Noisy Outlaws, Unfriendly Blobs, and Some Other Things . . .: That Aren't as Scary, Maybe, Depending on How You Feel about Lost Lands, Stray Cellphone

The general impression is that it's a collection of stories that the authors would have like to read when they were kids. Some of them may be scary to the announced age group (4-7) but most are just sweet. For the adult many of them will remind the reader how it was to be a kid. And for the kid, this will make them feel vindicated for many injustices they suffer, like the loud mean boy that everybody likes, over-controlling parents, and having to play sports when they really don't want to. The funniest part was the introduction by Lemony Snicket. I'd like to know how Paul Revere did wrong by him.

I told myself I bought this book for my son but actually planning to keep it for myself. It is a great collection, all of the stories are charming, fun and interesting. However, I wasn't allowed to keep it for myself as my 7 year old son loved it even more than me. He read the Neil Gaiman story first but then got sucked in and spent last Saturday morning reading it - I don't think you can ask for a more ringing endorsement than that.

What more can one say about a book that sports brand new, fresh-off-the presses stories by the likes of Nick Hornby, Neil Gaiman and Jon Scieszka? Plenty. How about an introduction by Lemony Snicket, that starts: "An introduction to a book of stories is like a warning printed on a bottle in a medicine cabinet....," with funky illustrations by Brett Helquist? What if Lemony Snicket has also written, on the inside of the dust jacket, the beginnings of a story that, when completed and submitted by some lucky reader, will be eligible for a grand prize? The dust jacket is designed so that it can double as an envelope for your submission, but I really wouldn't want to do that if I were you, since this book is going to be a collector's item. Actually, I wish I hadn't told you about any of this, since I'm going to be buying up as many copies as I can get my hands on. My two favorite stories are "Seymour's Last Wish," by Sam Swope, and "The ACES Phone," by Jeanne DuPrau. The former features a young lad - the hapless Seymour - whose mother favors cats over him, until a fairy grants Seymour three wishes and his options expand; the latter introduces the reader to a cell phone found on a playground that has unusual spiritual powers with respect to canines. Want to know more? Well, for starters, there used to be a Sixth Borough in New York City. There's an explanation and a fold-out map in case you're wondering what happened to it. There is also an Excessively Difficult Crossword Puzzle, for those who like such things. I suspect Mr. Snicket had a hand in this crossword puzzle, crafted by David Levinson Wilk, but you'll have to make up your own mind on that one. And if the answer to one of the questions is "Count Olaf," I certainly didn't tell you.

This is a great book. I'm 29 and am addicted to smart kid lit like The Series of Unfortunate Events, Artemis Fowl and Coraline and really, who is not a fan of McSweeney's? So I was all excited when this book came out and ran down to the store (well; ran, sat on metro, ran to store, bought book, walked home quietly with nose firmly planted.) Not only does it feature incredibly awesome stories but the cover alone is worth the price of it. And I'm not talking about the dust jacket, which is one of the best ideas ever, but the cover itself should be framed somewhere. (go ahead take a peek, you know you want to!) And it got my neices and nephews excited when I took it out of my bag to read it to them that night. Isn't that what a cover's supposed to do? Oh and they liked the stories too, but they only get one a night when I'm babysitting them. (there's 5 of em from 3 yrs old to 9) So, read this book because its a great read and because it helps a great cause.

what a fun collection. not only was there a terrific neil gaiman story, but grimble was fantastic! and the art's great. love books aimed at kids that are as much fun for the (semi) adults who know and love them.