The Curse of the Campfire Weenies (16 page)

I.
What Makes a Story Scary?

II.
Warped Writing Prompts

III.
What If … ?

1.
What does the opening sentence of the first story tell you about its narrator? Are you the kind of reader who can “stare a werewolf in the face and laugh”? How does the opening paragraph make you reflect upon your own identity as someone who has chosen to read a scary-story collection?

2.
Do you agree with the narrator of “Mr. Hoohaa!”, who suspects it's better to have a reason to be afraid of things than to have an unreasonable fear? Why or why not? Do you think this story collection is about reasonable and unreasonable fears? Explain your answer.

3.
Scary stories often involve ordinary situations viewed from an extraordinary, scary point of view. Reread the opening paragraphs of several stories to find the moment at which the normal becomes bizarre. (For example, the reference to the “ninety-seventh inning” in the opening line of “Tied Up.”) Describe a real-life experience of your own where something commonplace turned strange. Would it make for a good scary story? Why or why not?

4.
“You Are What You Eat” takes a common cliché to its absurd—and terrifying—extreme. What other stories in this collection bring a familiar expression
to an extreme dimension? What might the author be trying to say about the power of language through such stories?

5.
Explore the author's use of food imagery, from the collection's title to the serene experience of “The Soda Fountain” to the candy bar in “Fat Face.” What other stories play with notions of food and eating (or being eaten)? What are some important connections between food and being a kid?

6.
In “Bobbing for Dummies,” “The Genie of the Necklace,” and “Inquire Within,” characters act in selfish or unkind ways. Do these characters' unkind acts result in their unpleasant fates? Would nicer characters have survived the same situations? What other stories explore this notion? Is the author suggesting that it is a good idea to be a nice, well-behaved kid?

7.
From “Eat a Bug” to “Hop to It,” bugs are a recurring image in the collection. Are bugs powerful? Why do humans feel vulnerable to these small creatures? What other stories involve or make reference to bugs? How does the author use the image of bugs to explore themes of large-versus-small in the world?

8.
How are the power of knowledge and wrong-headed learning explored differently in “Mrs. Barunki” and “Head of the Class”? How do these notions play out in other stories in the collection? How can you be sure of what you know?

9.
With what types of extraordinary powers does the author endow ordinary objects in “Sidewalk Chalk,”
“Mug Shots,” and other stories? Do you have a penny, rabbit's foot, or other object that you consider lucky or magical? Describe the object and the role it plays in your life. Is this rational?

10.
“Predators” and “Cat Napped” surprise readers by reversing the perceived victims and villains. How are such reversals used in other stories in the collection? How is reversal an important literary device used throughout the book?

11.
How do kids' relationships with their parents play out in “Three” and “
Murgopana
”? Compare and contrast your attitudes toward your parents or guardians with the attitudes of the kids in stories from the collection.

12.
Which stories in this book feature themes of destruction? Who are the destroyers in these tales? Which stories feature themes of desperation—of characters trapped in some sort of endless night or unsolvable riddle—and who are the desperate individuals? What conclusions might these tales lead you to draw about the author's perspective on the power and plight of kids?

13.
Are you scared of clowns? Of vampires or scary carnival rides? If you were going to write a story for this collection, what scary image, event, or character would you feature and why?

14.
Is “Forgotten Monsters” the scariest story in the collection, or the least frightening? Why? How does this story make you reflect on yourself and your power as
a reader of stories? How do “Mr Hoohaa!” and “Forgotten Monsters” create a logical frame for the rest of the stories in the collection?

15.
What do you think are the most important themes or ideas that are carried through many stories in this collection? How do the book's final tale and epilogue expand it from a scary-story collection to an exploration of words, writing, imagination, and the idea of reality?