Don’t Go Into the Woods at Night

Scareville #6

by John Ward

Bender and his best friend, Danny, learn a valuable life lesson. Stealing doesn’t pay.

When they are caught attempting to steal expensive baseball cards by the store owner, their parents are given two options. They can enroll their sons in a campout program designed to reform them or go to jail.

The decision was pretty easy. Neither of them had ever broken the law before, but this was an opportunity to keep their records clean and hopefully scare them from ever trying to repeat the action.

They are taken to a campground on Summersville Lake in West Virginia, completely isolated from society with a group of other kids needing a change in their lives.

After one of the camp counselors tells a creepy campfire story of the grimmics that are said to roam the forest at night, strange occurrences lead Bender to believe the story is more than just legend. Whatever you do, don’t go into the woods at night!

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade

155 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2025

Reviews

[Patrick]

The wonderful @scareville_books john ward has gave us another fantastic story. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, I have to say I think this one Is my favourite so far. This one is definitely higher on the scare factor compared to the other books this one was so much more thrilling I loved it. You can definitely see the improvement in John's writing in this one compared to book one! The story it's self was very well done I love anything to do with the appalachian mountains so this was a thrill to read. The plot was very interesting and very thought out and descriptive with plenty of twists and turns. The characters we meet are an interesting group of kids that were a blast to read about. This story follows a group of kids sent to a camp for misbehaving kids, while at this camp they stumble upon grimmics, the group needs to find a way to escape and stay alive. I honestly loved every second of this story 5/5 ✨️ I highly recommend this spooky read! I recommend you don't go into the woods at night 🤷🙃

[Megan Wintrip]

Another fantastic book by John Ward!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I really can't wait for the next one to be released!

This is the 6th book in the series and I've enjoyed every single one of these.

Josh Bender and Danny Vale are two kids who decided to do something silly but they were caught... They ended up having to go to a camp for a week to teach them a lesson.

With a lot of twists and turns the camping trip goes from tiring to terrifying as the Grimmics try to get the campers.

I absolutely loved this as usual, John you've done a great job. I can't wait for the 7th installment to come out!

Bravo 👏🏻

[Kyle Rolinatis]

This book was so much fun! I highly recommend it! Five star read for me!

[§am I Am]

3.5

[Rayjabby]

This was such a fun read! It’s a short one, but still delivers exactly what you want—creepy, entertaining, and easy to fly through in one sitting. It gave me classic campfire story vibes, the kind that makes you want to read it with a flashlight under the covers. Definitely a good pick if you’re in the mood for something quick and spooky. Loved it!

[Nicole]

This was a fun, quick listen on audio. Very much gives Goosebumps vibes but updated for modern times. Would highly recommend this series for middle grade readers who want scary books...but not TOO scary...and without the gore. I'm so happy this series exists for middle grade readers.

[Rebecca]

Bender and his friend Danny make a horrible split second decision while visiting a local shop. They decide to pocket some expensive baseball cards that have been left out unsupervised, and unfortunately, the owner of the store catches them in the act and calls the police. After some discussion, he says that he won't press charges against them IF they go to a week long campground reformation program. Unwilling to get a possible felony put onto their son's record, Bender's parents agree.

The program isn't what Bender was expecting. It's actually quite nice. Instead of being yelled at and forced to do cruel labor for a week, he feels like he's actually learning something. But something is lurking in the woods. Something that sounds... familiar. Will Bender and Danny make it through the week? Or will they succumb to what is trying to lure them into the woods at night?

Yet again, John knocks it out of the park with the sixth installment in the Scareville series. I had Goosebumps as a kid, I wish I had these around years ago as well. Thankfully, it's something that my kids will be able to enjoy with me. It's a middle grade book, so don't go in and then get mad that it sounds like it's a book for kids. BECAUSE IT IS. The narrator did a fantastic job, as always. I'm glad that there's consistency with the narrators throughout the series.

If you're yearning for that nostalgic feeling of reading during your childhood years, make sure you pick this one up!

[Angel Medina]

I've read every one of the Scareville books. All of them have been excellent and this one is no exception. I always enjoy a good creature horror story that takes place in the woods. The plot was pretty fun. It's a classic Goosebumps plot that you would see back in the 90s but it works for this title.

Let's just say after reading this book, you might not want to go into the woods at night. I think John is onto something when it comes to this advice.

I enjoyed it and look forward to the next one!

[Scott Anderson]

a scary summer story!

Just in time for summer, a scary camping story with creatures in the woods! This is why I don’t like to camp. I love this series each story takes place in a different place with different characters. Giving you a different experience with each story. I love how each story has given me a reminder of how I would feel back when I was younger on how scary things could feel. I’m looking forward to reading the next story and the next as this series progresses!

[Erin Sterett]

Bender and Danny find themselves in a bit of trouble, which lands them in a camp for troubled youth. Everything seems to be going well, until one night the group shares scary stories around the camp fire. Listen, if I ever thought about going in any set of woods after dark this book would definitely change my mind haha. Another great installment in the Scareville series. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

[Hailey]

I had a fun time with this story!! I think if I were to critique it at all, I just wish there had been more of it! The creatures in this one were super unique and I definitely enjoyed them being described. There’s also something to be said about how the woods are just naturally creepy, especially after dark. So I think that anything that adds to that fear, is good horror in my opinion! Can’t wait to read more Scareville!

[Jason E.]

Beware!

Beware....I warned you! You are going to enjoy this book! The entire series is a great read but this one is my favorite! John is a fantastic story teller with a talent to keep you intrigued.

[Elizabeth]

My review for Don’t Go into the Woods at Night

I absolutely loved it! Another spine chilling story! This one had me on the edge of my seat! This is a must read series! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Logan Bristow]

This is a great book to read during the summer. It has a Great pace and story , the beginning really has you questing if this will be scary and that second half really gets you. Perfect for young readers needing a reason to stay out of the woods at night.

[Erica Fields]

Another great Scareville book!! I know I will never go into the woods at night!

[Lauren Young]

Have loved all the scareville books and this one is no exception!!!! Quick and fun creature feature !

[John Sara]

I appreciate that this book doesn't take place in your traditional summer camp. Here, it's a camp for troubled teens. It's like Holes meets Welcome to Camp Nightmare in that way. But it doesn’t lose that classic campfire creepiness. I like that about this book, and I like how genuinely scary the Grimmics are. Definitely one of my favorite Scarevilles I've read.

[Mike Shockley]

Probably my favorite in the series because it’s set in WV so I’m bias to that. But a great campfire type story with many great characters and a good plot that moves it along. Really enjoying these Scareville books.
On to the next one!

[Brittney Sohar]

4.5 ⭐️

I would have liked just a little more time on page with the Grimmics. The story telling in this was great though!

[Beverly Laude]

Bender and his friend, Danny, are good boys, but one day, the temptation to steal valuable baseball cards is just too much! When they are caught, their punishment is to go to a boot camp out in the woods around Summersville Lake. The purpose of the camp is to teach the boys how to do better with their lives and make their parents proud instead of being a disappointment.

One of the camp counselors tells a scary campfire story about beings called grimmics that roam the West Virginia woods. Not only do they capture and eat people, they can also mimic voices in order to lure people into the same fate! Bender swears that he is hearing these creatures roaming around at night. Add in a dark, spooky cave with strange smells and voices and you have start of some creepy events!

This is a fun book for readers of all ages (although it is geared for a younger crowd). Full of just enough creepy moments along with the typical antics and fun of young boys, it is another great addition to this wonderful series. I just wish these books had been around when I was in the target age!

[Janelle Halstead]

I listened to this 2+ hour audiobook. I’ve read two others of John Wards books and didn’t enjoy this one as much for some reason. This was still a good book. Creatures are lurking in the woods during a camp for troubled boys. These are great books for middle schoolers and have a Goosebump feel to them. I would definitely still recommend it as well as the others I’ve read and reviewed. I do look forward to reading the rest of the series and any future books. The other books were 4 and 5 stars and this 3 star will definitely not deter me from reading the rest. I can see John Ward’s Scarevile series becoming popular. The narrator did an awesome job and the creepy grimmick voices were spot on and so creepy.

[Scott Anderson]

Who doesn’t love a good Creepy summer time camping story!
Loved this book, from the building story line of the scary story, the uncertainty of what was in the woods to the character building of each of the kids.
This is exactly why I have never been a fan of camping let alone in the woods!
The portrayal of the interactions of the kids, and how kids treat each other when they don’t know each other and thrown into a situation together to how good friends at that age can easily have a falling out with each other was wonderfully presented.
Each of these books takes me back to my childhood and how I felt!

[Sophia McIntyre]

Another amazing Scareville book. Keep it up. You will be on bookshelves everywhere for a long time to come.

[Elizabeth]

I absolutely loved it! This is a must read series! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Theresa]

if you loved Goosebumps as a child and have a child this book (series) is great! this specific book had me on the edge of my seat.