Weird Stories Gone Wrong, 6 books, Reviews, book trailers, interviews and more

WEIRD STORIES GONE WRONG, including REVIEWS, interviews, awards, and more for all six books in the award-winning spooky series, for readers ages 9-12:

About the Weird Stories Gone Wrong Series:

 Quinn and the Quiet, Quiet (2019)  BOOK TRAILER

Blackwells and the Briny Deep  (2018) BOOK TRAILER

​Alex and The Other (2018) BOOK TRAILER

Carter and the Curious Maze (2016)  Book Trailer

Myles and the Monster Outside (2015) WINNER, OLA Silver Birch Express Honour Book​  Book Trailer
​
Jake and the Giant Hand  (2014) Book Trailer Read an excerpt of  Jake and the Giant Hand  in Taddle Creek Magazine

Reviews & Interviews, Weird Stories Gone Wrong:

McNally Robinson Two Thumbs Up reviewer July/2016 (Carter)
Canadian Children's Book Centre BookNews, Spring 2016 
Canadian Teacher Magazine, Jan 2016 (pp 26-27)
American Library Association Booklist, Dec 2015
Cindy's Love of Books, Nov 2015
Recently Read, Oct 2015
The Girl's Book Blog, Oct 2015
Top Halloween Books 2015 
Kirkus Reviews, July/2015
School Library Journal/Aug. 2014
Bookshelf Gargoyle, Aug. 2014 
Oct. 2014, InsideToronto.com: Author always wanted to tell a spooky tale

The BEST thing about writing for kids? ...

The best--THE BEST--thing about writing for kids? Getting their letters and pictures!

A few weeks ago I received some beautiful art from grade 3,4,5 students from a school in Northern Ontario, and what a great job. Thank you everyone!
To see how a child has connected with the story is the best part of being a writer. I'm always honoured to receive them, and really impressed.

Here's a wonderful sample.

Left: a collage of everything that Alex has to face from Alex and The Other. Doc Philips and his needle of green goo, the two Tall Strangers, and the Girl with the Braid. My favourite part? His cat, Needles, is wrapped around his leg.

Below: Jake looks genuinely SCARED in Jake and the Giant Hand. That fly is truly GIANT and for a really nice attention to detail, this artist included the horse-head pump beside the farmhouse door (an important clue in the story)!

AND, here's a terrific cover for Myles and the Monster Outside: those red glowing eyes, Go Home Highway, and the restaurant where Myles and his family stop at 2 a.m. .... plus the lone street lamp that shines out in the darkness ... all deliciously SPOOKY!

Click For more about the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series on this blog.

Children grow up into readers ...

... and if you're REALLY lucky, somewhere along the way you get to meet them!

Just did a whirlwind tour of Near North Schools in Ontario, and met some awesome kids yesterday. They gave me drawings, they listened while I read to them, they asked me questions ... and they grow up, too! The guys at left have been writing to me since Jake and the Giant Hand came out in 2014.

Yesterday, I finally got to meet them! We're all pretty happy as you can see, I'm also slightly astonished at how tall they are. But watching kids grow up into readers? As a children's author, it just doesn't get any better than this. Such a great visit, thank you for having me!

RIGHT: Reading is serious business! (someone just got his OWN copy)

Below:

Student art, including a NEW cover for Alex and the Other, a picture of what THE OTHER looks like (very ginger-bread-man-creepy), and a lovely Needles, the cat.

Thanks everyone, until we meet again!

5 Stars and Two Thumbs Up for Carter!

"I liked how Carter was brave. If I had gone in to the maze I probably would have been very scared. I also liked how the author made the story unpredictable so you wouldn’t know what would happen next. You really should read this book. I give it 5/5. --Jiyoo, a Two Thumbs Up Reviewer"

Thank you!

I just noticed this Two Thumbs Up review on the McNally Robinson bookstore website, from a young reader. I always really appreciate hearing what kids think of the books, so many thanks, Jiyoo! Also, writing a review for a book you liked is the nicest thing you can do for an author, since reviews will draw other readers to the book.

Here's the whole review: 5 Stars for Carter and the Curious Maze

Here's the book trailer to find out more about Carter's odyssey in the curious maze: Carter Book Trailer

BOOK 4 COMING March/18!

Carter and the Curious Maze is book three in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, with TWO NEW BOOKS coming out in the series in 2018, including Alex and The Other. 
Stay tuned!

Win an ARC copy of Alex and The Other!

COMING March/2018. WIN AN ARC now!

Beware the tall, whispering strangers.
Beware the haunted school bathroom mirror.
But most of all ... 

... BEWARE THE OTHER.

Calling all middle-grade horror fans! There's a Goodreads Giveaway for my next book, a story about a missing cat, an evil twin and weird strangers who may not be what they seem.

Go to Goodreads NOW and you could win an Advance Reading Copy  (ARC) of Alex and The Other, book 4 in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong series (ages 8-12).

Hurry though, contest ends November 17/2017. There are 9 copies to win! Enter the Goodreads Giveaway now.

Here's the book trailer, with fantastic illustrations by Shawna Daigle. 

Enjoy!

Alex and The Other BOOK TRAILER and ARC letter!

Beware The Other! My next book in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, Alex and The Other, is in the house! The Advance Reader Copies are now at the publisher, Dundurn Press, about to be mailed out to reviewers and bloggers soon. Stay tuned!

Here's the letter that accompanies the ARC:

"Dear Middle-Grade Reviewer,

As a child, I went through a phase of being utterly convinced that I had an identical twin — I just hadn’t met her yet. Do we all imagine that there is an exact copy of us out there, somewhere, I wonder?

I’m delighted to present my fourth book, Alex and The Other, in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong Series for middle-grade readers. Each story explores a different horror sub-genre, for kids ages 8-12, including a tall tale (Jake and the Giant Hand, 2014), a psychological road-trip thriller (Myles and the Monster Outside, 2015, Winner of the OLA Silver Birch Express Honor Book award), and a time-travel/historical fantasy (Carter and the Curious Maze, 2016).

The latest addition, Alex and The Other, is a doppelgänger story about a lonely boy who has to stand up to an evil twin trying to take over his life. Alex must decide who he is, what matters most to him and, … who is the real Alex, anyway?

All alone, his family, his town, and his beloved cat seemingly tricked forever by the evil twin, Alex finally has to ask for help from a weird pair of pig-like strangers in trench coats and dark sunglasses, who might not be entirely what they seem …

Please enjoy this psychological, evil-twin/alien story, combined with seven creepy illustrations from Shawna Daigle. I hope it reminds young readers that many struggles go unseen, and sometimes you have to ask for help, and keep asking even though it’s scary, until someone hears.

Philippa Dowding"

Check out the wonderful new Book Trailer, featuring fabulous illustrations by Shawna Daigle.
Pre-Order Alex and The Other Now.

Introducing Alex and The Other

Coming March 31/2018

CREEPY aliens, a lost cat, an evil twin ....

... HERE IT IS! The gorgeous cover for my next book, Alex and The Other!

It's so creepy, and so deliciously weird. This is book 4 in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, horror stories for kids 8-12. This one is a classic doppelganger/evil twin story, a bit darker than the other books in the series.

Beware The Other!

Thanks once again to illustrator Shawna Daigle for her amazing talents, and thanks to publisher Dundurn Press for letting us tell this next weird story. This is now my favourite cover of all time.

Here's more about the book on Amazon: Alex and The Other.

Here's the blurb:

"Beware The Other...

Alex is the loneliest boy at school. Not only are his parents away (again), but his beloved cat is missing. Plus, one morning his reflection in the haunted bathroom mirror at school starts talking to him. Then two mysterious strangers in overcoats and sunglasses appear, whispering the same message, over and over: Beware The Other …

But, worse than all that, is the girl with the braid. She looks just like Alex. She’s better than him at everything, and they even share the same name. Soon, she’s the only Alex anyone can see, at school, at work, even at home. In no time, it’s almost as though the real Alex never existed at all.

Can the real Alex outsmart his evil twin and get his life back before she replaces him for good? And more importantly, who is the REAL Alex, anyway?"

TO Request an ARC from Publisher: Dundurn Publicity
Click to find out more about Weird Stories Gone Wrong.
More blog posts about Weird Stories.
Book Trailer for Myles and the Monster Outside, Winner of the OLA Silver Birch Express Honour Book Award.

Thanks Chris Hadfield Public School!

Swag from Chris Hadfield PS. Check out the Mary Shelley Card Catalog
thank you note, published by the Library of Congress. Cool!

Ahh, had another great school visit yesterday at Chris Hadfield Public School in Whitby, Ontario.

The kids were so fun, they had such great questions. And the teachers and the wonderful teacher-librarian were so supportive and interested in books, literacy, and Canadian authors.

Thank you, Blue Heron books, for handling book sales!

The teacher-librarian gave me a thank you note, which is actually a Library of Congress catalog card (the thank you is on the reverse). She gave me Mary Shelley, what an honour, now in pride of place on my writing desk.

There were lots of great questions from the kids yesterday, but here's my personal fave...





Q: Do you write the title first, or the book?
A: Sometimes a great title pops in there, and sometimes I have to really think about it. I HAVE changed a title in mid-write, a few times, as the story reveals itself. But usually I know pretty much from the start what the title will be. 

Thank you to everyone for a great day. And an extra special thanks to Blue Heron books, from Uxbridge, for handling the book sales! I hope the kids enjoy their summer reading, keep reading everyone.

And here's a shout out to anyone going on a long family car trip this summer ...
I see you, Myles ...

ARC letter for Myles and the Monster Outside

My sixth book, Myles and the Monster Outside, book 2 in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, has been nominated for two awards:

The Hackmatack Children's Choice Award
The Silver Birch Express Award

Thank you so much to the nominating committees and to the librarians, teachers and readers who read, vote for and promote Canadian authors!

A few readers have recently asked me what gave me the idea for Myles and the Monster Outside?

Here's the letter that accompanied the advanced reader's copy, with the answer:

"Dear Middle-Grade Horror Lover,

Book 1, Jake and the Giant Hand

When I was a child, my family and I travelled on long car trips to far-flung places like Manitoulin Island, Cape Cod, and South Carolina.

In my early twenties, I drove across Canada in an ancient Vega that barely made it home. A long car trip requires a certain fortitude, an ability to remain focused despite the inevitable boredom, and the knowledge that anything could be around the next corner.

My early travels became the inspiration for Myles and the Monster Outside. I wanted to examine the crucible of a tiresome journey from the perspective of a young boy who is moving to a new home for the first time. I also wanted to create a middle-grade character who is prone to anxiety and who has a vivid imagination that is both his undoing and his strength.

Who hasn't been that child in the back seat, tortured by the boredom of a long drive, convinced they can see something strange outside the window?

Book 3, Carter and the Curious Maze

I know I was!

As the journey unfolds, Myles must confront fears about his new home, a monster, a rainy night, and a ghostly old man and his dog. At first his overabundance of imagination is a curse, but as the story unfolds, he comes to realize that the ability to see what no one else can see may just give him the advantage.

At its heart, Myles and the Monster Outside is a paranormal road-trip adventure, a horror story about the monsters we create outside ourselves, and how we cope with them.

I hope you enjoy the journey!"

For more about Myles and the Monster Outside:

Goodreads Reviews
All "Myles" posts on this blog
YouTube Book Trailer, featuring illustration by Shawna Daigle

Myles and the Monster Outside KIRKUS REVIEW

Coming Sept. 2015, Dundurn Press

UPDATE: Myles and the Monster Outside has been nominated for an OLA Silver Birch Express Award 2017 by the Ontario Library Association, thank you! I thought I would re-post this great Kirkus Review (which also happens to be my all-time #1 post). Enjoy. 

"Dowding’s second Weird Stories Gone Wrong is a relatively realistic, carefully written Goosebumps ... this is a gentle but still shivery spook tale.

Readers who have made a big move will identify with Myles and his fears made manifest. (Horror. 7-10)"
--Kirkus Reviews, July/2015

I'm quite thrilled with this review from Kirkus for my 2nd book in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, thank you! Their reviews are no-nonsense and their tagline is: "The World's Toughest Reviews on the World's Top Selling Books."

1 of 6 illustrations from Shawna Daigle

I particularly appreciate the "Goosebumps" mention, my children read R.L Stine until the books fell apart, I'm very honoured to be compared to that classic middle-grade horror franchise.

This story is a truly creepy paranormal road-trip told through the eyes of an anxious 12-year old boy. We all have monsters, right? Who hasn't been that child in the back seat on a long car drive, who starts to see things out the window? I know I definitely was. 

Myles and the Monster Outside is forthcoming from Dundurn Press, Sept 19, 2015, and is accompanied by 6 fantastically creepy illustrations by Shawna Daigle. Here is the book trailer which showcases her art (and that's me playing the spooky guitar). 

Booklist Review 
For more reviews, check Goodreads. 
Here is the complete Kirkus Review.
Read my author letter which accompanies the ARC of Myles and Monster Outside.
To request a Media Copy please contact Dundurn Press 
Read a Q&A blog post about the book on the Dundurn Blog Here

What is it like to draw a monster made of fog ...

... or a giant's hand ... or a creepy, time-travel maze?

This week on the blog, I'm delighted to highlight the terrific work of the illustrator of my latest series, Shawna Daigle.

"I've always loved drawing creepy." Shawna Daigle interview, Aug/2016

Shawna created the fabulous covers and all the inside illustrations for the three books in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, that's 22 illustrations in total, and each one is a work of art. She drew giant flies for Jake and the Giant Hand, a monster made of fog for Myles and the Monster Outside, and three different time periods, including a little-known French trading fort, in 1750 for Carter and the Curious Maze.

I can't possibly pick a favourite, but I do love the illustration of Carter travelling back in time to the CNE (a large Canadian summer fair), in 1903, at left.

I was so lucky to be able to work with Shawna. It was so fun to collaborate, to pick the highlights of each story, and so hard to wait to see what she came up with. As an author, it's really interesting to see how someone else interprets your description of a scene or a character. I guess picture book authors get to experience that, but it's a new thing for me, and so much fun. She nailed it, every time. Thank you, Shawna!

Creepy Leaf Girl, Carter and the Curious Maze

Tumble chicken, Myles and the Monster Outside

Here is her interview with our publisher, Dundurn Press, on their blog this week: Creating Carter: A Q&A with Illustrator Shawna Daigle. Now I finally know which book of the three is her favourite (it's mine, too). We're a perfect match!

Check out the following book trailers that highlight more of Shawna's amazing work:

Carter and the Curious Maze Book Trailer
Myles and the Monster Outside  Book Trailer
Jake and the Giant Hand Book Trailer

I would say that Carter and the Curious Maze was probably my favourite ...

"Your books were all really gripping to me..."
Jordi, age 10

I've recently made a new neighbourhood acquaintance through adversity. I won't get into how or why too much, only to say that a cat was killed by a speeder on our street, which lead to a movement to do something about the volume and speed of traffic that we endure on a daily basis.

So apart from trying to make the world a safer place for cats, children and old people (or anyone who gets in the way of a speeding car), my new acquaintance also happens to have a young son, Jordi, who loves to read (he also likes Magic the Gathering, which I'd never heard of). I don't have too many test readers from 9-12 anymore, so a few weeks ago I gave him my recent series, the Weird Stories Gone Wrong books, for an honest review.

He had such great ideas! It was fun to talk to him every few days about the books, and to watch him read like I sometimes did at his age, last page first. As far as I'm concerned, there's no wrong way to read a book. So thank you to Jordi and his mum, for reading and reporting back, from the land of weird stories.

Here are Jordi's thoughts, first on Jake and the Giant Hand:

"While I was reading the book Jake and the Giant Hand, I was thinking how cool it would be if there was a scene where the giant hand ripped itself free of the ground and went on a rampage. That would make for a truly nail-biting scene. Maybe at the end there would be a plot twist where it turns out the giant hand was just looking FOR his ring." 
That would be cool! Here's a link to an adaptation/excerpt of the book in Taddle Creek Magazine, where almost that very thing happens: The Giant's Knock


Jordi on Myles and the Monster Outside: "I also have an idea for Myles and the Monster Outside. At some point at night the monster could perhaps constrict the car so that the windows crack and the car gets dented. I think that would be horrifically awesome." The monster DOES do a little smashing, but total constriction? Very cool.

And finally, on Carter and the Curious Maze: "Now, I WOULD say that Carter and the Curious Maze was probably my favorite book so far... Maybe Carter would spend some time with his family and there would be news of disappearances. It would be cool if the wall, instead of appearing in front of Carter when he tries to go back, I would describe how the maze stretches infinitely in all directions." 

Yes! An infinite maze is a great idea. I tried to get the idea of the endless nature of the maze in the first chapters, just by sticking poor Carter there for so long. I also tried to  make the story seem like a midway ride, with lots of twists and ups and downs, punctuated by scream-inducing moments. But the idea of an endless maze would definitely creep me out.

So, many thanks Jordi, for the thoughtful reviews and honest feedback. I hope one day that I can read a story of his in return, that would make me really happy. Keep reading!

A Letter from the Author about Carter and the Curious Maze

If you're wondering why, how, when I come up with ideas for stories, read on. Below is my author letter, which accompanies the ARC of Carter and the Curious Maze, forthcoming on Aug 6/16. It'll give you a glimpse into the serendipity, process, call it what you will!

"Dear Middle-Grade Reviewer,

Near my home there's a large summer fair, Canada's largest in fact. I went every summer as a child and carried on the tradition with my own children.

Fairs have always fascinated me.

A few years ago, I was standing near the midway, with ice cream running down my arm, and noticed a small plaque next to the bandshell. It told of a 250-year-old French trading fort that stood on that very spot! I'd never heard of a French fort in my city, and with a little digging I discovered that more interesting events had happened on or near the fairgrounds. The discovery added a curious historical overlay to the fair and fired my imagination. 

I knew I wanted to set my next story in a fairground.

The Grand Fair, 1903 courtesy Shawna Daigle

Enter our hero, Carter. He’s bored, he feels he’s too old for the fair this year. That is, until he enters the curious maze and meets the strange and cryptic maze-keeper, Mr. Green, with his creepy garden shears and peculiar thumb. In a moment, bored Carter embarks on the most exciting ride of his life.

The Weird Stories Gone Wrong series explores different kinds of horror and ghost stories for middle-grade readers: Jake and the Giant Hand (2014) is a tall tale, Myles and the Monster Outside (2015) is a psychological road-trip thriller (and is nominated for  the Hackmatack Children's Choice Award 2017). Carter and the Curious Maze is a classic time-travel story with a twist: the world may feel different as we grow up, but it needn’t be dull. It’s an infinitely interesting place, with intrigues we can’t imagine until we must face them.

Please enjoy this spooky man-out-of-time tale, combined with 6 creepy illustrations from Shawna Daigle, and I hope it reminds you of the wonder (and the delicious touch of terror) to be found at the fair!"

Reviews:

CM Magazine 4/4 Stars, Highly Recommended

Kirkus Reviews, "this original take on time-travel historical fiction is a sure bet"

Booktrailer

4 Stars, Highly Recommended for Carter and the Curious Maze

"Carter and the Curious Maze is a short, fast-paced tale with engagingly eerie illustrations by Shawna Daigle that enhance Dowding's captivating storytelling style. Readers will be compelled by the historic tales of Toronto's past as experienced by the relatable and funny 12-year-old Carter and the cast of interesting characters he meets within the maze."--Highly Recommended, Canadian Materials, June 3/2016

It's a day of lasts for me: the last day of my daughter's university education, the last day of my son's high school days, the last day of CTV's CanadaAM (a 43-year old Canadian morning news institution).

But tucked in there is also a day of firsts, since today I got my FIRST EVER 4-star review from CM magazine, another Canadian institution, at least in the kid lit world, for my forthcoming novel, Carter and the Curious Maze (Aug 2016). This book is the third book in the award-nominated Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, for kids 8-12.

I've come close before, with a 3.5 star review for my first book, The Gargoyle in My Yard, in 2009, and I've had mostly 3-stars from them for everything else (still pretty good). But this is my very first, flat out 4-star review. And it's a doozy. Thank you to Dundurn Press and to illustrator Shawna Daigle, for all the hard work.

Here's the 4-star review: CM Magazine, Carter and the Curious Maze

So while I spend today thinking about how quickly children grow up, and how media closings, however sad or misguided, are a part of life, I'll also take a moment to celebrate a lovely little story about a boy growing too old for the fair, until he comes across the curious maze. As Carter comes to discover, there is still wonder and delight all around us, we just have to seek it out. It's as good a message as any for me to take to heart on this day of firsts, and lasts.

For more about Carter and the Curious Maze:

Kirkus Reviews "This original take on time-travel historical fantasy is a sure bet for young scary story enthusiasts"
Book Trailer
Goodreads
Publisher's Page

You can review Carter and the Curious Maze now!

Forthcoming Aug 2016

Do You DARE to Enter the Curious Maze?
(Not everyone comes out!)

Reviewers, librarians and friends, Carter and the Curious Maze, book 3 in the award-nominated Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, is now available on NetGalley!

Read & Review on NetGalley Now

Here's what folks are saying about the series on Goodreads.

The series has recently been nominated for a Hackmatack Children's Reader's Choice Award, 2017, thank you! Here are a few more links about the earlier books in the series:

Hackmatack Nomination for Myles and the Monster Outside
Review in Canadian Teacher Magazine
Review in American Library Association Booklist
Kirkus Reviews compared the series to Goosebumps!

Watch the Book Trailer

Stay tuned for book launch information, coming this summer!!

Contenders for the Best Looking Middle Grade Series?

So pleased to introduce ALL THREE books in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong Series ...

... a boy who hears a tale about a giant hand buried in a farmer's field and sets out to find it...
... an anxious kid who sees a monster out the car window on the last night of a 4-day family trip ...
... a day at the fair turns into a time-travel journey in a weird maze ...

They're weird and wonderful middle-grade horror/ghost stories, and thank you to my publisher, Dundurn Press, for letting me tell them! Also thank you to Shawna Daigle for the gorgeous covers and the wonderfully creepy illustrations in each book. Here's a favourite, when Myles faces his monster outside the car:

The series has been well-received, and is now sporting a brand new Hackmatack award nomination for book 2, Myles and the Monster Outside. Thank you!

As author Jeffrey Round once said to me, it's not a series until there are three books. I think he's right. Jake and the Giant Hand (2014) and Myles and the Monster Outside (2015) are now available, and Carter and the Curious Maze is coming later in summer 2016.

Here are a few selected reviews for you:
Canadian Children's BookNews
American Library Association Booklist
Kirkus Reviews
Canadian Teacher Magazine (11-year-old reader)
School Library Journal
Goodreads

And book trailers:
Myles and the Monster Outside
Carter and the Curious Maze
Jake and the Giant Hand