Middle Grade Monday and Audio Review: Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

Hardcover Image: Macmillan

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker (HC illustrated by Junyi Wu.) Unabridged audiobook, ~7 hours. Read by the author. Recorded Books, August, 2020. (Review of e-audio downloaded from the public library. Own HC)

Happy Monday! My spring break is over! It was relaxing and filled with books, long dog walks, yard clean-up and family visits.

Middle Grade Monday features Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker and illustrated by Junyi Wu. This collection of connected scary stories is not for the faint of heart. Seven fox kits disobey their mother and trek into the woods to visit an old vixen.They want to hear her scary stories, and she delivers. First, she tells the story of Mia, who survives an attack by her teacher, Miss Vix, who has rabies and infects Mia's other siblings and forcing Mia and her mother to flee. Next, she tells the story of Uly, the lone male kit born in a litter of seven, but born with a deformed front paw. His sisters not only tease him mercilessly over it, but also steal his food in order to starve him. As each story draws to a close, there is one less fox kit remaining to listen until a single kit remains. 

These are scary!. Not ghost scary, but real world, bad stuff can happen scary! The author's narration was understated and well-paced. Listening deprived me of the illustrations though. 

Scary Stories for Young Foxes was the author's middle grade debut and published in 2019. It earned a 2020 Newbery Honor, made the ALA Notables List and was a Booklist Editor's Choice. Last year, Scary Stories for Young Foxes: the City was published.