Flicks & Fun

1929

Several years ago, my cousins and I used to play a game called "Smee". It's based on a spooky, short story entitled "Smee" by A.M. Burrage. In order to play all you need are: 1) a nearly empty house or apartment. 2) a storyteller who can read with a grave voice. 3) brave family and friends. Basically what you do is tell the scary story, turn off all the lights in the house except for the kitchen (which is why you need the house nearly empty because the rooms need to be dark), and play hide & seek. That's right!! Hide & Seek in the dark. This story and game is great for slumber parties and at Halloween. Plus, parents can join in! It's a great way to fuse reading and having fun!! You can read "Smee" at www.scaryforkids.com/smee

1983

1992

A real thriller that Tweens are sure to appreciate is "The Dollhouse Murders" by Betty Ren Wright. There's a mystery to solve and it'll keep any reader guessing until the very end. This book was actually set to film in 1992. It's called "Secrets In The Attic" and is only available on VHS.

2012 edition

1978

Okay, so "Summer of Fear" by Lois Duncan isn't exactly a new story, but it's certainly a creepy one. A television movie was made about it in 1978 and though it might be considered "tame" by some kids, the movie entitled "Stranger In Our House" is worth the watch if only to see Linda Blair in the years after her 1973 horrorfest movie "The Exorcist"!