Scare Ball

Benjamin Bird's Scare Ball is a quick, spooky little story for 6 year olds about a boy who wakes up with a mysterious bite.

What happens

Scott has fallen asleep on the sofa. When he wakes up with a scream, there's a small bite near his wrist. He blames his playful puppy, Lewis.

Then the noises start outside. BAM BAM BAM. CLASH CLASH CLASH. Two bright lights glow through the window like yellow eyes in the dark!

It turns out the lights belong to the basketball court down the road. There's a game going on, so Scott laces up his high-tops and runs out to join in before bedtime.

But these players are a bit odd. They move like ghosts. One of them growls. And when he steps into the light, Scott sees orange trainers, stripy socks and very, very furry legs.

Werewolves! And now they're all around him, asking if he wants to play.

This is a proper first scary book. The chapters are tiny, the sentences are short and the sound effects are big, so it's perfect for reading aloud (go on, do the growls). It's over in a few minutes, and there's a twist at the end that's more cheeky than frightening. There are some daft werewolf jokes at the back too, and a few questions to chat about afterwards. Was Scott dreaming? How did he really get that bite?

If your reader likes a shiver but not a sleepless night, this pitches it just right. The werewolves only want one more player, after all.

What to read next

If they're keen for another spooky one in the same style, try Game Over by the same author. Arthur is stuck on the final level of his video game, running through a maze with a monster behind him, when the game decides it isn't finished with him yet.