Mostly Ghostly

Just in time for the summer campfire season, a new collection of ghost stories is unveiled. Eight gruesome tales by such noted authors as Ambrose Bierce, Washington Irving and Edith Nesbit highlight a book sure to raise goosebumps. Zorn's adaptations have a breezy style that unifies the stories, while the spooky atmosphere and scary descriptions encourage reading aloud. Bradley's loosely sketched ink drawings, awash in eerie dark paint, depict appropriately bony creatures, bulging eyeballs or severed body parts with a farcical air, avoiding the overtly grotesque. Unfortunately, the text on a few of the pages all but disappears into the dark mist of the artwork and is difficult to read. Not much innovation here, but a satisfying, spine-tingling read nonetheless. Ages 7-10. (Aug.)