A couple of years ago, I saw Michael Dahl, the writer of middle-grade horror, at the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. conference in Oklahoma City (first weekend in May, if you're interested.) He said horror for middle-grade is huge and they can't buy enough of it. With that in mind, I've been reading some middle-grade and YA horror.
Of Salt and Shore, by Annet Shaape, is a good book for a ten-year-old (or thereabouts) who wants scary but not too scary. In it, what we think of as monsters turn out to be good, and the people who are supposed to care and protect us, turn out to be monsters. The folks in the freak show are good and kind, even though they get stared at for a living. Mermaids are lovely but they bite. Even humans without supernatural magic can create with their hands, like Nick, who always builds with wood something that people and merboys don't know they need until they have it.
But, does the title convey the magic, the pirates, the horror, and the existence of mermaids? It's a lovely book but I don't think a kid looking for mermaids and mermen who bite will pick it up based on the title and cover.
There is some child beating which can be disturbing. As I said, some of the humans are more monstrous than the monsters. Most of the humans are good, though, and willing to help the protagonist, Lampie.
If you're interested in writing middle-grade horror, try a book like Of Salt and Shore because there are limits to how much you can scare kids. This seems like just about the right amount of scares.
A big thank you to Charlesbridge Publishers for this digital ARC copy of Of Salt and Shore.
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