Nightmare Jones Poems

Gr 5 Up--An eerie, yet magical world, similar to Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The poems feel as if Schwartz teamed up with Shel Silverstein. Some, like "Dollhouse Spiders" and "The Truth about Worms," may help ease the fear of spiders and bring a new appreciation to the typically unloved worms. The creative "Welcome to Persephone's" is similar in feeling to Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, but more child-appropriate. Abstract watercolor art seamlessly accompanies each poem, especially with "Four Seasons in a Witch's Garden." The book starts with more upbeat poems; then, towards the back, more melancholic poems and those incorporating themes of grief appear. VERDICT A great book for readers who like Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, fans of Mary Downing Hahn, and anyone looking to darken their reads a little bit.--Autumn West

Witches, ghosts, arachnids, and more abound in this terrifying compendium of verse. "No two monsters are alike," observes Bramer cogently, pairing once more with Derby. This collection introduces readers to the titular Nightmare Jones, a onetime swashbuckler "with a bit of blood on his shoe." Of the 28 poems, some rhyme, like the oddly triumphant "The Son of a Scorpion," while most do not. Though many entries are straightforward, others are so rife with odd and evocative imagery that they're sure to inspire discussion; all are beautifully crafted and appropriately spine-tingling. Particularly outstanding is "Four Seasons in a Witch's Garden," which plays off prettified odes to the seasons. Spring is full of "red crocuses / like blood fingers / along the burgeoning path," while in autumn the witch will "rip things out / incubate their hearts / collect the tubers / smell her own hands." Derby, who's always flitted at the edges of creepiness, now fully embraces her own inner Stephen Gammell--known for his illustrations for Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark books--with her grotesquely drippy art; the result feels like a long-lost installment in that series. Though the work is written for children, it has a philosophical bent that could just as easily appeal to younger teens looking for a little goth inspiration. Delicious poetry paired with haunting art speaks with authority to the darkness so many kids crave.(Poetry/horror. 9-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

All My Little Bundles   A spider the size of a quarter built a web above my bed big enough to be a quilt In the moonlight I could see flies and mosquitoes glittering in the web like diamonds The spider caught my thoughts, too the dead dust of my dreams and all my little bundles of wiggling nightmares were delicious to her Excerpted from Nightmare Jones: Poems by Shannon Bramer All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.