The James Logan Courier

By Kim Ossi
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

HALLOWEEN HORRORS
Just in time for Halloween, "Nightwood" by Patricia Windsor ($7.95, Delacorte Press), tells a terrifying tale of six teens on a trip that goes terribly wrong. Casey, Maryann and Gena decide to skip out on their class trip to D.C. and instead take a detour to Casey's parents' cabin in Delonga, Ga. (Note that in scary stories, rule-breaking is sure to end in disaster!)



Casey neglects to tell her friends that she hopes to "accidentally" run into her crush, Lane, and his friends who happen to be on a fishing trip at the same lake. Unfortunately as the girls arrive, locals Ben Jay and Lonnie have discovered a scary sight _ mutilated animals at a rental cabin, also along the lake. Ben Jay doesn't believe his sheriff father's reasoning that it must have been a bear, so he does some research and comes upon an article about a deranged man leaving a trail of dead animals _ leading directly to Delonga.

Meanwhile, we get some interesting insight into the purported deranged man's point of view, which alludes to the fact that there may very well be some human victims soon. And did we mention a man named Trash Macey? He's been trailing the girls since they left home, with his eyes set on cute, rich Casey. The spooky setting _ pitch black, secluded woods _ only adds to the scare-factor as the cast of this tale dwindles. (One note: There is some adult language in this book, so it is suggested for readers 14 and up.)

DREAM GUIDE


Translate the hidden meanings in your scariest, strangest, and most perplexing subconscious messages _ your dreams _ with the help of the "Field Guide to Dreams: How to Identify and Interpret Symbols in Your Dreams" by Kelly Regan ($15.95, Quirk Books). The beginning of the book offers tips on how to best analyze your dreams, including the mundane suggestion of keeping a dream journal and the slightly trippy-sounding idea to try lucid dreaming (where you maintain some level of consciousness in your dreams, so you can control the dream you's actions). Sadly, the book doesn't really explain how you're supposed to try that. What the book does offer is more than 80 common dream images, and an interpretation of their meanings.


CLASS HELPER

These books may very well save your English grade by making sense of all that Old English in Shakespeare's plays. Mary Ellen Snodgrass has helpfully translated Shakespeare's original work and placed the text side-by-side in "Shakespeare on the Double!" ($8.99, Wiley). We wouldn't call these "dumbed down" but simply translated into today's language. And with that simple change, the plays are entertaining and relatable. At the same time, having the original text there is handy so you can follow along and recognize the text your teacher will likely want you to know. It's also just an interesting contrast to see the Bard's text compared to the way we speak today.



(Kim Ossi writes Hype for McClatchy-Tribune News Service. You can write to her at kossi@mctinfoservices.com.)
(c) 2006, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.