The Dark and Other Scary Stories

New

4.0

0.0 (0)

27 0

Write Review Add to favorites

Author(s)

Max Brallier

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Letizia Rubegni

Publisher

Scholastic Inc

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

July 07, 2026

ISBN

979-8225049621

Buy This Book

This scary story collection -- from the New York Times bestselling author of the Last Kids on Earth series -- will send SHIVERS down your spine!

Read if you dare! This collection of ten terrifying tales by New York Times bestselling author Max Brallier is THE book to share at sleepovers or around a campfire! Each story is illustrated in haunting, full-color artwork by Letizia Rubegni, and told with spare yet scare-inducing text. If you love sleepless nights and monsters that lurk in the dark, then this spine-chilling book is for you!

Hand this book to anyone searching for a good scare! It's perfect for new and newly independent readers alike. And it is a must-have for fans of Max Brallier's Mister Shivers Acorn series because it includes nine of the series' spookiest stories in one place, PLUS a brand-new, hair-raising story exclusive to this collectible edition.

Brallier's strong horror chops shine across all ten stories:

The Dark

Hair Down to My Stomach

Statue

Fingernails

Animal Behind the Locker

Billy Smiled

The Cast

Stolen Pen

Forever Hotel

Like Pulling Teeth

Editor review

1 review

Spooky Stories to read at Night

June 25, 2026 (Updated: June 26, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

3.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

The Dark and Other Scary Stories contains ten short stories with illustrations on each page that bring the stories to life.

What I Liked: This book contains ten short stories that each span a few pages and are beautifully illustrated. The short stories all have similar pacing and they each follow a similar structure. Due to their similar structure you know what to expect especially when it comes to the end of the stories where there’s always a surprise.

The illustrations do a great job of bringing the story to life and making certain scenes a lot more horrific. The illustrations shift through different sizes to go along with the font, there are a few full page illustrations that add fear to the page. The language that is used throughout the stories are good for younger readers to follow along, and is great for new readers.

These are perfect for bedtime stories for children to read on their own, or with others. It was fun to read them aloud with others, and how the tone shifts from the beginning to the end. Typically in anthologies there are some stories that stand out more than others, and this book is no different. Some of the stories are scarier than others, some are eerie, and others are more frustrating than scary.

Final Verdict: The Dark and Other Scary Stories is the perfect introduction to horror for children ages 6 and up. This is a must read for those of you who are fans of Max Brallier’s other books, goosebumps, and Jasper Rabbit’s Creepy Tales. This book definitely has something for all types of readers, even those who might be more hesitant to approach horror.