Nightbooks [Hardcover]

A boy is imprisoned by a witch and must tell her a new scary story each night to stay alive. This thrilling contemporary fantasy from J. A. White, the acclaimed author of the Thickety series, brings to life the magic and craft of storytelling.

Alex’s original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping the witch Natacha happy, but soon he’ll run out of pages to read from and be trapped forever. He’s loved scary stories his whole life, and he knows most don’t have a happily ever after. Now that Alex is trapped in a true terrifying tale, he’s desperate for a different ending—and a way out of this twisted place.

This modern spin on the Scheherazade story is perfect for fans ofCoralineandA Tale Dark and Grimm. With interwoven tips on writing with suspense, adding in plot twists, hooks, interior logic, and dealing with writer’s block, this is the ideal book for budding writers and all readers of delightfully just-dark-enough tales.

* Summer 2018 Kids' Indie Next List * YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Nomination * 2019-2020 Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award * 2020 Rhode Island Children's Book Award Nominee * Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year 2019 (9-12) * 2020-2021 Missouri Association of School Librarians Truman Readers Award Preliminary Nominee*

“A story that is as spine-tingling as it is well written. In these Grimm-infused pages, Mr. White combines folklore, freakiness and fortitude to celebrate the art and enthrallment of storytelling.”“A spine-tingling dark fantasy about the power of facing down fears and choosing your own fate. White has crafted a chilling fractured fairy tale. Fans of gloomy fare such as Lemony Snicket, Adam Gidwitz, or Neil Gaiman will find an equally twisting and terrifying tale here.”“In this clever synthesl#”