Nightmare in the Backyard (Eek!)

by Jeff Strand

When the scratching starts on the tent, a backyard camping trip turns terrifying for three friends. Prepare to be scared silly in this creepy middle-grade novel for fans of R.L. Stine, Dan Poblocki, and Mary Downing Hahn.

Chloe, Avery, and Madison can't wait to spend the night camping in the backyard. Smores! Spooky stories! Trading secrets! It's going to be awesome. Sure, Elijah the kid next door keeps trying to prank them, but it's all in good fun. Who doesn't like a little scare after the sun has set and the moonlight casts creepy shadows everywhere?
Then the scratching starts on the tent fabric. The girls think it must be Elijah again, but there's no one outside. As the scratching gets more insistent, the girls may need to start asking WHAT is making that noise rather than WHO. Can they make it through the night?

• ISBN10: 1728277663
• ISBN13: 9781728277660
• Publish Date: 6 September 2024 (first published 6 August 2024)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Sourcebooks Young Readers
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 224
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Nightmare in the Backyard is a creepily atmospheric middle grade thriller by Jeff Strand. Released 6th Aug 2024 by Sourcebooks on their Young Readers imprint, it's 256 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is surprisingly creepy/scary. A backyard sleepover takes a terrifying turn when 3 girls are trapped with a bunch of scary tentacles surrounding their tent. It's action driven and moves along at a fast pace. There's nothing *too* graphic or scary, but it is definitely creepy. About the same level as R.L. Stine and Katherine Arden, this one is scary without being terrifying.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 3 hours 58 minutes and is well read by Stacy Gonzales. She has a bright, well modulated, neutral American accent, and does a good job with the characters and settings. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. Definitely one for fans of middle grade fiction. It would be a great choice for public library acquisition, but might be too scary for school library collections.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.