THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT

The night holds some fearful surprises in these 18 original stories assembled by the editors of Werewolves (1988). Bedtime readers may not feel like sleeping after encountering the malign ghost in "Leaves"; the sinister fat lady waiting in "The Elevator"; or the Mosquito Creature who gives new meaning to "We'll Do Lunch." On the other hand, the huge "Night Crawler"; the nameless, grumpy monster that returns "Duffy's Jacket"; and the rabbit-headed fiddler who gives young Liz a new attitude and a pair of "Wooden Bones" are positively helpful. "The Ghost of Wan Li Road" isn't too bright; Elisabeth Waters' housecleaning brownie and Diana Wynne Jones' "Chair Person" are comically clumsy. Midori Snyder offers an unusual view of Death in "Jack Straw"—and the collection ends with Pamela Dean's haunting, thoughtful "Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary," a tale of three sisters and a neighbor who may be worse than he seems. Shocks, delicious shivers, and a few chuckles, too.