"Jay Gardener can't seem to stay out of trouble. Even after a fresh start in a new neighborhood, he keeps finding himself in bad situations. But it's not his fault! Jay wants to be a good kid, he really does, it's just these strange things keep happening to him. What kind of place did his family move to? And why does every house have so many lawn gnomes in their yard? Jay better learn quickly that there are things a lot more scary than his parents..."--P....

Kat is reluctant to visit her Uncle Vic Frankenstein because of all the rumors about him. People in the small town where he lives say he's a mad scientist like his great-grandfather, Victor Frankenstein, who created a monster that came alive and terrorized the town. But Kat is relieved to find that even though he lives in a dark, old castle-like mansion, Uncle Vic is a quiet, gentle man, a scientist interested in building robots with artificial intelligence....

"Jackson Stander is every parent's dream. He doesn't get into trouble, he always does his homework, and he never ever lies. His teachers all trust him completely. He even volunteers at the local Youth Center. But that was before Jackson came across an evil ventriloquist dummy. Now he must deal with Slappy wreaking havoc on his own family and friends. Jackson will soon see that two Slappys are not better than one" -- Cover verso.

When Tommy is sent to a special camp to make him into a "winner," he discovers that his fellow campers are competitive to the point of obsession, and that a particular teacher, Mrs. Maargh, takes winning very seriously.

Trying to defeat their rivals in the school talent show, twins Ben and Jenny have to use marionettes, something they both fear, but their fear might be justified.

On Halloween, Scott and Amanda plan to get revenge on their bullies by luring them into a supposedly haunted house filled with traps, but soon the house has plans of its own.

When their scientist father moves them to a new home next to a swamp, Kelli and Shawn hear stories about a terrifying, ancient beast that inhabits the muck and the pair try to convince their father to move them out before it strikes.