illustrated by Tim Archbold
Interest Level: Ages 4-8
About This Book: Claire is thrilled when the grown-ups don't notice her staying up late. But she watches a frightening video and now she can't get the scary images out of her head. She is having trouble sleeping and is having nightmares. She is sorry that she watched the movie.
Why It's On My Bookshelf: Growing up, I was the kid who couldn't handle scary movies (I still can't). In the elementary years, I was once at a slumber party and the movie before bed was "The Shining." Um, Jack Nicholson scariness!!!!!!!!! I didn't feel confident telling the other girls I shouldn't watch this movie (my first failure with peer pressure). The movie choice wouldn't be okay with my parents and I knew what was coming.... nightmares. So I watched it. As we all settled down to sleep, I was wide awake thinking RED RUM RED RUM!!!!!!!! Long story short, I was such a mess, my parents had to come pick me up at about 2am. Needless to say, they were not happy with me. I remember my mom saying, "Those movies are for adults. Children have susceptible minds." Apparently I had a susceptible mind to the 10th degree.
That story brings me to the discovery of The Scary Movie. The little girl in the story, Claire, reminded me a lot of myself. She sneaks downstairs one night when her parents are watching a scary movie. Hiding behind the couch, Claire watches it too. What happens next is the mental aftermath of the movie on her mind. She is afraid to look in the mirror, thinks something is under her bed, cannot fall asleep, wants the lights on, and has terrible nightmares. She also doesn't admit to her parents that she watched the movie. Felt like deja vu for me!
This is an important read for the littles. Call me a big prude, but the topic of scary movies should be on the list of important things to talk to your kids about. My mom was definitely right about kids minds being too susceptible. It's our job to protect their growing minds from inappropriate images. I feel pretty darned strong about that. When I hear kids at school talking about violent video games or how they watched a horror movie, I sort of shudder. Sure, you can tell your kids NO. However, this is a great concrete book to explain the importance of protecting our thoughts, feelings, and brains. The Scary Movie will back up your NO and leaves room for family discussion and agreements.
Look for all of the books in this series at Capstone Publishing.
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