MONSTER MOVIE!

A timorous sixth grader is the only one who keeps his head, literally, after a private viewing of the scariest movie ever made.

This work is more allegory than unvarnished shockfest—but along with creating a monster creepy enough to squick even hardened readers out, Wendig expertly ratchets up the terror and suspense to a feverish pitch. Already subject to panic attacks, Ethan reluctantly bows to heavy pressure from best friends Harley and Olivia to take a quick peek at a classmate’s showing of the legendary, impossible-to-get Demons of Death 4: Death Fingers. He arrives at Kevin’s house just in time to see the TV sprout limbs and, horribly, a mouth to nip off the heads of his whole sixth grade, leaving their still-breathing bodies otherwise intact beneath necks covered in “smooth Silly Putty skin patches.” TV Head next gets to all the adults who are at school for parents’ night and then everyone else in town. Summoning the courage to tackle the eerie, seemingly irresistible monster head on and rescue its victims proves so life-changing for Ethan that he’s even able, afterward, to persuade his parents to stop discouraging his interest in art. The book includes a pitch to let kids watch (developmentally appropriate) horror films as part of their preparation for real life: “It’s like a vaccine.” Olivia is Black; other major characters present white.

A bit message-heavy, but top of the class when it comes to frights.