JEFF SZPIRGLAS is the author of multiple books in the Countdown to Danger series. In addition to his choose-your-own-path titles, Jeff has written award-nominated non-fiction books and several terrifying novels and horror collections for middle-grade readers, including Tales from the Fringes of Fear and Tales from Beyond the Brain. With his wife, Danielle Saint-Onge, he is the co-author of the Orca Echoes books X Marks the Spot!, Something's Fishy and Messy Miranda. He's worked at CTV Television and was an editor at Chirp, chickaDEE and Owl magazines. He has twin children, two cats (the cats are not twins) and one dog. In his spare time, he teaches elementary school. He lives in Kitchener, Ontario. Visit him online at www.jeffszpirglas.com.

 

Jeff Szpirglas' profile page

Steven P. Hughes is an award-winning Canadian illustrator whose clients include the Globe and Mail, Reader's Digest and Scientific American. He graduated from Sheridan College with a BAA in Illustration. He lives in Bolton, Ontario, with his wife and their two dogs.

Steven P. Hughes' profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Nominated, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Diamond Willow

“Enough twists, freaky turns and bizarre endings to keep young readers engaged and wanting more. Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"All around pretty good!...I would recommend this book to people who like spooky stuff."

Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Canadian Children’s Book News, student take-over edition

“Each tale quickly builds suspense before closing with a zing...to effectively introduce young readers to the pleasures of the genre.”

Publishers Weekly

“Elementary school students looking for something to read after they have exhausted the entire Haunted Canada Series will treasure this, and it is an ideal choice for chapter-book reading children asking for scary books…Also perfect for reluctant readers, and teachers and librarians everywhere will greatly appreciate this addition to the too-small collection of truly scary books for the target age range.”

Resource Links

"A good choice for middle-grade readers looking for something smart and scary."

Kirkus Reviews

“Will satisfy young horror enthusiasts. Each tale is brief and segmented and will not overwhelm readers. In addition to the great stories are the graphics. Ominous, black and white sketches are interspersed and add to the engagement and excitement of the tales.”

Must Read Literature

“Szpirglas writes with a casual straightforwardness and has a keen sense of when to embrace terror and, crucially, when it is more effective to cut away...In the main, genuinely scary, achieving Edgar Allan Poe’s ideal ‘single effect’: every element of each story working together to frighten a new generation of children.”

Quill & Quire