The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural
By Patricia C. McKissack
"Ten original stories, all with a foundation in African-American history or culture. Some are straight ghost stories, many of which are wonderfully spooky and all of which have well-woven narratives. There is a tale from slavery times; a story set among the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; and one from the 1940s segregated South, in which a black man's ghost brings revenge upon the white klansman who murdered him. Strong characterizations are superbly drawn in a few words. The atmosphere of each selection is skillfully developed and sustained to the very end. Pinkney's stark scratch-board illustrations evoke an eerie mood, which heightens the suspense of each tale. This is a stellar collection for both public and school libraries looking for absorbing books to hook young readers."
This book was for a bit younger reading level than I was expecting (elementary vs. Middle/high school), but it was still entertaining. Some of the tales were downright spooky, especially since I was reading them alone late at night lol And the last story inspired me to write one based on something that happened to me as a kid. I've got some revising to do, then I'll post it on here :-)
"Ten original stories, all with a foundation in African-American history or culture. Some are straight ghost stories, many of which are wonderfully spooky and all of which have well-woven narratives. There is a tale from slavery times; a story set among the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; and one from the 1940s segregated South, in which a black man's ghost brings revenge upon the white klansman who murdered him. Strong characterizations are superbly drawn in a few words. The atmosphere of each selection is skillfully developed and sustained to the very end. Pinkney's stark scratch-board illustrations evoke an eerie mood, which heightens the suspense of each tale. This is a stellar collection for both public and school libraries looking for absorbing books to hook young readers."
This book was for a bit younger reading level than I was expecting (elementary vs. Middle/high school), but it was still entertaining. Some of the tales were downright spooky, especially since I was reading them alone late at night lol And the last story inspired me to write one based on something that happened to me as a kid. I've got some revising to do, then I'll post it on here :-)