Vera Strange takes young readers back to one of the tried and true scary story origins — a haunting. Second Star to the Fright readers join Barrie as he faces turning 12, the dreaded birthday that means he’s that much older to being a teenager and that much older to growing up. More responsibility and less fun is the opposite of what Barrie wants, and he’s willing to wish away growing up if he can.
Eleven year old Barrie doesn’t want to grow up. He likes his life as it is and would rather not have more chores and responsibilities like his older sister, or go to junior high, where there’s more homework. So when he finds a creepy hook in an old pirate ship exhibit, along with a note promising that whoever possesses it will never grow old, Barrie jumps at the chance and takes the book home. But when the hook fulfills its promise, Barrie realizes staying a kid for ever comes with a dreadful consequence. Now he must find a way to reverse the spell before it’s too late. Tick tock… tick tock…
Full of dark twists and turns with Captain James Hook haunting him at every turn. From school to the museum to his nightmares, Hook is everywhere when Barrie is alone and even worse, as the threats from Hook grow it becomes clear no one else can see them! Strange delivers a true ghost story full of mystery as Barrie must figure out why it’s happening and more importantly, how to stop it. His wish to stay a kid forever is great until the power of the hook far outweighs his expectations and Barrie is faced with the real possibility of losing everyone he loves, even his “evil” older sister. Wishes always backfire in the Disney Chills series, and the terrible consequences that Barrie face prove that Strange will continue to deliver on the series tag line, “the dreams that you FEAR will come true.”
Second Star to the Fright is filled with references to the original Disney tale for fans to discover throughout its pages. From Barrie’s name, to his friends, to his favorite band, the world of Never Land and Peter Pan saturate the pages of the story. The fear factor is also amped up in book three, with Barrie’s phobia of the ocean making Captain Hook’s haunting even more terrifying. Often manifesting with the sounds and smells of the ocean means Barrie’s fear is palpable on more than one occasion and we’re sure readers will be checking under their beds before turning out the lights at night … just in case.
Disney Chills: Second Star to the Fright is available to purchase online and in stores now for age range 8-12.
