Nightmare in the Backyard (Eek! #2)

by Jeff Strand (Author)

Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
Series: Eek!

When the scratching starts on the tent, a backyard camping trip turns terrifying for three friends. Prepare to be scared silly in this creepy middle-grade novel for fans of R.L. Stine, Dan Poblocki, and Mary Downing Hahn.

Chloe, Avery, and Madison can't wait to spend the night camping in the backyard. Smores! Spooky stories! Trading secrets! It's going to be awesome. Sure, Elijah the kid next door keeps trying to prank them, but it's all in good fun. Who doesn't like a little scare after the sun has set and the moonlight casts creepy shadows everywhere?

Then the scratching starts on the tent fabric. The girls think it must be Elijah again, but there's no one outside. As the scratching gets more insistent, the girls may need to start asking WHAT is making that noise rather than WHO. Can they make it through the night?

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School Library Journal

Eleven-year-old Chloe and her best friend, Avery, are dismayed when Chloe's cousin Madison shows up just as they are planning a tent sleepover in the backyard. Even though Madison can be a little stuffy and next-door neighbor Elijah keeps trying to prank them, the girls decide to make the best of it and are excited for all the usual camping activities, like s'mores and scary stories. Among the fun, Chloe is reminiscing about her dad who has gone missing. Things quickly go downhill when the girls hear strange noises and discover a creature lurking in the backyard. They must scramble to come up with a solution as the monster's hideous tentacles stab up through the earth, intent on inflicting damage. The narrative is action-packed, prioritizing plot advancement over characterization, and everything comes to a fast conclusion. Most characters are cued as white. The suspense and horror is mild. VERDICT This quick romp through a nightmarish camp-out among three friends compares to R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" series; a secondary purchase to fill out juvenile horror sections.--Julie Shatterly

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Kirkus

An action-packed thrill ride.

Review quotes

"Frighteningly fun... An action-packed thrill ride." — Kirkus Reviews

"This quick romp through a nightmarish camp-out among three friends compares to R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" series." — School Library Journal

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781728277660
Lexile Measure
580
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Sourcebooks Young Readers
Publication date
August 06, 2024
Series
Eek!
BISAC categories
JUV001010 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure | Survival Stories
JUV013070 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Siblings
JUV018000 - Juvenile Fiction | Horror
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Supernatural
Horror stories
Horror fiction
Camping
Horror tales
Practical jokes
Sleepovers

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