Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Building a small-town atmosphere via a frank third-person narration and concrete, considered prose, Rissi ( Hide and Don’t Seek) builds an empathetic voice that cradles Lily’s grieving process and experience of change. A contemporary collection of original short stories by Anica Mrose Rissi that is sure to elicit chills, laughs, and screams, even from the most devoted fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark This audio edition features a multi-cast, including performances by Frankie Corzo, Katharine Chin, Sura Siu, and Aaron Shedlock. When Anders doesn’t appear in the overlap, Lily distracts herself by helping teenager Quinn do chores for neighbors, and as Lily forges new relationships in her community, the overlap begins to shrink, leaving her wishing desperately for a way to control it. But Anders can’t move beyond the overlap, and Lily can’t know what being dead is like, making her feel less connected to him. When summer arrives (which Anders calls “wishing season” thanks to the months’ plentiful dandelion puffs), Lily retreats daily to their secret meeting place-“the overlap”-for relief from their spiraling single mother, her callous former best friend, and her guilt around helping keep Anders’ symptoms secret from their mother.
(Aug.After her twin brother, Anders, dies of a sudden infection following a cancer diagnosis, 11-year-old Lily Neff “folded herself into his absence” until she finds him lingering near the tire swing in their Maine island’s woods, “real and present and hers” but invisible to everyone else. Though some stories succeed better than others, and several end abruptly, the sheer variety of creepy concepts, unsettling moments interspersed with humor, and gotcha twists will appeal to younger middle grade readers who are ready for a gateway into horror fiction-and a book to read around the campfire.
“The Best Teacher at Pleasant Hill Oak Elementary,” meanwhile, provides a refreshing twist on the “unusual teacher” idea. Using straightforward prose and employing a mix of narrative forms-letters home, verse, text messages, a dog’s point of view, and a play, among others-Rissi turns such topics as a friendly game of hide-and-seek between siblings (“Hide and Don’t Seek”), a summer camp session (“Truly Delicious”), a long-kept confidence (“The Secret”), and a Christmas gift (“Beatrice”) toward the anxious and uncertain. In this collection of 20 brief offerings that nod affectionately to scary-story tropes, Rissi ( Nobody Knows but You) puts an enjoyably spooky spin on mundane and traditionally pleasurable childhood experiences, while occasional art by Godina maintains the eerie atmosphere.
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