DINKIN DINGS AND THE FRIGHTENING THINGS

Young Dinkin Dings is afraid of everything—from the usual scary things to the inexplicable ("trees, peas, knees, fleas"). When a new kid moves in next door, he is convinced that the innocent-looking girl in the “100% Pony Crazy” T-shirt is something to be feared—a “flesh-eating alien space zombie from beyond horror!” Yes, Dinkin knows that little Molly Coddle and her family are bent on rapacious, brain-eating, zombie-creating terror.  The only things that don’t scare Dinkin are his helpers—creatures that he summons from under his bed each night. Perhaps it’s because these Frightening Things are just as scared as Dinkin is. Though amusing details, like the statistics at the beginning of each chapter ("Chance of rain: 27% / Chance of world ending: 65%"), and over-the-top exaggeration should move the narrative along, the plot drags as readers wait for the Dinkin to find out the truth about his neighbor. Frequent pen-and-ink illustrations of bug-eyed children and goofily retro parents remind children that this is not really supposed to be a scary story, making the surprise ending even more of a surprise. Plays on words, exaggerated fears and an unexpected allergy add up to a funny book for new readers of the very patient variety who like something just a little bit scary. (Fiction. 7-10)