Most Popular Books by Jeff Szpirglas

30 dangerous paths. 30 minutes to escape. YOU choose the path to survive — in the spookiest Countdown to Danger yet! This spooky installment of the choose-your-own-path series features serious survival scenarios, horror style! Readers determine their own fate as they dodge obstacles like ravenous zombies, shapeshifting monsters, haunted clocks and deadly booby traps! The door slams behind you, and you realize that you and your cousin are trapped in Smithson House, that old, derelict mansion at the edge of town. This house is possessed by all manner of ghosts and ghouls — and at the stroke of midnight, the supernatural powers in this building will use you to BREAK OUT. Unless, of course, you manage to escape by reversing the curse that holds all of you here. You’ve got 30 minutes to stop the ghosts and save your cousin . . . or die trying!

Imagine walking home from school one day and seeing a brain on the side of the road, a brain that, it turns out, is looking for a new home. Or instead of paying attention to the teacher, you shoot a paper airplane across the room and accidentally rip a hole in the fabric of the universe. And what would you do if you discovered that your class reading group was actually recruiting kids with telekinetic powers? Tales from Beyond the Brain is a collection of thirteen spooky stories that are as outrageous as they are terrifying. It''s a throwback to the weird tales of yesteryear, in the vein of Tales from the Crypt and The Twilight Zone, but with contemporary characters and settings. Getting an education has never been more dangerous. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Key Selling Points With the resurgence of the Goosebumps books and movies and the popularity of Netflix’s Stranger Things, kids are gobbling up horror now more than ever. Like the author’s previous book, Tales from Beyond the Brain, this book features thirteen tales that will either make you laugh out loud or never want to go to sleep again. The book is a throwback to the spooky horror tales of yore—think Tales from the Crypt meets The Twilight Zone. Vivid and creepy black-and-white illustrations from Steven P. Hughes help to set the spooky tone of these thirteen stories. The author is a horror-film aficionado and a teacher.

In this illustrated early chapter book, a game of trading playing cards gets out of hand at a grade school with big problems.

A delightfully creepy collection of tales about everything from a Jekyll/Hyde homeroom teacher to a boiler-room ghoul to a kid''s wobbly "baby eye," woven between excerpts from a central story about a girl whose favorite horror author is stealing children''s nightmares for his books.

Middle grader Tanya has managed to stop famed horror writer Joel Southland from stealing people''s nightmares for his books. The malevolent, sentient ink that had been the source of all his powers and successes now belongs to Tanya. But the ink—which feeds on nightmares—is growing hungrier and hungrier. It urges Tanya to plunder the dreams of others so it can feed. Among Tanya''s struggles to outwit the ink are eleven other creepy tales representing the dreams and nightmares of other characters in the book. From tales of dentists who are actually giant alien insects in disguise to a kid spotting a tombstone with his own name and death date, these stories are sure to thrill and chill. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Key Selling Points A nine-year-old is excited to be attending a school for young superheroes. Super Switch is a humorous story that explores themes of acceptance and redemption. There are 25 fun black-and-white illustrations throughout. The main character is nonbinary and their gender identity is incidental to the storyline. Part of the Orca Echoes line of early chapter books with character-building themes and curriculum tie-ins.

Miranda has one messy desk. It''s full of books, pencils, science projects and...other stuff. Too much stuff, says her teacher, Ms. Basil. On a family visit to her Uncle Aldo''s one night, Miranda wonders if some of his magician''s tools might offer a solution to her messy-desk problem. Sneaking off to the magic room, Miranda finds Uncle Aldo''s impressive collection of top hats. Miranda knows that magic top hats can hold lots of things—why not the mess from her desk? At first, the hat seems to do the trick, but soon things start to go horribly wrong. As Uncle Aldo says, you have to be careful with magic. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Key Selling Points A young girl is consumed by tracking a great white shark and uses technology and her knowledge to educate the adults around her. This is a humorous story that has underlying themes of science, technology, environmental awareness and water safety. This story was inspired by a real shark named Hilton, who was being tracked in the waters off the coast of Nova Scotia by the data-centered organization OCEARCH. The author’s book Something''s Fishy (2011), which also had a protagonist who was fascinated by sharks, was nominated for the Shining Willow Award and was a CCBC Best Book. Features fifteen black-and white-illustrations.

30 dangerous paths. 30 minutes to escape. YOU choose the path to survive! Back with even more danger and daring, and a dash of fun, this fourth installment of the choose-your-own-path series features serious survival scenarios, Canadian style! You begin your quest for survival stranded in the Rockies with an injured guide. You quickly find out she''s not who she appears to be. Is she a friend or foe? And what''s with that secret compound in the dam? The danger escalates . . . the dam is sabotaged . . . what should you do? Choose wrongly and be beaten by mutant beavers, roiled by raging rapids, squashed by a sasquatch, razed by a rockslide or worse! Choose well -- help the mutant animals, trust your instincts with the bomb, grab that extra paddle -- and make it out of the woods alive.

Jamie loves sharks. He reads about them. He talks about them. Sometimes he even pretends to be a shark. Too bad no one else wants to join his Shark Club. His peers and parents are quickly growing tired of his current obsession. When Jamie''s teacher, Mr. Claxton, brings in a new class pet, Jamie is put in charge. But Jamie has an accident while feeding it, and everyone becomes upset with him. He needs to find a way to make things right. In the end, he comes up with a solution that pleases both his teacher and classmates, a solution that also gives Jamie an opportunity to share his newest obsession—lizards. The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

A natural-born explorer, Leo loves to make maps and experiment with new ways of getting around the schoolyard. But explorers sometimes get sidetracked, which can lead to getting in trouble. When Leo’s teacher, Mr. Chang, announces he’ll be giving out an award for responsibility, Leo is determined to redeem himself. The upcoming class field trip to the woods seems like the perfect opportunity. He’ll get to use his handy compass watch and show Mr. Chang he can be extra-responsible! But when two of Leo’s classmates wander out of bounds, Leo is faced with a tough decision.u003cbru003e u003cbru003e

Relates tips and facts about fear in general and describes a wide range of scary things, including the dark, monsters, nightmares, ghosts, water, snakes, spiders, bugs, school, rollercoasters, and movies.

"Gross Universe" is an eye-opening, sometimes stomach-turning exploration of the many physical things about animals, plants, and -- of course -- young readers themselves that often go politely unmentioned. From mucus to vomit, from farts to phlegm, nothing is off-limits. With topics including sweat, mold, pus (a Perfectly Understandable Secretion), our gross microscopic friends, and even fossilized dinosaur poop, the book holds myriad delights waiting to be discovered. Irreverent illustrations enliven the amazing parade of weird scientific facts. Special features include Games You Should Never Play (such as Komodo Kissing Booth), gross activities (example: create a Dandruff Landing Pad), and Scientist A and Scientist B, recurring characters whose bickering back and forth helps elucidate the facts. "Gross Universe" reveals a universe that may not always be pretty, but is sure to keep children engrossed, laughing, and learning.

RECORD STORE DAY EDITION: Signed book + exclusive red-colored 7-inch containing unreleased music from the 1980 cult slasher Prom Night._____Are you obsessed with John Carpenter''s iconic music for the Halloween series? Do you thrill to the unforgettable stabs of the Psycho score, or the pounding synth of Goblin''s soundtrack to Suspiria? Do you find yourself being pulled into the hair-raising modern scores for the likes of Get Out, Hereditary, and The Witch? You''re not alone. Blood on Black Wax is a defining horror soundtrack volume that spotlights iconic franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Jaws, The Exorcist, and George A. Romero''s Dead films, highlighting both the music and the amazing - often rare - artwork that graces the record sleeves. It also tells the stories behind the soundtrack, from the mouths of the musicians who made them, including John Carpenter, Fabio Frizzi, Christopher Young, Harry Manfredini, Charles Bernstein, Pino Donaggio, John Harrison, and more. Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas, both of Rue Morgue magazine, have curated Blood on Black Wax to reflect their own passion for the darkest slabs of soundtrack music. Their journey into the fascinating history of horror movie scores contains reviews, release details, and wild stories about both renown and unusual releases - everything from the orchestral sounds of Hammer and Universal horror, to the truly experimental albums for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Eraserhead, to the outlandish punk and metal songs of ''80s soundtrack albums like The Return of the Living Dead and Shocker. Go back to your favorite horror films one more time, through the jaw-dropping, spine-tingling music that helped solidify their place in cinematic history!

The final instalment in the Book of Screams series. Tanya and Niah lure writer Joel Southland to a local coffee shop to find out his scheme. But soon, customers are collapsing around them, lulled into an unnatural sleep--Southland''s (and the evil ink''s) doing. When Southland tells Tanya he needs her help to draw the ink back to its origins, it seems her only option. However, the ink is cunning. And it will take all Tanya''s smarts to try to trap it...or else she might be trapped herself. Woven into the main story are other nightmares the ink has been collecting, including a story of a boy haunted by the long hair clogging a drain, two friends hoping to get famous by livestreaming their hot-pepper-eating challenge, and Gory Gary, a gruesome ghoul who pops up instead of Bloody Mary because he''s bored. It''s a mix of frights and chills and laughs, perfect for middle-grade readers.

30 minutes. 30 dangerous paths. YOU choose the path to survive! Readers choose their own path as they dodge obstacles like giant sea monsters, double-crossing villains, hungry great white sharks . . . and maybe even a Canadian Bermuda Triangle! What starts as a boring tour boat experience on the east coast of Canada quickly turns into chaos. It seems your parents have a very valuable map to the locations of some very important objects, and a group of criminal masterminds will stop at nothing to get their hands on it. You''ve somehow made it off the boat with the map, but then do you suit up for a dive, swim to a nearby island or hitch a ride on a suspicious-looking speedboat? Can you find the treasure in time? And even if you do, will you be able to avoid booby traps, criminals hot on your trail and mutant creatures standing guard? You''ve got 30 minutes to get to the treasure, stop the criminal masterminds, and save your parents . . . or die trying!

How many times have you been frightened and felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand up? Or been unable to hold back a laugh? Or flinched when an object whizzed by, too close for comfort? The thing is, you just can''t help yourself -- you''re only human Part Desmond Morris''s The Naked Ape, part MAD Magazine, and all Jeff Szpirglas, this unique book provides a cultural, historical, and socio-biological perspective on human behavior. Szpirglas''s goofy, kid-friendly sensibility paired with the book''s look, energy, and scope is guaranteed to engage and captivate young readers. Kids will read about body language, birth order, staring contests, fits of laughter, crowd behavior, sniffing dirty diapers, yawning, dreaming, and the art of lying -- only to realize that science is at work behind each action You Just Can''t Help It is an enthralling and slightly zany exploration of the basic human biology that determines our reactions, social interactions, and the ways we communicate with one another.

EIGHT THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SHELDON UNGER: 1. Girls do not like you.2. Your annoying grandma hogs the TV.3. You opened your grandma''s old trunk.4. You found a creepy old jar inside the trunk.5. You opened the jar.6. Deadly, living teeth escaped from it.7. Only you can stop the teeth. 8. Your only protection is a fairy costume."

Famous bloopers, baffling behavior, and quirky events of times past and present.

This comprehensive title examines the structures and functions of the brain. Accessible text and supportive design elements introduce different parts of the brain and explain their key functions. Readers will also discover how the brain interprets and responds to messages received from different sensory receptors. Hands-on investigations help reinforce and extend core concepts. This title supports NGSS Structure, Function, and Information Processing - 4-LS1-1; MS-LS1-8.

30 dangerous paths. 30 minutes to escape. YOU choose the path to survive -- in the most terrifying Countdown to Danger yet! Face off against the horrors lurking below the city in this latest action-packed installment of the choose-your-own-path series. Depending on the choices you make, you may end up battling a brood of blood-thirsty vampires, dodging a pack of mutant rats, or maybe even foiling an evil plot by the mayor. You are listening to music while meandering the downtown streets of your hometown when -- YEARGH! -- you fall down an open maintenance hole. Luckily, you don''t hurt yourself upon landing at the bottom of a creepy tunnel. That''s because you''ve fallen on a DEAD BODY. A dead body of a municipal worker that has scratch marks AND bite wounds on his neck. You call up for help, but nobody can hear you, and the ladder appears to have been ripped right off the stone wall -- like somebody or something was trying to prevent anyone from getting back out. You''ve got 30 minutes to find your way back above ground . . . or die trying!

Introduces readers to facts about time through a story about David and his family, who spend an interesting and unforgettable day at the zoo.

RECORD STORE DAY EDITION! Book + bookmark signed by the authors + exclusive 7-inch EP! Vinyl is pressed on "antifreeze green" and contains unused music from the 1986 Tobe Hooper cult film Invaders from Mars. Music is previously unreleased and is by composer Christopher Young (Hellraiser / Species / Drag Me to Hell). Custom sleeve by noted artist HagCult. Limited to 1,000 copies worldwide. Do you crank up your stereo and conduct air symphonies to John Williams'' Star Wars? Know all of the lyrics to The NeverEnding Story or Xanadu? Have a burgeoning collection of space disco albums? Well, pluck those Ceti Alpha eels out of your ears and open this book - we''ve got you covered.From the orchestral bombast of Jerry Goldsmith''s Star Trek: The Motion Picture score, to the muscle-flexing might of Basil Poledouris'' Conan the Barbarian, to the dreamy electronic soundscapes of Vangelis'' Blade Runner and the pop styling of the Flash Gordon soundtrack, science fiction and fantasy films have inspired some of the most beloved and memorable soundtracks in film history.Planet Wax covers the best, as well as the most unique and underrated scores the sci-fi and fantasy genres have to offer, while showcasing their original vinyl LP artwork over 240 pages. Franchises like Mad Max, The Terminator, and even the Indiana Jones films are spotlighted, along with television classics such as Doctor Who and Star Trek, making Planet Wax the definitive discography of soundtracks from the films and shows of the ''60s, ''70s, ''80s, and ''90s that shaped multiple generations.Featuring over twenty interviews, including composers Stu Phillips (Battlestar Galactica), Laurence Rosenthal (Clash of the Titans), and directors Richard Donner (Superman) and Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II), Planet Wax chronicles an era in film and music when the sounds were given as much prominence as the interstellar imagery.Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas, co-authors of Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl, will take you on the ultimate trip to the far reaches of both the cosmos and their record collections. Planet Wax is the portal to your most fantastic and nostalgic dreams.

Be empowered to take more risks in your learning, and to unlock your personal potential. This motivating title helps readers understand how our brains learn and how each of us has our own personal learning style. Key concepts of brain function include memory, attention, executive functions, and other cognitive abilities, and how neural connections form and grow. Several brain-based learning strategies offer hands-on activities or demonstrations to help readers apply the strategies in the real world.

The first few years of life were thought to be the most important in brain development. With the aid of modern brain-imaging technologies, we now know the brain undergoes a substantial remodeling process during adolescence. This insightful title is designed to empower readers as they learn how areas of the brain related to decision-making, planning and goal setting, impulse control, and social interactions are affected by this process of change. They will also discover that personal choices, experiences, and environment play a pivotal role in adolescent brain development. Strategies help readers build emotional intelligence, manage stress, and adopt a proactive, mindful approach to minimize vulnerabilities and maximize their potential for positive personal development during adolescence.

L''ouvrage offre des explications scientifiques aux comportements étranges et étonnants des êtres humains: baiser les yeux, l''expression du dégoût, la tonalité de la voix, les réactions physiques de la peur, parler avec les mains, etc. Le tout est divisé en quatre chapitres: Les sens en éveil (comment entres-tu en contact avec ton environnement?) - Dans tous tes états (comment tes émotions influencent-t-elles ton comportement?) - Que dis-tu? (comment communiques-tu avec et sans mots?) - Toi + le monde (comment interagis-tu avec les autres?). Chaque chapitre se conclut sur une étude amusante illustrée à la manière d''une BD et déclinée en quatre parties: Question - Observation - Résultats et Résumé. [SDM].