A Book FULL of Fright

A copy of this arrived in the mail just in time for me to post a Halloween review!

Frightlopedia: An encyclopedia of Everything Scary, Creepy, and Spine-Chilling, from Arachnids to Zombies
by Julie Winterbottom; illus. by Stephano Tambellini
224 pages; ages 8 & up
Workman Publishing, 2016

There's so much in this book - from history to mystery to fantasy - but there's a whole lot of stuff about "scary critters" too.

In fact, the very first entry is all about arachnids. Spiders. With eight hairy legs. What makes spiders so creepy? Maybe it's their eyes - they have eight of 'em - or how fast they dart about. Or the fact that they make sticky webs that cling to your arms.... The author introduces a few spiders, including Black widows, and even provides instructions for a Halloween prank.

Tucked among ghost stories, witches, vampires, and haunted houses are lots of short chapters about creepy crawly critters: slithery snakes, killer bees, Komodo dragons, rats, sharks, stonefish, and vampire bats. There's even a chapter about how to be an "evil scientist"...

There's a "fright meter" at the beginning of each chapter - a trigger warning to let you know just how scary the stuff on the pages will be. There are lots of hands-on activities, and facts you may not have known. A fun read for the season.

Review copy provided by the publisher.