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As sub-genres go of young adult literature, we probably won’t find “Creepy Cool” on any library shelf.  But it’s the term I use for books that are a little edgy, a little unpredictable, a little uncomfortable to read, and incredibly engaging. 

Of course, I can’t tell sophomores a book is contemporary gothic.  Instead, I just say it’s “Creepy Cool,” and that seems to cover it.

These Creepy Cool books have helped snag several reluctant readers—those who try to find other things to do rather than pick up a book.  I’ve mixed in different grade levels, some for middle school and some for high school.  Of course, I know readers vary at any grade level, so use your own judgment when deciding who might enjoy one of these books.  

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1. Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier—This is great for the mature middle-school reader or a high school student.  My favorite of all Cormier’s books, Rag and Bone Shop (Laurel Leaf, 2003) snags readers immediately with the battering of a 7-year-old girl.  Twelve-year-old Jason, the last person to see her alive, becomes the suspect, and an interrogator, determined to get a confession, won’t give up until that happens.

I have handed this one out to more mature seventh- and eighth-grade students, as well as my sophomores.  One female student, giving me the benefit of a doubt when I recommended it, had to be asked to quit reading it so we could continue with our other class activities.  Through the next few days—and it didn’t take many—she finished the book, slammed it down on the table, and huffed, “That’s so weird!”  Her follow-up comment?  “Got any others by this guy?”  Creepy Cool strikes again. (I next recommended After the First Death, by the way.)

2. Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman—Trueman gives us some uneasy reading in Stuck in Neutral (HarperTeen, 2001), with the story of a 14-year-old who has cerebral palsy and has lost control of all of his muscles—to the point that he can’t move, speak, or even control his eye movement.  While he’s happy enough (the story is told from his perspective), he begins to suspect that his father wants to end the boy’s life, to end his son’s suffering.  A powerful story, I include it in the Creepy Cool section because it’s such an uneasy story—the reader takes a journey that won’t quickly be forgotten.

Honestly, I use this with reluctant readers—the ones who always forget their book, don’t have one, etc.  The key in getting them to read it is its brevity—it’s only 120-some pages, and that seems a little less painful option for some of my students.  And I have yet to have someone “lose” the book or forget to bring it to class. Currently, I have about six sophomores reading it—to the point I ran out of copies in my classroom library.  But they keep track of who already has copies and pester them to complete it.  Kind of nice to see them taking charge and tracking down copies; that tells me they’re spreading the word about this book.   I’d be comfortable using this at the middle school or high school level.

3. Heroes by Robert Cormier—You knew Cormier would have to have more than one on the list, didn’t you?   The man was the master of Creepy Cool novels.  So here he is with Heroes (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1998), and his protagonist, Francis Cassavant.  Cassavant, 18, has returned home from serving in World War II—bearing the scars of war.  A grenade blew away most of his face, which he now hides with bandages and a scarf, which give him anonymity in a town where he grew up.  He is determined to get revenge on Larry LaSalle, who has heroically returned from war, as well.  But Cassavant isn’t seeking revenge because of the war—it’s due to something LaSalle did as a popular youth leader in their hometown.

Students like dealing with the gruesomeness of Cassavant’s war injuries as well as the tension that builds between the two.  Something’s going to happen, and readers want to stick around to witness it.

While I wouldn’t label this a “guy” book, the copies in my room mostly have been in the hands of my male readers who tend to love war stories.  The war idea might get them to try the book, but the tension of this thriller keeps them there.

While some more mature middle-schoolers would enjoy this book, I’m more comfortable with this at the high school level.

4. Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg—Similar to Rag and Bone Shop, Konigsburg’s Silent to the Bone (SimonPulse, 2004) makes the Creepy Cool list with its teen-aged protagonist Branwell, who calls 911 to report that his infant half-sister is injured, goes mute when the operator asks for details.

Everyone assumes that he is guilty of injuring the baby, and he is sent to a juvenile detention center.  It’s only through a friend’s clever communication system with Branwell that we start to figure out what really happened.

Middle schoolers enjoy this one as a precursor to Cormier’s novel, which is much grittier and dark.  The suspense, as well as the concept of a mute character, draw in the reader.

5. Inside Out by Terry Trueman—Another repeat author on my Creepy Cool list, Trueman is a popular option among high school students. Inside Out (HarperTeen 2004) is one of their favorite choices.

Zach, a schizophrenic 16-year-old, ends up in the middle of a coffee shop robbery and held hostage with others by two troubled teens.  Without his medications, Zach is prone to outbursts, which adds to the volatile situation.

One of my sophomores, complaining that there were no copies of Stuck in Neutral left in our school library or in my classroom library, picked up Inside Out as a last resort. I watched as he read during a portion of our class; he started handing the book to others and pointing out passages they should read.  “Listen to this,” he said, before reading a section aloud to me. 

Sometimes last resorts aren’t such a bad thing.

6. Invisible by Pete Hautman—I must confess—before I ever handed this book to anyone, I kept it for myself.  I was so intrigued by the book that I just had to drop by the author at an NCTE booth and thank him.  Unfortunately, I think I probably squealed, “I LOVE your book!” as I dashed up to him.  Not the coolest of introductions, but he tolerated me extremely well. 

Invisible (Simon Pulse, 2006) gets the Creepy Cool label for his story of Dougie, who spends years creating a miniature version of the Golden Gate Bridge out of matchsticks as part of his model railroad set.  Bit by bit, we learn of a horrific episode involving his one-and-only friend.

Students from middle school on up will grab this one because of the mystery, but along the way they’ll find a heartbreaking story of a young man’s mental illness as he copes with the results of his actions.

7. Being Dead by Vivian Vande Velde—Fortunately, I interviewed Vivian Vande Velde a few years ago for an article in The ALAN Review.  That got me to read this book, and the stories have never left my mind.  Being Dead (Magic Carpet Books, 2003).

Again, this book I would probably share with my more mature middle school readers, but it’s at the top of the list for my high schoolers.

Creepy story after creepy story give twists and turns that the reader won’t see coming.  And, for those reluctant readers, the short stories make it a book they can pick up and experience a great story in only a few short pages.  That can be a great start for moving the students into one of these other books.

8. More Horowitz Horror: More Stories You’ll Wish You’d Never Read by Anthony Horowitz—I inadvertently picked up More Horowitz Horror (Philomel Books, 2007) while my sophomore students had some independent reading time one day.  They got a little extra reading time because I got hooked on one of the short stories, “The Hitchhiker.” 

When I finished, I couldn’t help it—I put the book down and announced, “I didn’t see that one coming!”  With that, I didn’t get to read any more of the short stories, and the book didn’t make it back to the shelves until the end of the school year.  (Someone borrowed it for the summer, as well.) 

           This is a collection I’d feel comfortable with on my middle school or high school shelves.  And, again, a real plus, besides stories that figuratively grab the reader—and make you wonder if something’s going to literally grab the reader—they’re short stories.  That means those who have only a few minutes and don’t want to dive into a novel—or reluctant readers unwilling to tackle longer texts, will find these horrors to be just right.

9.  Locked in Time by Lois Duncan—OK, I fell in love with this many years ago when I took my first young adult literature class.  Since then, I have always made sure I have several copies in my classroom library.

Locked in Time (Laurel Leaf, 1989) tells of Nore, who returns to live with her father and her new stepmother and quickly finds some mysterious situations.  It’s a creepy tale of stepbrothers and stepsisters who seem to never age and a stepmother who, behind the scenes, isn’t so happy to have Nore around.

This is especially good for the middle school reader who wants to mix a little romance, a little mystery, and contemplate being stuck for life as a 13-year-old.

This book demonstrates why Duncan’s mystery writing led the way for many of today’s new authors.  Locked in Time, through more than 20 years, shows her novels don’t age through the years either.

10.  Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor—Naylor scores a Creepy Cool mention with Jade Green (Simon Pulse, 2001), the story of an orphaned teen who goes to live with her uncle.  But, we get a clue that things won’t go well when we learn that she’s disobeyed her uncle’s only rule and has brought something green—a picture frame with her mother’s photo. 

Middle school readers tear into this book—so much that I had to replace (over and over) my paperback copies because they just couldn’t survive the page-turning.  Not a bad problem, I know.  Meanwhile, I found it especially good for reluctant readers—primarily girls, at least for my classes—who enjoyed the murder mystery with a little innocent romance thrown in.  And it’s got enough creepiness—a chopped off hand that makes various appearances, etc.—to make it a solid Creepy Cool  contender.

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While Creepy Cool may not be an official sub-genre, it’s a type of book that definitely has brought in some readers—especially some students I was struggling to get involved in any kind of text.  At this point, I’ve used the term enough that I don’t even have to explain.  They have a sense of what it’s about just by my label.  Hopefully, others are discovering the power of Creepy Cool books.  Feel free to email me with other Creepy Cool ideas to add to my list…and to get into my students’ hands.

Enjoy!

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Lori Atkins Goodson has taught middle school language arts and high school English and newspaper in Wamego, Kan.  An instructor at Kansas State University, Manhattan, she received National Board Certification and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction.  She has received numerous teaching awards, including NCTE’s 2007 Hoey Award, being a 2008 top 10 finalist for the NEA Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Kansas Master Teacher Award.  She is the former chair of the NCTE middle level nominating committee and co-editor of The ALAN Review. She has had articles published in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Voices from the Middle, and Kansas English, among others.  Her Book Business blog can be accessed at bookbusiness.lorigoodson.com.