 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Skeleton Creek
- By Patrick Carman
- Genre: Mystery
Common Sense Media says
Book/online-video hybrid is creepy fun.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this book provides links and passwords to Web sites, which provide additional plot. Online, kids will see suspenseful, creepy videos that might be scary to younger or more sensitive readers/viewers, though nothing worse than a skeletal ghost is shown. This is mostly a fun, scary mystery, but there is a message here about being brave enough to seek the truth: Two
curious teen friends know there is a mystery in Skeleton Creek, and
they're determined to find out what it is -- even if Ryan's father may
be involved.
What's the story?
Ryan is housebound after he's seriously injured in a fall in an old dredge out in the woods that no one in town wants to talk about. He's also forbidden to have anything to do with his best friend, Sarah. But both have found and disabled their parents' monitoring software and are communicating by email, as Sarah continues their dangerous investigation and sends Ryan links to the videos she makes documenting her research into the horrific death of a worker on the dredge years ago, what may be his ghost, and the cause of Ryan's accident, and Ryan's father's possible involvement.
Is it any good?
The gimmick, if you will, of this book is that it tells only part of the story: the rest is told in a series of online videos, for which readers are given links and passwords at strategic places throughout the story, including the cliffhanger ending. The book is Ryan's journal, and the videos are the ones Sarah makes for Ryan, a mix of Blair Witch Project style frights in the woods and video journals. Together they tell the story, and neither is complete without the other.
Books and movies have had a symbiotic relationship for as long as there have been movies, so it's amazing that no one has done anything quite like this before now. Neither the writing nor the videos is of the highest quality (actually both are very much like something teenagers would make), but together they make a compelling package. Switching back and forth between the two media is fun, and reluctant readers may be enticed by the gimmick, as well as by the slim, easy-to-read text. A successful launch of what is sure to be a vibrant new genre: the book/video hybrid.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about this book/video hybrid. What
do you think of the way they work together? Is this the beginning of a
new form of media? Or just a gimmick? Would it have worked better if
the whole thing was a book, or a movie? Or does the interaction between
the two add interest?The videos try to create a creepy mood, even without showing gore or anything really menacing. Are they effective? Can you figure out which elements in the videos have the most impact? Why do we like to play around with this kind of scary stuff?
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- Teens & kids
Kid, 11 years old
April 25, 2009
AGE
Uuuuuh Scary!
This book is interesting but the video's you need to watch to get the book is dang scary. Don't read it.
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Parent
October 25, 2011
AGE
A critical perspective
This book could be used for an independent read or optional read for older students. As educators, this book is great for reluctant readers because the video element really entices a reader and engages the audience. It is also one of a four book series to continue reading. However, the video "footage" does add frightening perspectives in support of the text so we recommend previewing material. Overall, the book is an amazing integration of text and video, journal style writing, and strong writing elements. Check it out!
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Teen, 13 years old
January 18, 2011
AGE
Great, if you love a good scare.
when i picked this book up, i thought that it would be a fantasy type mystery. I watched the last video three weeks ago and i still think that i see a skeleton guy stalking me in the basement! Great for people who arent afraid of a good scare, and also for people who like mysterys. For parents, the whole theme of all three books is kids kinowingy going behind their parents backs and disobeying any direction they give, such as not going to the place that is creeper haunted
What other families should know:
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Kid, 11 years old
December 29, 2009
AGE
good for tweens
It's a good book that leaves you hanging in the end. The online videos may scare younger readers such as when old joe bush pops out of nowhere into the camera. Sarah and Ryan shouldn't be putting their lives on the line just to find answers to a mystery.
What other families should know:
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Kid, 10 years old
November 10, 2009
AGE
looks ok
i havent read it yet, but i have to get my mom to sign a sheet of paper allowing me to resd it. so im guessing its REALLY scary, which is something i like. but im a little scared of what im going to see in the videos!
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Teen, 13 years old
June 17, 2011
AGE
Gets Teens Reading
My favorite series is the Skeleton Creek series by Patrick Carmen. I really like how he writes from the main character's point of view and makes you feel involved in the story. Adding videos for every three pages is a great incentive to keep reading! Also, being able to research items from the book and see it "live" makes it seem more real. I'm really looking forward to Patrick Carmen's new book called Dark Eden. I've been following the production of the videos through the Dark Eden facebook site and it looks really exciting!! It's great that Patrick Carmen is aware that teens like to be involved and this is a great way to get teens interested in books. It definitely makes me anxious to see/read the final product!! I encourage everyone to check out his others books and check into the new one!
What other families should know:
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Teen, 14 years old
September 7, 2010
AGE
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!! I am not the kind of peroson that likes to read but this book is one i will stit down and read it for hours. the book isnt scarry but the videos are!! so watch out!!!
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Kid, 10 years old
December 27, 2009
AGE
Good, But SOOO Scary!
I really like this book. I just can't watch the videos at night. They're sooooooooo freaky!
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Kid, 10 years old
April 13, 2009
AGE
Not likeable
Even for some 12 year olds, this book is scary and inappreate.
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Kid, 12 years old
January 28, 2010
AGE
a little scary but good
i read this and it was kinda scary (the videos not the book ) but it leaves you hanging at the end and the book fair just came to my school and the second book has just came out and im buying it tomorrow ,and im sooo exited (spell check) its a very awsome book and i recomend it to any one who likes scary stuff but it gives some bad ideas cause the main chacter sneeks out .
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| Author: | Patrick Carman |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Mystery |
| Publisher: | Scholastic Inc. |
| Publication date: | February 1, 2009 |
| Number of pages: | 185 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 10 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 10 - 10 |
| Read alone: | 10 - 10 |
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