Scare Me If You Dare! Ghost Cat and Other Spooky Tales by James Preller

James Preller, author of the popular Jigsaw Jones beginning chapter mystery series, has turned his talents to the scary story genre in his brand-new Ghost Cat and Other Spooky Tales.

The title story features a faithful family cat, Old Blue, who has for years faithfully finished off every mouse foolish enough to venture inside her her house. When she finds her "gifts," Mom dutifully fetches the dustpan to dispose of Old Blue's prey. Mom agrees that it's a bit gross, but points out that Blue is devoted to her duty to protect the family from germy vermin. Then Blue, already old, begins to fail, making a sadly final trip to the vet not long after.

Mysteriously though, dead mice continue to appear in Blue's favorite place. Strange mewings and soft cat footfalls are heard and felt on their beds in the night. At last Mom intuits that Blue's spirit still feels bound to protect them from mice, even from the Beyond.

At last the family figures out a way to give Old Blue the right to rest in peace. They adopt two kittens, brother and sister, to take over her duties, and "her job at last was done."

Other stories included are "The Creature in the Closet," The House That Screamed," "A Friend in Need," and "Home, Sweet Horror." These stories are just scary enough to please early chapter readers without any harm coming to the main characters in the process.

Two great spooky story collections for slightly younger beginning independent readers are In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories and Ghosts! Ghostly Tales from Folklore by Alvin Schwartz, both of which ably translate venerable ghostly folklore into beginning reader language (Accelerated Reader level 2.5 and 2.7) with just the right hint of spookiness, ably abetted by Dirk Zimmer's madcap macabre illustrations.