few of the models were modified to include working electric lights, and flashing lights energized the ghostly resurrection!

The diorama will be on display until mid-November.  See the photos are our Flickr page, or stop by and have a look:  The scene will send chills through you!

Check out last year’s Haunted Mansion display on our Flickr Photo collection.

Download and build the models yourself from the Haunted Dimensions website!

Model designer Ray Keim posted photos of the display on his blog, along with a nice write-up.  Read it here.  Thanks, Ray!