First, a bit of a warning – Jeff Strand is not a MG writer. His focus is on horror, and a lot of comedic horror. But I think his writing is ok for a lot of kids. Read on and decide for yourself.
When I was 10, I started reading Stephen King, and he remains one of my favorite authors. I like horror books. I know a lot of kids do also. Look at the continuing popularity of Goosebumps.
I missed the Goosebumps explosion by being too old, but my kids loved them. If your kids have read R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps and loved them, but have outgrown those books, Jeff Strand may be worth checking out.
Be warned – while most of his books are probably OK for mid-teen aged children, not all of them are. There might be some swearing in even the appropriate books, so beware. But he does have some books aimed at Middle Grade.
Strand’s writing is quirky and easy to read. He doesn’t try to get flowery and the pace of the books moves along. They are the type of book’s that are hard to put down and pause in reading the adventure. The first book of his that I read was Cyclop’s Road, and I kept at it almost nonstop because it was so good.
I mentioned Goosebumps above and one of the reasons I like Jeff Strand is that his books are like Goosebumps for adults. His books are something that you and your kids can enjoy.
One of his books, the Haunted Forest Tour, inspired me to write a short story. Check it out.
If your kids (or even you) are looking for a good horror, Jeff Strand fits the bill. If you’d like a good comedy horror, he is definitely your man.
