Book picks similar to
The Deadly Mantis by Ian Thorne


childrens
monsters
school-book-scare
childrens-book

Hunted


William W. Johnstone - 1995
    An outcast and a traveler through the shifting times, his extraordinary power makes him feared by those who call themselves guardians of liberty. Ransom calls them enemy. Now, the predator has become the prey as the hunt begins for this fugitive who will never conform, cannot be tamed, and refuses to die.

Claws


Russell James - 2019
    Two overnight campers go missing, but before the rangers can investigate, shady Homeland Security agent Glen Larsson arrives to close the park due to a purportedly imminent red tide. Things quickly escalate out of control when mercenaries arrive to back up Larsson and imprison the rangers. Larsson’s plan is to free a cast of giant crabs to overrun the park, and then Florida beyond. It’s up to Kathy and Nathan to escape the fort, and then, with the help of an old Coast Guard vet and a scientist with inside knowledge of the plot, to save millions of innocents from rampaging giant crabs. But Larsson’s evil plan has been decades in the making, and the crabs seem indestructible. It will take courage, teamwork, and perhaps the ultimate sacrifice, to avert disaster.

The Monsters We Forgot: Volume 1


R.C. BowmanLeah Velez - 2019
     Within these pages, you’ll find a treasure trove of myths, legends, folktales, urban legends, historical accounts, and stories about horrors, both ancient and modern, that have been hidden, ignored, or forgotten entirely. “The Monsters We Forgot” is a massive anthology of horror stories by an international team of authors ranging from award-winners and bestsellers to visionary newcomers. These stories draw inspiration from the folklore traditions of countries including Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Ireland, Wales, England, Norway, Nigeria, Greece, Poland, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States, the tales in this three-volume collection range from original folktales and chilling myths to information-age monsters and modern urban legends, and everything in between. Turn on the lights, check the locks, and settle in. You’re about to remember The Monsters We Forgot.

How I Survived My Summer Vacation


Bruce Coville - 1988
    What the ad doesn’t say is that Camp Haunted Hills is run by Gregory Stevens, the man who makes the world’s scariest movies—and that he plan to try out his special effects on the campers!Expect the unexpected, Stevens says. So Stuart gets used tot he shark rising out of the lake and the witch flying around the campfire. But what about the ghost perched on top of the outhouse? And the giant footsteps leading into the woods? Can it be that the camp is haunted for real?

The Ghosts of Nantucket: 23 True Accounts


Blue Balliett - 1990
    Their accounts are both surprising and entertaining, for Nantucket's ghosts are as individualistic as today's flesh-and-blood inhabitants.

Below Deck: Hell or High Water


Matt Shaw - 2021
    

The House on Hackman's Hill


Joan Lowery Nixon - 1986
    But a raging snow storm forces them to spend the night -- and an evil ancient spirit might not let them see the dawn.

Wind on Haunted Hill


Ruskin Bond - 2018
    . . whoo . . . whooo, cried the wind as it swept down from the Himalayan snows.'The wild wind pushes open windows, chokes chimneys and blows away clothes as it huffs and puffs over the village by Haunted Hill, where Usha, Suresh and Binya live. It's even more mighty the day Usha is on her way back from the bazaar. A deep rumble echoes down the slope and a sudden flash of lightning lights up the valley as fat drops come raining down.In search of shelter, Usha rushes into the ruins on Haunted Hill, grim and creepy against the dark sky. Inside, the tin roof groans, strange shadows are thrown against the walls and little Usha shivers with fear. For she isn't alone.A gritty, hair-raising story about friendship, courage and survival, this stunning edition will introduce another lot of young readers to the magic of Ruskin Bond's craft.

Dare to Be Scared: Thirteen Stories to Chill and Thrill


Robert D. San Souci - 2003
    Several of the stories draw on the rich heritage of legends, folklore, and cultural traditions as they extend into children’s lives today. With suspense, action, and manageable “scare level,” these stories will be popular around the campfire and during summertime sleepovers.

Control


T.W. Piperbrook - 2016
    A short story to be read after Outage 5: The Change due to spoilers A year after The Great Storm has ended, two survivors cope with the aftermath.

S79: The Horror in the Swamp


Brett Schumacher - 2019
    He was traveling through Louisiana and a few missed turns, a few hours later, he finds himself facing a horrible fate. All Robert knows is that he is stuck in an abandoned military bunker in the wild swamps of Louisiana. There is something stalking his every move, a scary horror look unlike anything he has ever seen. S79 The creature in the Bunker, The Horror Novel of the Swamps. Will Robert survive the living nightmares and make it back home to his wife Julie and his daughter Lillie? Will he uncover a bigger horror mystery that the small town of Montegut had been hiding for years? ★★★★★ "S79 has a super fun plot. You’ve got swamps, abandoned military base, science experiment gone wrong, conspiracy theories, urban legends, pitch dark atmosphere, snakes, gators, rednecks, revenge, and a pretty epic creature." - Aimee M.

The Monster That Ate Our Keys


A.J. Cosmo - 2012
     3k words, 6 color illustrations, perfect for emergent readers!

Hello Darkness


Sam Best - 2012
    Along with his four-year-old daughter, he hopes to make a new life for his family, free from the painful memories that still haunt them both.But old memories never fade. Visions of Ben’s deceased wife follow him to Colorado — and that’s just the beginning. An ancient evil is hunting his daughter from the shadows, watching and waiting for the perfect moment to strike.As the good people of Falling Rock disappear one by one, Ben must join with the few who remain in a last stand to destroy a malevolent force that will consume every last human soul.Hello Darkness tells an epic invasion from hell story of good vs evil on a small town vs monster scale.Note: This creepy horror story contains some disturbing scenes and will make you want to sleep with the lights on.

Prehistoric, Vol. 1


S.J. LarssonJeff Bracket - 2019
    Lost worlds where T-Rex and Velociraptors still roam and man is now on the menu. Laboratories at the forefront of cloning technology experiment with dinosaurs they do not understand or are able to contain. The deepest parts of the ocean where Megalodon, the largest and most ferocious predator to have ever existed is stalking new prey. Plus many more thrillers filled with extinct prehistoric monsters written by some of the best creature feature authors this side of the Jurassic period.

Monster Spotter's Guide to North America


Scott Francis - 2007
    North America is home to a wide array of fearsome beasts, including hairy monsters, flying monsters, lake monsters, and other unexplained phenomena. "Monster Spotter's Guide "geographically catalogs more than one hundred legendary monsters reported to inhabit the continent.From the mythical Sasquatch of the Pacific Northwest to the vicious Mexican goatsucker known as El Chupacabra, you'll read about the legends and major sightings of the most widely feared creatures reported to exist–plus a few you might have never heard of.Within these pages you'll find detailed pen-and-ink drawings, helpful quick-reference boxes for immediate identification of key monster traits, a glossary of cryptozoology terms, useful appendices, case studies and more.Let this book be your guide, and explore the legends for yourself. Anyone can be a monster spotter when you start looking, you never know what you might find."