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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Even though this is an animal story I still enjoyed it and was impressed with the writing. The author did a commendable job of weaving separate stories into an integrated novel that had connections between the characters. Parents of younger readers should be aware that there is some intense violence between the father fox and his wife and kits. The author also has the Beatrix Potter character as pretty unfriendly to animals which was an odd choice. Otherwise most of the scary parts are just peril in nature. I'd recommend this book to readers 10 and older.
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism
Content warning for ableism that I think gets glossed over in the content summary—one of the main characters is born with a malformed front leg, and a fairly major early plot point is the harsh mistreatment he receives as a result. This abuse is thoroughly condemned by the narrative, but it does get rather intense.
Scary Stories for Young Foxes is scary, gross, nerve wracking, suspenseful, awesome.I would read this one aloud to 5th graders at any time. The Storyteller spends the night telling stories about Ully and Mia to young fox kits. I couldn't put this book down! I had to do a Google search on the human that shows up in the story... turns out it is kind of true about her. Not a book for readers who spook easily!
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This book was an easy 5. It was the creepiest middle-grade book I've read. I could just picture the foxes through the entire story and was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Middle-grade horror can be a tricky genre to pull off, with an atmosphere that's spookily disquieting yet not full-on terrifying, but this Newbery-winning title from 2019 navigates that threshold nicely. Structured as a series of connected stories that an older fox is telling a litter of young ones in the framing device -- with their numbers steadily dropping as each successive tale scares another kit into fleeing home to their mother -- the book delivers scenarios quite capable of frightening its human readers as well.
Indeed, I think the quiet strength of this project, beyond the chilly autumnal setting, is how author Christian McKay Heidicker is able to root the described dangers in the experience and perspective of one species while offering subtle points of connection to his true audience of another. We can't exactly relate to getting a paw stuck in a trap or encountering a rabid friend, but the writer excels at conveying the grounded emotions of his animal characters, with the impotent sorrow brought on by a bullying family standing out as particularly effective. I've been properly and enjoyably unsettled throughout.
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Indeed, I think the quiet strength of this project, beyond the chilly autumnal setting, is how author Christian McKay Heidicker is able to root the described dangers in the experience and perspective of one species while offering subtle points of connection to his true audience of another. We can't exactly relate to getting a paw stuck in a trap or encountering a rabid friend, but the writer excels at conveying the grounded emotions of his animal characters, with the impotent sorrow brought on by a bullying family standing out as particularly effective. I've been properly and enjoyably unsettled throughout.
Find me on Patreon | Goodreads | Blog | Twitter
I had my doubts at the beginning. Were these really going to be scary stories? And quickly, I revised that to wonder whether these were going to be too scary? In the end, I found it to be the perfect balance of terrifying and sweet. Similar in intensity to the [b:Redwall|7996|Redwall (Redwall, #1)|Brian Jacques|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327877368l/7996._SY75_.jpg|486980] series, but with pacing for a slightly younger audience.
The way the story breaks up into chilling episodes with (literally) dark interludes means that just when things get hopeless or too awful, there is a brief respite. Illustrations add visual breaks in the story as well. Eventually, all elements blend into what was, all along, one single horrifying tale about the world these foxes live in. From malevolent humans to disease, foul weather, birth defects, and predators, many of the horrors were ones you can see while watching any nature show. But there were... other... kinds of horrors, too. Sibling cruelty, abusive fathers, cult grooming, and parental neglect, that draw uncomfortable parallels to human problems.
But against all of this is the courage of two young foxes and their friendship. And even though the power of love can't surmount every difficulty, it can inspire bravery and make the really hard times a little less devastating. To finish this collection of horrifying stories, the storyteller reminds us readers that the darkest tales can awaken us to the horrors in the world around us, and help prepare us all for what we might face.
The power of stories indeed.
Recipient of a 2020 Newbery Honor Award.
The way the story breaks up into chilling episodes with (literally) dark interludes means that just when things get hopeless or too awful, there is a brief respite. Illustrations add visual breaks in the story as well. Eventually, all elements blend into what was, all along, one single horrifying tale about the world these foxes live in. From malevolent humans
Spoiler
(this was one of my favorite parts: Beatrix Potter as the local wildlife may have experienced her)But against all of this is the courage of two young foxes and their friendship. And even though the power of love can't surmount every difficulty, it can inspire bravery and make the really hard times a little less devastating. To finish this collection of horrifying stories, the storyteller reminds us readers that the darkest tales can awaken us to the horrors in the world around us, and help prepare us all for what we might face.
The power of stories indeed.
Recipient of a 2020 Newbery Honor Award.