By GLENN TOLLE
Recently, my mom and I went to Boston Massachusetts for the day. We ditched the car in an airport parking lot that seemed to stretch for miles. As luck would have it, however, my mom lost the ticket that indicated the spot where the car was located and so we spent roughly two hours traipsing through the rows of cars looking for our ride. I imagine this would be a miserable experience for anyone but the protagonist of this week’s FRIGHTS FOR TYKES, who revels in the opportunity to look at half a billion cars… The book is THE HAUNTED CAR (GOOSEBUMPS 2000 #21) by R.L. Stine.
The story tells of Mitchell Moinian, a kid with a car obsession who gets excited when his dad buys a sporty new ride from a nervous old man. This excitement doesn’t last long, however, after Mitchell discovers why the old man practically gave the car away.
THE HAUNTED CAR rides smoothly, navigating its narrative turns with ease. No realignment needed. As with all of Stine’s GOOSEBUMPS titles, THE HAUNTED CAR rides squarely between scary and silly and never drifts over into one lane or the other. This keeps the book accessible and fun.
You can buy your very own edition of THE HAUNTED CAR (GOOSEBUMPS 2000 #21) by R.L. Stine from BIBLIO.COM for $3.89, plus free shipping (in the US).