Review: Tales to Keep You Up At Night by Dan Poblocki. Illustrated by Marie Bergeron
Quick Info:
Book type: Chapter Book (Short Stories)
Target age: 10-12 years old
Recommended age: None
Plot: When Amelia, her brother and their two mothers go to her grandmother’s house after her mysterious disappearance Amelia finds a book titled “Tales to Keep YouUp at Night” in the attic. A short collection of creepy stories intertwined with Amelia’s own story as elements of the book begin to come to life.
Review:
Honestly, I’m just not a fan of recommending scary books to children; I don’t find them good for the heart or soul. I’m 20 and some of these stories left me feeling disturbed and creeped out. The concept of the story was interesting but a big theme of the book was literal evil eye and witchcraft. The spirits of a witch’s ancestors seek revenge on the ancestors of the man that murder her centuries ago and torment them if they don’t “spread their story”. I don’t have a problem was “magic” in children books but it also depends how that magic is depicted. Innocent fairy magic is one thing but witches seeking revenge? Burning crow feathers to create a tormenting hallucination? Tarot cards telling the future? A child creating living creatures from clay and then referring himself as “a god”? I can’t say I agree with the message of the book either. In the end the main character decides to continue the loop the witches create. Additionally, the main character has two moms that are mentioned in the story frequently. It is a bit difficult to share excerpts of this book because sometimes you have to read the whole story to get the gist of the vibe.
Opinion:
Due to the content of glorification witchcraft and same-sex relationships I would not recommend this book.
Content:
Amelia has two mothers in a lesbian relationship
Themes of witchcraft
Burning crow feathers to create a tormenting hallucination
The spirits of a witch’s ancestors seek revenge on the ancestors of the man that murder her centuries ago and torment them if they don’t “spread their story”.
A child creating living creatures from clay and then referring himself as “a god”
Themes of death
One story briefly mentions a dinner with someone’s “boss and his husband”
Minor mentioning of hanging, drowning, murder
Tarot card reading of the future
Mentioning and description of blood
Scary, disturbing imagery and plots such as (but not limited to): body horror, being buried alive, being burned alive, clowns
Excerpts:
Excerpts from books are a glimpse of the content that is found and are not every instance of un-Islamic and/or “iffy” content.
Context:
The main character of the story has two mothers who are frequently mentioned.
Context:
In one of the short stories, a character mentions going to a dinner with her “boss and his husband”.
Context:
After a 10-12 year old child creates a dinosaur with some magical clay he discovered in a rock he arrogantly refers to himself as “a god”.
Context:
It is a bit difficult to showcase all the disturbing imagery and storylines without giving the whole story but this is a snippet from the short story “Green Beans”. It is about a boy who stays over with his aunt and how she won’t let him leave the dinner table until he finishes all his green beans. When he refuses to she says the man with “upside down head” will get him. This excerpt is the boy meeting that man.
Context:
This was another one of the short stories that stuck out to me as particularly disturbing. A young girl goes to this old house looking for “nite crawlers”—specific worms to fish with in order to win a fishing competition. Previously, her father had won a competition and vanished. It turns out he was captured by this woman and then became a life source for wormlike creatures. This scene is the main character meeting her demise.
