"These are my scariest stories ever," says R.L. Stine, "because I wrote them at the Nightmare Hour." You know when that is...it's when the lights fade, the real world slips into shadow, and the cold, moonlit world of evil dreams takes over you mind.

What horror awaits a boy who has to spend Halloween in the hospital? How do you outwit a ghost who wants you skin? Why is Nightmare Inn the most frightening place to visit?

R.L. Stine, the #1 bestselling children's author of all time, spins a web of horror with his ten most terrifying tales ever. And for the first time, he shares the secrets behind his scary stories. Where did the idea for each tale come from? You may not want to know...

00 Children's Choices (IRA/CBC)

A brand-new Goosebumps arc narrated by the most iconic and evil character of the series, Slappy! Livvy and Jayden are the stars of their school's robotics team. Livvy is especially enthusiastic because her own mother works in a robotics lab and experiments with Artificial Intelligence. To impress her mom, Livvy and Jayden build a robot. Livvy wants to name their robot Francine, but Jayden thinks that's too silly for their creation. Desperate to win, Livvy and Jayden borrow an Artificial Intelligence module. They soon realize they've made a terrible mistake. Francine has too much brain power. She's alive! And using this newly gained brain power to dream up a deadly contest!

Trudchen grew up hearing Odette's stories of a monster slaying and a magician's curse. But now that Tru's older, she's starting to wonder if her older sister's tales were just comforting lies, especially because there's nothing fantastic about her own life-permanently injured and in constant pain from a childhood illness. In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it's Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters' search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that's wreaking havoc in the mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister-despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances-might indeed have magic after all.

Sunshine Griffith has been awakened. Her powers are now fully alive and spirits follow her everywhere, desperate for help moving on to the afterlife. Hoping to get her luiseach abilities under control, she agrees to begin training with her mentor,her birth father, Aidan.Aidan takes her to an abandoned campus deep in the Mexican jungle, far from her would-be boyfriend and protector, Nolan. But Aidan's work turns out to be more terrifying than Sunshine could have imagined. Is she prepared to finally learn the truth about what's threatening the future of the luiseach and the human race, and the deadly part she may play in it?

Ben and Becky set out to solve the mystery of a haunted house and find their lost grandfather.

The virus is spreading and nowhere is safe. It's a scramble for survival as the number of zombies grows with every turn of the page...

From a hospital under quarantine and an underground bunker, to a White House evacuation and full-scale battle in the streets, zombie fans will love this scary and stomach churning search book.

With 48 pages of full colour illustrations, Where's The Zombie? promises to amuse, entertain and terrify readers as they hunt for the family of zombies among the crowds in this zombie activity book.

'The perfect sinisterly magical escape' Stephanie Garber Caraval meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this deliciously dark young adult fantasy about a girl who makes a deal with a magical secret society to enter a potentially deadly competition for the chance to avenge her mother's death. Ever since a vampire murdered her mother, Ava has been determined to get revenge. This all-encompassing drive has given her the fuel she needed to survive foster home after foster home. But it's been ten years since anyone's seen a vampire, and Ava has lost hope that she'll ever find one . . . until she stumbles across a hidden magic show where she witnesses impossible illusions. The magicians may not be the bloodsuckers she's hunting, but Ava is convinced something supernatural is at play, so she sneaks backstage and catches them in acts they can't explain. But they've been waiting for her. The magicians reveal they're part of an ancient secret society with true magic, and Ava has the same power in her blood that they do. If she joins them, they promise to teach her the skills she needs to hunt vampires and avenge her mother. But there's a catch: if she wants to keep the power they offer, she needs to prove she's worthy of it. And to do so, she must put on the performance of her life in a sinister and dangerous competition where illusion and reality blur, and the stakes are deadly.

Eoin Madden's having a busy term with friend issues, schoolwork and new rugby challenges; he's been moved up to train with the Junior Cup team, which is hard work, plus there's trouble in his dormitory as mobile phones start going missing! But as usual there are ghostly goings-on in Castlerock school - what's the link between Eoin's history lessons and the new spirit he's spotted wearing a Belvedere rugby jersey? ... Historical and modern mysteries combine in this intriguing tale of rugby, rebellion and ghosts. 'Beautifully crafted by Siggins, this is a book that will thrill any rugby-mad youngster while delighting sports fans (of any age) with an interest in entertaining storytelling.' Irish Daily Mail on Rugby Warrior

For readers who like thrills with their laughs, Case File 13 is a satisfying new series that blends irreverent humor, page-turning adventure, a mysterious narrator, and the kind of authentic characters that will leave young readers convinced this story is about their own best friends.

Case File 13: Zombie Kid follows three monster-obsessed friends who must solve fiendishly funny mysteries in their creepy hometown. Nick, Carter, and Angelo are obsessed with all things monster. And every Halloween they get to show off their monster-knowledge with elaborate homemade costumes. But this year, a surprise trip to the house of an aunt who may have been a voodoo queen throws a major wrench into the boys' Halloween plans and lands Nick with a cursed amulet that turns him into a real, live (well, undead) zombie.

To Nick and his friends, this is . . . awesome At first. Then the whole zombie thing starts to get a little out of hand (literally), and the boys have to go on a chilling adventure to reverse the curse. One that involves a talking cat, a skeleton who likes candy corn, and even the dreaded Zombie King himself.

Are you brave enough for Scary Stories?

Some boys and girls were at a party one night. There was a graveyard down the street, and they were talking about how scary it was.

"Don't ever stand on a grave after dark," one of the boys said. "The person inside will grab you."

"A grave doesn't scare me," said one of the girls. "I'll do it right now. . . ."

Welcome to the macabre world of Scary Stories. Inside, you'll find alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and the supernatural, with spine-tingling illustrations by renowned artist Brett Helquist.

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series for learners of English as a foreign language. With carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises, the print edition also includes instructions to access supporting material online.

Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.

The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria (V.E.) Schwab (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) comes a sweeping, spooky, evocative adventure, perfect for fans of Stranger Things. An instant bestseller! Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost. So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much stranger. When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift," she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil -- and herself. And she'll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.