Scary Stories for Young Foxes
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
A 2020 Newbery Honor Recipient!
“Heidicker has written the next Watership Down.”—New York Times-bestselling author Jessica Day George
"Into the finest tradition of storytelling steps Christian McKay Heidicker with these highly original, bone-chilling, and ultimately heart-warming stories.” —Kathi Appelt, Newbery Award honoree and National Book Award finalist
"Clever and harrowing." —The Wall Street Journal
Christian McKay Heidicker draws inspiration from Bram Stoker, H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe in this spine-tingling, unforgettable tale of friendship and survival, stunningly illustrated by Junyi Wu.
The haunted season has arrived in the Antler Wood. No fox kit is safe.
When Mia and Uly are separated from their litters, they discover a dangerous world full of monsters. In order to find a den to call home, they must venture through field and forest, facing unspeakable things that dwell in the darkness: a zombie who hungers for their flesh, a witch who tries to steal their skins, a ghost who hunts them through the snow . . . and other things too scary to mention.
Featuring eight interconnected stories and sixteen hauntingly beautiful illustrations, Scary Stories for Young Foxes contains the kinds of adventures and thrills you love to listen to beside a campfire in the dark of night. Fans of Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Auxier, and R. L. Stine have found their next favorite book.
A Booklist 2019 Editors' Choice Selection
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
An ancient fox storyteller presents eight interwoven tales to seven intrepid fox kits in this inventive middle-grade debut by Heidicker (Attack of the 50 Foot Wallflower). The kits' eyes are opened to real-world trauma as they follow the harrowing journeys of Mia and Uly, two young foxes who encounter disease, humans, predators, hunger, separation, and loss. As each tale grows progressively darker, the kits must question their fearlessness and consider returning to the safety of their mother's side. Heidicker ratchets up the tension as his protagonists encounter poisonous snakes, a rabies-like affliction called the yellow, an abusive fox father, author Beatrix Potter moonlighting as a taxidermist, light body horror, and more. Beguiling, intricate, black-and-white illustrations enrich the text, while the narrative framing device offers distance from the bleakness that Mia and Uly face. Heidicker presents but doesn't fully develop themes of loss and anthropogenic change, and readers may gloss over them as they fly through the swiftly moving story. An entertaining read for those who enjoy spooky animal thrills. Ages 9 12.
