Fright Christmas

Ghosts of Fear Street #15

by R.L. Stine

Santa is watching Kenny Frobisher this year. Watching him do rotten, nasty things. Kenny’s the biggest bully in Shadyside. And he’s out to ruin everyone’s holiday.And then he gets himself trapped in a closet in Dalby’s Department Store on Christmas Eve.When Kenny finally gets out, the store is locked. Deserted. And Kenny is alone. Until the three most frightening ghosts of Fear Street arrive—to wish Kenny a Scary Christmas.

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade, Christmas, Young Adult, Fantasy, Childrens, Holiday

88 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1996

About the author

Robert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.

R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.

Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.

http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...

Reviews

[Cameron Chaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you've ever read or seen one of the numerous movie adaptations of A Christmas Carol, you already know this story. There's nothing new here, just a retelling of the old tale, only for a young audience. The ending was cool, but otherwise it was just meh.

Also, Stine didn't write this book, he only supplied the outline to the author credited on the copyright page. Still, the writing style is very similar to the Goosebumps books--simple and fast--so kids will dig it. Though it's still not as good as the original Goosebumps books.

Overall, 2.5 stars

[Shadyside Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book blew me away! I went in completely blind and it was such a pleasant surprise! Not what I was expecting at all but ended up being a perfect mixture of silly, scary, and even wholesome!! It probably sounds weird using this word to describe a Ghost of Fear Street book, but that was beautiful.

[Coos Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un lindo retelling juvenil de "Canción de Navidad" de Charles Dickens, con un extra de terror al estilo Escalofríos (a pesar de que el libro pertenece a la colección de Fear Street). El final fue mi parte favorita, ya que es donde se torna muy macabra la historia. Bien por Stine al introducir a los más chicos dentro del terror y los clásicos dorados de la literatura.

Esta lectura fue realizada para la maratón Very Merry Readathon, la cual estoy documentando y subiré pronto a mi canal, se los dejo por si gustan verlo: https://www.youtube.com/coosburton

[Jason Harlow · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is basically a Goosebumps-style retelling of the Charles Dickens classic, complete with the 'three ghost' gimmick and everything. The main character in this book is the biggest bully in Shadyside and from the very first few pages you want to punch him in the face. It was very tough deciding how many stars to give this book because it pretty much sucked but there were some incredibly redeeming qualities. I hated the whole ordeal with the night watchman character and I didn't care for the three ghosts. The climax and ending were really cool and the story taking place in Dalby Department Store (from Fear Street's Silent Night) was a great touch. The ghostwriter did a good job mimicking R.L. Stine, but overall this felt rushed and it definitely lacked heart, so this gets a 2/5.

[Austin Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fright Christmas is essentially the children's version of A Christmas Carol. That story is even referred to in this book.
Our main character, Kenny, is a bit of a jerk and to be taught a lesson he is trapped inside the notorious Dalby department store from the Fear Street series and is visited by three ghosts.

I actually quite enjoyed this one, even though it was obvious where the story was going and there weren't any real mysteries or surprises along the way. The descriptions of the ghosts were pretty neat, and there was even one scene that was a bit terrifying, that involved store mannequins coming to life.
Stephen Roos penned this one, and he did a pretty respectable job for the most part.
Where this book falters a little, is in its lack of creativity. (Outside of the three ghosts, anyway)
The story is a paint-by-numbers replica of Dicken's classic, and after the main event of Kenny being shocked and scared out of his wits by the haunting visitations, there isn't much else that happens. I was almost expecting some kind of reverse ending where Kenny would go back to being a brat and once again the ghosts would come to haunt him, but alas, the ending fizzles out on a rather boring, uneventful note - no twist of any kind here.
Still, this was a quick and fun read. This is the fourth GOFS book I've read in adulthood, and while none of them have really surprised me, only one I truly didn't like at all. So, this ghost-written series has a good track-record so far, for me, and I look forward to checking out more titles in 2023.
This one gets a 2.5 / 5.

[Sladjana Kovacevic · Rating 5 out of 5]

FRIGHT CHRISTMAS-R. L. STINE
✒️"It’s not that I have anything against Christmas. I mean I like the presents—it’s all the “peace on earth” stuff I hate."
✒️", Kenny,” the bearded man replied. His eyes twinkled in the darkness. “Three ghosts who love to have fun. And play jokes. Just like you.”"
✒️"Did I dream the whole thing? Did I fall asleep and have a horrible nightmare?"
😁Kratko,super zabavno,za jedno popodne može da se pročita.
😁Ovo je horor omaž Dikensovoj Božićnoj priči. I pomalo filmu Sam u kući.
😁Keni je jedan nemoguć dečak. Svima se podsmeva,svima se ruga.
😁A onda uveče pred Božić ostane zaključan u robnoj kući.
😁I strašne stvari kreću da se dešavaju😬
Winter Horror Book
#bookmas23 @kockica.reads @natasa_i_king @knjigralishte_mashte
#7sensesofabook #knjige #bookstagram #literature #readingaddict #realrosiebookclub

[michelle ☽ ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi libro número 100 del año!! ⭐️💘 El prota si me desesperaba por lo cargante que era pero me alegra tanto que haya tenido su merecido 🫵 fuck u kenny!!

[Alejandro Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal read. Speechless.

[Pulp_Fiction_Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much a retelling of the Charles Dickens classic 'A Christmas Carol' and while this doesn't do anything to reinvent the formula, I still very much enjoyed as it's a story I always enjoy in whichever guise it's told. What this did have was some very cool and pretty original ghostly characters. There's a nod to the 'Fear Street' book 'Silent Night' (a Stine classic) with it largely taking place in Dalby's Department Store, which, if you know, you know and was really fun.

[Cameron Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was mid in my opinion. it was a little boring. i wish it had more action.when i read, which isnt very often, i like it when there is more action. i also dont like reading very much and i have a hard time remembering things im not very interested in. Also, not being interested in something doesnt help. Overall, i give the book 6/10. i wouldnt really consider reading it again. i did like that it wasnt that long. That is all.

[Femke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and creepy, just what you expect from RL Stine!

[KD Grainger-Peixoto · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was feeling a bit nostalgic and a return to R.L. Stone was exactly what I needed. This is a cute, spooky take on a Christmas Carol with some references to the larger mythos of Fear Street.

Next up for me is Silent Night! A Fear Street Christmas classic.

[Edina Livnjak · Rating 2 out of 5]

Još jedna varijacija stare "Božićne priče". Ništa pretjerano novo.

[Greg Kerestan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was in elementary school, before Harry Potter, before serialization and long-form storytelling as we know it, I would have told you that this was the best book in the world. And I still get what the appeal was: it combined Christmas, horror, dream sequences, bizarre villains, surrealism, time travel and spooky department stores into one. All my favorite things as a kid! I liked this one so much I re-read it compulsively every winter for a few years, and even had my dad record a rudimentary audiobook of it.

Revisiting as an adult it's a little tricky taking the nostalgia goggles all the way off. Nonetheless, this is far from the worst in the series- as usual, the books ghostwritten without Stine tend to be better than the ones he wrote himself. This one draws at least as much inspiration from "Scrooged" as it does "A Christmas Carol," possibly even more. That's a reference I wouldn't have recognized as a kid, but surely it made some parents smile a bit.

[UK Goosebumps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I really enjoyed this one. It was fun and the main character 100% got what he deserved which was satisfying. Only thing I would change would be for it to be a tad more scary but other than that it’s great! Loved the good ending and how he changed throughout the book. also the idea of being locked in a store by yourself is really creepy. 4/5

[Justin Soderberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the years it seems like Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol has been adapted by thousands of different authors and filmmakers, so it wasn't that much of a surprise when R.L. Stine released Ghosts of Fear Street: Fright Christmas in December 1996. What was surprising was how well the author executed the retelling for middle grade readers.

He'd better watch out... Santa is watching Kenny Frobisher this year. Watching him do rotten, nasty things. Kenny's the biggest bully in Shadyside. And he's out to ruin everyone's holiday. Until he gets himself trapped in a closet in Dalby's Department Store on Christmas Eve. When Kenny finally gets out, the store is locked. Deserted. And Kenny is alone. Until the three most frightening ghosts of Fear Street arrive-- to wish Kenny a Scary Christmas.

I have read a few Stine Christmas tales and Fright Christmas is by far the best so far. The author really grabs the spirit of the season and the heart of the A Christmas Carol story and brings them to Fear Street in a way that utterly surprised me. Stine's ability to evoke fear while also telling a redemption story was fantastic, all wrapped up in a middle grade bow.

The main protagonist Kenny is an unlikable character, which is not surprising given the source material, but comes around at the end. Again, not surprising. What was special about Fright Christmas was the use of different ghost names and styles, while still keeping the core theme intact. This allows middle grade readers to relate, while still getting the point of the original ghost story. I still would've loved for Kenny's name to be a more relatable version of Ebenezer, like Evan. This would've made the character closer to Scrooge without using an outdated name, but Kenny works all the same.

Stine's inclusion, and callback, to Dalby's Department Store from stories such as 1991's Fear Street Superchillers: Silent Night was great for those who have read multiple Stine Christmas horror tales. This brings the whole Fear Street universe together.

Fright Christmas by R.L. Stine is a fantastic adaptation of the classic A Christmas Carol, but with just enough thrills and chills for the middle grade reader. However, it still gave this 40-year-old reader some frights. While not all Stine's Christmas tales are top-notch, Fright Christmas is the gift we all wanted.

Ghosts of Fear Street: Fright Christmas is available at bookstores everywhere from Aladdin Paperbacks.

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christmas Carol…R.L. Stine’s style!


This is a prose novel, from the “Ghosts of Fear Street” book series


CHRISTMAS AT SHADYSIDE

The first cool thing here is that many of the story is located at “Dalby’s Department Store” that it possess a strong connection with xmas since it was introduced in the Silent Night book trilogy from “Fear Street Super Chillers” (also it appears in the novel Gimme a KILL but kinda an alternate version).

One thing that I didn’t expect is that the main character would be a pre-teen boy in middle school, specifically Shadyside Middle School, since usually Fear Street novels use teenagers and Goosebumps employ kids, therefore, it seems that Ghosts of Fear Street covers in the middle of those.

Kenny Frobisher is a naughty boy and not only at xmas but basically the whole year and the worst of all is that he isn’t realized how mean he is and how he can hurt other people with his untasty pranks. His younger sister Kristy and his classmate Timmy Smathers are too frequent targets of his cruel pranks and lies.

Therefore, by the power of Dickens, the three ghosts of Christmas, they will make their act showing the past, present and future of Kenny.

I like it a lot the reimagining of the Ghost of Christmas Past (I won’t ge tinto details to avoid spoilers) and I guess that you don’t mess much with the expectations of the Ghost of Christmas Future, but I think that while it wasn’t that bad, I wasn’t much impressed with the redesign of the Ghost of Christmas Present, it was adequate but hardly as cool as the Past Ghost.

In any case, this is a novel quick to read with a cool reimagination of the classic tale of A Christmas Carol with the unique touch of R.L. Stine, even with a totally unexpected twist at the end of the book.

[River S · Rating 1 out of 5]

R.L stine’s “fright Christmas” is a terrible, cliché, and boring book. I rarely find myself writing such a scathing review, but this book was so impressively far below expectations. The plot follows a middle school boy named Kenny as he gets trapped in a haunted mall for being a terrible person. After the fright of being visited by the traditional three ghosts of Christmas, Kenny realizes the error of his ways and becomes a better kid. The goosebumps books are overhyped and predictable, 2 out of 5 stars, 1 out of 5 spookies. The only possible redeeming factor is the life lessons for the children who read these books.

I chose a goosebumps book for my reading because they were revered by my sixth grade classmates, but I was too afraid to read them. The age range these books are meant for is ages 9-13, but there is something valuable here for older kids as well. Looking back at what scared you when you were younger is a very insightful experience.

[Alssy Polanco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro demuestra un problema que cada persona experiencia durante su vida. A veces uno hace cosas malas que no pueden controlar. Pero, siempre hay algo que le puede pasar a alguien que puede hacer que ellos cambien. En este caso, a Kenny le encanta hacer maldad. Pero, el se sueña con los tres fantasmas que hacen que el se vuelva un niño bueno. Siempre es necesario que le pase algo a alguien para hacerlos cambiar o dejar de hacer cosas malas. El miedo es una gran manera de hacer que alguien cambie. En el libro, los tres fantasmas usan el miedo de Kenny para hacerlo realizar lo malo que él es. Esto es muy parecido a lo que nos pasa a nosotros. Cuando tenemos una mala costumbre que parece imposible de cambiar o dejar, un susto es muy necesario para hacernos parar de hacer la cosa mala.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick fun take on a Christmas Carol. I think some of the bits were a little rushed like I'm not quite sure why the main character actually learns a lesson? but all in all a fun quick Christmas read. I liked the nod to Dalby's department store which is where you spend a lot of time with Reva in the "Silent Night" fear street stories.

*also I was surprised to learn that this was not actually written by RL Stine, but a Ghost writer*

[Maxim Avery · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good easy read. I like how jack developed over the course of the book. He was a mean rude kid but the three ghosts made him better. He started to appreciate the smaller things in life. All the decorations for Christmas etc. He bought his sister the doll she wanted. He also wanted to watch the Christmas movie his family was watching. All of these things are very weird for him. Normally he's a brat. He's used to be mean to his sister all the time.

[E.D. Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think my love for the amount of times this story has been retold makes me like this book more than I should, but also why not like it? It’s a classic story retold for 90’s kids. I don’t see why I wouldn’t like it. The twist at the end is fun because you don’t see it coming, but overall I don’t know how you would expect this story to be any better or any worse. I enjoyed it because it feels like Christmas and that’s that.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I could make out the outline of Santa’s Village.
In the glow of the red light, Santa Street looked eerie — like a miniature Fear Street.”

This was a quick, fun read - a play on A Christmas Carol.

Kenny is a kid who sucks and three ghosts teach him a lesson.
I loved the parts of Kenny being stuck in the store after closing (one of my favorite tropes), and the mannequin scene was particularly creepy.

Perfect for a fast and festive read.

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows The Christmas Carol. When young Kenny is being watched by Santa, he better watch out. Kenny is not a nice boy, when he gets visited by Santa and the three ghosts of Christmas. No Spoilers but this is Fear Street! I highly recommend this book for kids of all ages especially at Christmas time.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another retelling of A Christmas Carol by RL Stine... Guess I shouldn't have gone into this one "blind" since I just finished Young Scrooge but oh well. I enjoyed this one more, a good Christmas horror story for older kids.

[Edie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not great.
Not creepy.
The kid was just an asshole for no good reason.
The ghosts were all super annoying.
The kid didn't really learn anything, yet decided to be nice???
Um. No.
Also, not enough Christmas.

[Cambria Kinard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book

It was a great a plot twisting book to read and is the best I have read so far. You should get more of these on Kindle Unlimited, please and thank you. Have a good day and have fun.

[The Endless Unread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spookingly good

[Natalie Sproule · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this is going to be a good book

[Sergio Espinoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entretenido pero infantil R.L Stine demuestra su calidad como escritor