Nightmares for Kids

Nightmares! is a hilariously frightening, middle-grade novel and the first book in a trilogy about a boy named Charlie and a group of kids who must face their fears to save their town. This delightfully entertaining offering from actor [Jason] Segel and co-author [Kirsten] Miller has been nominated as a Texas Bluebonnet. As described by Publishers Weekly, the story "meets Monsters, Inc." and "Coraline" in a captivating manner.

Charlie Laird has several pressing problems. Firstly, his father has married a woman he is convinced moonlights as a witch. Secondly, Charlie has had to move into her purple mansion, which is undoubtedly the creepiest place in Cypress Creek. Thirdly, he cannot recall the last time sleeping was not a nightmarish prospect, even for a nap.

What Charlie is unaware of, however, is that his difficulties are about to become much more real. Nightmares can ruin a good night's sleep, but when they start slipping out of your dreams and into the waking world, well, that is something only Charlie can face. And he will need all the help he can get, or it might just be lights-out for Charlie Laird, for good.

The Nightmares! series has received widespread praise. The New York Times Book Review notes that "Charlie Laird, who learns fear will eat you alive if you feed it, makes an impression, and...readers will want to accompany him again." US Weekly describes it as "a touching comical saga...about facing things that go bump in the night." Booklist praises the "comical antics, cartoonish spot illustrations, and creepy villains" that make for "quite an entertaining read." Kirkus Reviews finds the series "succeeds at scaring and amusing in equal measure...Sweet, charming, and imaginative." VOYA commends the "engaging and creative story...woven with a generous amount [of] humor," while School Library Journal highlights the "humor and a fairly high ick-factor." The ILA Literacy Daily concludes that the novel is "Cleverly crafted...presenting just the right mix of 'scary and humorous.'"

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