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Spooky treats for teens

Just in time for Halloween are some “spooky” books for middle grade and young adult readers.

For zombie fans is “Gravediggers: Terror Cove” by Christopher Krovatin. Three students were on a class field trip gone wrong and had to face off against the zombie hoardes. Their story continues in this new book. Now the three are on a family vacation in the tropics. They are warned to stay away from a certain island – but who could resist investigating that? There, they find another zombie hoarde! Can they survive this fight? For young horror readers, this is a great zombie book with teen protagonists to enjoy.

“Gravediggers: Terror Cove” is published by HarperCollins. It is $16.99.

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The classic “Creature from the Black Lagoon” isn’t so scary as a young teen protagonist in “The Creature From the Seventh Grade: Sink or Swim” by Bob Balaban with illustrations by Andy Rash.

Charlie Drinkwater is your typical seventh grader – he has a crush on a cute girl, a bully that picks on him and he also happens to be mutant dinosaur with gills and a tail. Because of the mutant dinosaur thing, Charlie attracts all kinds of unwanted attention, particularly from his teachers. They suspect him of causing trouble and possibly stealing things, so he gets put on the school swim team to give him some more discipline. Except Charlie is scared of the water and swimming! Charlie’s determined to clear his name and get himself off the swim team, but has he put himself into even more trouble? This is a funny story with an unlikely protagonist who readers will enjoy.

“The Creature From the Seventh Grade: Sink or Swim” is published by Viking. It is $15.99.

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Three young people encounter a world of spiritualists and mediums at the turn of the twentieth century in “The Dark Between” by Sonia Gensler.

Kate has been part of a group of street urchins who have been working for a woman running a senace scam. When she messes up her part, she’s turned out on the street. But she then encounters the spirtualists in Summerfield College. She also meets Asher, a skeptic whose father works there, and Elise, who seems to have some sort of powers. When Elise does some photography and sees a spirit hanging near Kate, it turns out that one of her friends is dead. Is it a flesh and blood killer or someone on the spiritual plane? The three must work together and find out! This is a moody, gothic story that many will enjoy.

“The Dark Between” is published by Alfred A. Knopf. It is $16.99.

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James Phelan ends his Alone series with “Quarantine.”

Since an explosion wiped out New York City and turned most of its residents into blood thirsty monsters, all Jesse has wanted to do is find a way home to Australia. He has managed to survive, first on his own (but not thinking he was on his own) and then with several other young people he has found. When out on a hunt, he has found a group of survivors who offer him a place with them. Should he trust them? Should he leave his current friends? Should he go out on his own? And is there still a home to go to? For those who like zombie apocalypse stories, this will satisfy their adventuring tastes!

“Quarantine” is published by Kensington. It is $9.95.

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A girl learns that she’s been entrusted to help keep an ancient essence of eternal life from falling into the wrong hands in Amanda Ashby’s “Demonosity.”

Cassidy Carter-Lewis is just shopping for a funny get-well present for her dad at the mall when a stranger speaking a strange language runs up to her. Soon after she finds an old book in her bag that wasn’t there before. And then there’s the flirty new guy who might actually be interested in her. Or is he? Cassidy soon learns she’s been entrusted as a guardian of the Black Rose, that is in a human form. It’s someone at school, but who? This is a fun teen slayer kind of read that has laughs, romance and plenty of paranormal action!

“Demonosity” is published by Speak. It is $8.99.

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A modern story of Frankenstein and the other “classic” monsters is told in Jon Skovron’s “Man Made Boy.”

Boy works for a theatrical troupe that is made up of monsters. His father is Frankenstein’s Monster and his mother is The Bride. They are made fun of by many in the troupe, and Boy escapes into the world of the Internet. When Boy finally makes good his escape, his crush comes with him, but he finds life amid the humans and with her harder than he thought. And it’s possible his creation of life is causing major problems in his world. What can a Frankenstein’s monster do?

An intriguing look into humanity, relationships and the Internet, this is a thought-provoking story.

“Man Made Boy” is published by Viking. It is $17.99.

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