Nasty Book (by Barry Yourgrau)

NASTY BOOK will capture the attention and imagination of a wide variety of readers, including reluctant ones, who will like the short, attention-grabbing scenarios. Author Barry Yourgrau's work is often compared to quirky Shel Silverstein's, but Yourgrau's stories are much more cynical and feel more like mini-scripts for "Tales from the Crypt." There are a lot of stories of "people getting what's coming to them," and then there are some that are just so bizarre that readers will find themselves giggling and shaking their heads at the twisted subjects, events, and outcomes.

The book fits right in with its target audience's idea of humor, and though some situations -- like a kid freezing to death or an escaped convict threatening two kids and their mom -- might make parents think twice, there really is no need to worry. The stories are so wildly weird and extraordinary that there's little chance kids will take them to heart.