A Dog’s Breakfast

In the first of eight pseudonymously authored titles in the Nightmare Club series, originally published in Ireland, 12-year-old narrator Annie recounts a spooky story that was allegedly told at her annual Halloween sleepover. The subsequent tale revolves around a grouchy, impolite boy named Glen, who gets his just deserts after an encounter with a tiny implike man in the woods. McElhinney’s b&w ink illustrations bring an unsettling edge to the story as Glen discovers that he is gradually transforming into a pig, thanks to his rudeness to humans, animals, and tiny implike men. No, there’s no happy ending for Glen, although things work out pretty well for a hungry wolfhound named Bluebell. A quick, creepy diversion for readers who like stories with a bite. Ages 7–11. (Feb.)