Module 9: Scared stiff

Amazon.com

Book cover image:

Taken from Amazon.com  (Amazon.com, Inc, n.d)

Genre:

Scared stiff is listed as middle school mystery book, which is an accurate description of the genre.  This book would also fit in middle grade adventure, suspense and realistic fiction.  The situations addresses in the book, such as Rick and Kenny’s father leaving the family is a realistic situation that many kids today experience.  Additionally, the children take a break from trying to solve the mystery to explore an abandoned amusement park and embark on new adventures.

Book Summary:

The book is told from the main character, Rick’s, point of view and starts out with him remembering how his Pa always told him troubles come in threes. In his experiences these troubles have been bad, but never as bad as the most recent troubles.  First his Pa’s trailer load is stolen while he is eating dinner, then him and Ma get in a fight and he leaves, and now Ma has been kidnapped.  Rick and his brother Kenny cook dinner the night she doesn’t come home trying to act like she really will be home soon, but when she doesn’t they call Uncle Henry who lives in a purple bus that has been converted to a motor home.  Uncle Henry calls the police, who don’t believe she has really been kidnapped, and take the boys to stay with him while they try to figure out what happened.  Uncle Henry lives in the Wonderland RV Park next to the abandoned Wonderland Amusement park and while the boys are staying there they meet two new friends, Connie and Julie, who take them to explore the amusement park and help them investigate what has happened to their Ma.  Connie has apparently watched one to many crime shows, but his skills pay off when he and Rick return to Rick’s apartment to find that it has been trashed.  Their trail leads them very close to his Ma and closer to danger.  The suspense climbs when the kidnappers show up at the Wonderland RV Park in an effort to kidnap Rick and Kenny so that they can force Ma to keep quiet. 

APA Reference of Book:  

Roberts, W. D. (1991). Scared stiff. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks: An imprint of Simon and Schuster.

Impressions: 

This book has been on my to-be-read list since 2013 when it was selected for the Frenship ISD Battle of the Books list.  Every child that came into the library raved about how awesome the book was and it never quite made it to my reading list.  I can now say that I see why all the kids loved it! It is a fast-paced mystery adventure that begs to be finished in a single day.  Once I reached the high-point of the story I never could find a good stopping point to finish reading for the evening.  Willo Davis Roberts builds a realistic mystery that keeps the reader in suspense and curious at how exactly the story will end.  The book is perfect for middle-grade readers because it does feature a great amount of suspense and touches on the subject of low income families, child abuse, parents separating, theft, kidnappings, and criminals all in a delicate fashion that keeps it age appropriate.  I think my favorite part about the book is how well the characters are developed, despite the book only having 188 pages, and the fact that the story is paced well keeping reluctant middle-grade readers interested.  As an adult I was able to figure out the mystery pretty quickly, but it is written from the point of view of the 11 year old main character and written for that age group.  Most 11 year olds have not read near as many mysteries as I have and they will be kept in a good amount of suspense throughout most of the story. 

Professional Review:

Reviewed by Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME on March 1, 1991 in School Library Journal, and posted online at Book Verdict

Gr 5-8 Eleven-year-old narrator Rick Van Huler learns that troubles do indeed come in threes: a load of TVs is stolen from his father's tractor-trailer rig, his father walks out after an argument with his mother, who is then kidnapped. Rick and his younger brother go to live with their great-uncle Henry in his converted school bus in an RV park across from Wonderland, a shutdown amusement park. While searching for their mother, the boys uncover a hijacking operation and an insurance scam. The theme of abandonment pervades the novel and, as a symbol of this, the amusement park provides a suspenseful, spooky backdrop. The brisk pace, fluid style, and excitement of the novel are sure to entertain readers, while the sensitive handling of such issues as separation and alcoholism, and the not-perfect ending make the book a cut above the general fare. The title and book jacket will attract readers, and they won't be disappointed in Roberts's latest offering.

APA Reference of Professional Review: 

Media Source Book Verdict. (1991, March 1). Scared stiff. Retrieved March 23, 2018, from Book Verdict: http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?uri=Product-1880888.xml

Library Uses:

This book has already been used for a great purpose when it was selected as one of the Battle of the Books selections in 2014.  I think another great activity for this book for middle school readers, would be too include this as a group read for a middle school book club.  There are a lot of great topics covered in this book that would make for great discussion among a group of middle school readers who enjoy mysteries and adventures.  The librarian, or children's librarian  could read the book in advance and draft some discussion questions to be used if the discussion lulls. 

Questions to get the discussion started could include”

What did they like or dislike about the book?

Who was their favorite character and why?

What feelings did they relate to when they found out Pa had left?  How do they think Kenny and Rick felt when mom never came home?
How would they have set about trying to solve what happened to Ma when the police didn’t take them seriously? 

Readalikes: 

Mysteries, in my experience are fantastic for intriguing reluctant readers and getting them excited about reading.  They are often fast paced and full of adventure and suspense that gets them hooked and excited to finish a book.  I often call these books ‘gateway books’ that will lead children on to more books and adventures and will turn them in to readers. 

The Boxcar children mysteries by Gertrude Chandler Warner is a classic mystery series that has over 100 books in the series! (I had to look that up – I had no idea there were that many!) The series starts with The Boxcar children and introduces the four Alden siblings who have ran away from their mean grandfather and make themselves a home in an abandoned train boxcar. The stories are lighthearted, fun, simple mysteries that are perfect for younger middle grade readers.  As a librarian I love seeing children wrapped up in classic series like this.  It is always fun watching them browse through the series box, trying to find ones they have not read yet.

A newer mystery series that middle-grade readers are enjoying is Masterminds by Gordon Korman.  The three-book series includes Masterminds, Criminal Destiny, and Payback and is perfect for children who love adventures. The characters live in a perfect, Utopian town in New Mexico where life is perfect, and honesty and kindness are the backbone of the idyllic community.  When one of the families in the town disappears, the group set out to find out what exactly happened.  They quickly discover that their perfect town is not what it seems and that they can’t trust anyone, including their parents.

For the slightly older middle-grade readers who enjoyed the realistic element of Scared stiff, I would highly recommend Holes  by Louis Sacher. This book is mystery, adventure, humor, and realism all rolled into one perfect book.  I personally love how Sacher creatively reveals little pieces of the mystery throughout and connects them all together in many ah-ha moments that will capture the attention of even the most reluctant reader.  And…. if anyone ask, the book is WAY better than the movie!

Checkout my Goodreads list of children and youth literature I read during the Spring 2018 Semester at UNT.