Say Cheese and Die - (children's chapter book by R. L. Stine)
Written: Oct 08 '07 (Updated Oct 17 '07)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Suspenseful, imaginative.
Cons: Breaking & Entering?
The Bottom Line: Be careful who you say "Cheese" for !!
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| CopeSullivan's Full Review: R. L. Stine - Say Cheese and Die! Books |
* This review contains a few plot details and events from the story, but does NOT reveal the ending.
"Hey, Mom…. I'm done with Monster Blood, can I start the next one?"
"Sure, Sweetie, pick one from the stack in the kitchen."
"Wow, this one looks COOL!!"
I'm loving my son's most recent book spree. And, I really mean I'm loving it. Not only because my otherwise "disinterested in reading son" is asking for more books to read, but because I love these books as much as he does.
Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself here, aren't I? You have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about, do you? Well… I'm talking about the Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine.
Goosebumps is a series of far MORE than 80 books (not counting special editions, branched off series, and more) that fascinate the imagination with spooky, spine chilling, suspenseful stories. Every book (with the exception of a few mini-series within the series) is a new story, with new characters, and new THRILLS. No need to read them "in order"…. go ahead, read book #46 before you read book #3 !! It doesn't matter, they're great in any order, you won't miss a thing!!
Say Cheese and Die is book # 4 in this awesome series. It's a bit different than the majority of the books in the series. No, it's not the only book that's different. There are many wonderful stories that veer away from the "norm". What I mean to say is… Well, I don't know how to tell you this, but there aren’t any Monsters, Ghouls, Ghosts, Mummies, Werewolves or Vampires in this book. Nope, sorry !!
BUT, that doesn't mean that you won't be scared out of your wits!!!!
SAY CHEESE AND DIE:
Greg Banks and his friends Michael, Shari and Doug (better known as "Bird" to his friends, because of his appearance) were "hanging out" one afternoon; totally bored out of their minds. After walking around, pondering all the boring things that this small town had to offer for "stuff to do", they decided that they wanted some "adventure".
Well, you know what they say…. Careful what you wish for, because you just may get it ! These four sure got themselves that adventure that they were craving.
On a whim and a dare, they decided to explore a spooky, old, run down, abandoned house. It was dilapidated and in disrepair, with shutters falling off the hinges, broken windows, and bare spots on the roof. The inside was in just as horrible condition. Although empty of any real furniture, there was dust and boxes scattered on the worn rugs in each room. The living room rug sported a large dark stain. Was it a blood stain?
The house creaked and groaned around them. Rumor had it that a creepy homeless man, that they had seen around town, had taken up residence in the abandoned house. Was he there right now? Or was it just the normal sounds of an old, creaky house?
They decided the latter and continued to explore. Making their way to the basement, they discover that the rumors are true. No, Spidey (the homeless guy) wasn't there, but it was obvious that this was his "home". An old mattress and a plethora of empty food cartons littered the basement.
But, that's not all that was down there. Neat old clothing filled an old wardrobe. The kids enjoyed dressing up in fur coats, feather boas and funky hats. Greg stumbled on a secrete compartment and found a cool camera.
Take a picture!!
Flash….. he snapped a picture of a goofy posing Michael and an instant photo emerged from the camera.
Crash, Michael plummeted to the ground, twisting his ankle. Then, wait…. foot steps from above. Spidey was back. They had to get out before he saw them. They couldn't run up the stairs. Were they trapped? No, there was a basement door that led outside. Michael was hurt. They helped him to the door, but they couldn't get it open. The footsteps grew closer. They had to get out.
Finally, with a couple of them pushing, they freed the door, and ran to freedom. But Spidey was watching them from the window. He had seen them.
What about the picture? What?….. The picture showed Michael falling to the floor. Hadn't Greg snapped the picture before Michael fell?
Something was weird about this camera. Greg took a picture of his Dad's new car, but the picture showed something far different. A picture of his brother showed him in a different location. A picture of Bird showed him injured, but he was perfectly healthy. A picture of Shari was unbelievable; not what he had aimed his camera at.
What was happening? Was this camera predicting the future? Was it causing bad things to happen? Or was it all just Greg's imagination?
Would Greg's Dad survive? Would Bird be alright? Could the police help save Shari?
And what about Spidey? Was he the shadowy figure stalking Greg? Did he want to kill him?
All this and more will be answered……. WHEN you get yourself a copy of Say Cheese and Die!!!
This and other Goosebumps books are geared toward kids grades 3 - 6 (advance readers in 2nd grade will be able to enjoy these as well). My son started his Goosebumps addiction at the end of the last school year (end of 2nd grade), and has been enjoying them since (now 3rd grade). And, as I said before, I've been enjoying his new addiction myself.
Ok, call me strange, but I can't help but sit down and relax in the middle of the afternoon, after a long morning of scrubbing toilets and folding laundry, to enjoy a quick little thriller. This one had me riveted, unable to put the book down until I knew what happened next.
The story reads smoothly; thrills falling in just the right places, leaving you hankering to turn the page and find out more.
So, go on…. get Say Cheese and Die, so YOU can know Greg's fate!! And, as R.L. Stine himself says: "Reader beware, you're in for a scare…."
. . .
Recommended for kids grades 2 - 6 (depending on reading ability)
Say Cheese and Die is #4 in the Goosebumps Series.
Published by Scholastic Books Inc.
Copyright: 1992 - First published by Scholastic books, November 1992
The majority of the Goosebumps Series, by R.L.Stine, was originally copyrighted and published in the 1990's - by Scholastic Books. Books in the series have been frequently re-published, at various times over the years, by Scholastic Books Inc.
R. L. Stine's Official Website: (It's pretty cool, check it out)
http://www.rlstine.com/#nav/home
The Scholastic Store.com
http://store.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HomeView?storeId=10052&catalogId=10051
Scholastic Bookclub flyers that come home from school, with your child:
(They're often offered at reduced prices, and it's a great way to help your child's teacher earn books for the classroom… ask you child's teacher about Scholastic Book Flyers)
http://WWW.Scholastic.com/bookclubs
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More Goosebumps books, by R. L. Stine:
Monster Blood
Monster Blood II
Monster Blood III
How To Kill a Monster
Calling All Creeps !
The Blob That Ate Everyone
The Curse of Camp Cold Lake
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This is an entry into msmorvay's 5th Annual Resurrecting the Oldies Book Write Off
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
CopeSullivan
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Member: Danielle
Location: Ahm from th' Bawstin arear.
Reviews written: 203
Trusted by: 233 members
About Me:
"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." ~Prov 10:12
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