Terror in Tiny Town Deadtime Stories , No 1 Horror Book Review

I remember choosing this book in the Scholastic reading program my elementary school conducted way back when . . . and upon receiving the book, for some reason I thought I’d made such an embarrassing choice that I hid it from my classmates as soon as it arrived, only reluctantly revealing it when requested to do so by my friends.  Subsequently, it took me a good 4 or so years to actually get around to reading it, but upon completion of the first chapter I had realized the err in my literary delay.  This book catapulted to my rather short list of favorite books (formerly occupied solely by the 1st 3 Harry Potter novels), easily overtaking the monumental Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Stone.

Annette & Gina Cascone crafted a successfully spooky tale of toys that talk and then some . . . while several stories of animated playthings choose to entertain by maintaining a sense of mystery concerning the intentions of the toys, this story was a breath of fresh air in its vivid description of the intricate inner workings of Tiny Town. Well-crafted characterization was dutifully combined with an engaging story line, shifting focus between the secret ongoings in the basement and Willy & Zack’s investigation of them.  Throw in a spine-tingling climax and a jaw-dropping twist ending that no one could’ve predicted in a million billion years, and you have yourself a classic book aimed at the Nickolodeon demographic but can honestly be enjoyed by anyone.  I love this book and doubt any other will ever be my favorite over it!