"These are my scariest stories ever," says R.L. Stine, "because I wrote them at the Nightmare Hour." You know when that is...it's when the lights fade, the real world spins into shadow--and the cold, moonlit world of evil dreams takes over your mind. What horror awaits a boy who has to spend Halloween in the hospital? How do you outwit a ghost who wants your skin? Why is Nightmare Inn the most terrifying place to visit? R.L. Stine, the #1 bestselling children's authors of all time, spins a web of horror and more. For the first time ever, he shares the secret behind each story, revealing where the idea for each tale came from. Here are ten stories that will bring a shiver at any hour and take you to the scariest place of all--inside the mind of R.L. Stine. 00 Children's Choices (IRA/CBC) The wind whispered through the vines, making them quiver and bend. The scarecrows creaked, shaking their arms as if waving us away. A large pumpkin came bouncing down a hill. Thud thud thud! A child loses his head inside a pumpkin. A skin-crawling spider spell is cast on a sorcerer's apprentice. A visit to the hospital for a tonsillectomy takes a ghoulish turn. These things don't happen--do they? In Nightmare Hour they do. The fiendishly prolific R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series , offers 10 scary tales to keep you up late, quivering beneath the covers. Each heart-pounding, fast-paced story features lively writing and young characters who come into contact with the tricks and illusions on life's darker side. Curious readers will love the author's introduction to each story, where he explains how the idea for it came to him. From "Alien Candy" to "Make Me a Witch," the stories also feature a spooky illustration by artists from Edward Koren to Bleu Turrell. While not gory, some of the book's situations, such as the hospital visit gone wrong, are not for the faint-hearted reader. For the rest, these are tales you'll be too scared to put down. (Ages 10 and older) --Maria Dolan Grade 5 Up-A collection of 10 short stories that takes ordinary people and events and turns them into the bizarre by changing the perspective. The 12-to-18 page stories are carefully fashioned to have the maximum impact with minimum words, and are truly terrifying. The haunting mood will linger with readers long after the book is completed. After reading "Afraid of Clowns," they'll never look at a circus clown in the same way ever again. Each tale opens with a double-page, black-and-white line drawing. The front cover has Stine's name at the bottom and top, and if that doesn't draw readers, the iridescent eyes that seem to follow them will. While longer than Alvin Schwartz's "Scary Stories" trio (HarperCollins), and less "ghostly" than Great Ghost Stories, edited by Barry Moser (Morrow, 1998), these tales will be a hit in read-alouds with older readers. They also have great potential for introducing and enhancing a creative-writing unit. The author's name alone makes this a "must buy," and it's guaranteed to produce goosebumps. Molly S. Kinney, Office of Public Library Services, Atlanta, GA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. RobertLawrence Stine is the best-selling children's author in history. He began his writing career at the age of nine, writing short stories, joke books, and comic books for his friends. He has been at it ever since. A graduate of Ohio State University, Mr. Stine served as editor-in-chief of Bananas , a humor magazine for children, before teaming up with Parachute Press to create Fear Street, the first young adult horror series. After the enormous success of Fear Street, Stine and Parachute went on to launch Goosebumps, the best-selling book series that made Stine an international celebrity and the #1 best-selling author in America for several years.His latest projects include The Nightmare Room book series, TV show, and videos/DVDs; and his brand-new hardcover book, Beware! . R. L. Stine lives in Manhattan with his wife, their teenage son, Matt, and their dog, Nadine. Chapter One "Halloween is ruined! Mike declared. It's no fun trick-or-treating while it's still light out! Why do we have to be home by eight o'clock? Mom rolled her eyes. Get in the car, she told him. And stop complaining. You know why there's a curfew this year. Because parents are stupid, Mike grumbled. Because those kids disappeared last Halloween, I said. And the Halloween before. Mike shrugged. What's that got to do with us? Come on, Mike, I said. Get in the car. Liz and I want to get going. But I don't want to pick pumpkins. It's bor-ring. Mike crossed his skinny arms over his chest and made his pouty face. Why do we have to go? Because we do it every year, Mom replied patiently. She is used to Mike's tantrums. We all are. Let's skip it and pretend we went, Mike said. He's a real wise guy. Mike is ten, two years younger than me, and he's angry all the time. Mom says he can't help it because he's a redhead. Redheads have