Creatures Books in Order

Alex creates an unusually disturbing costume for the wicked stepmother in a school play, using fur, feathers and skins. When her sister is injured and strange damage appears around the scenery, she begins to suspect the costume has awakened something dangerous.

Paul’s unusual new aquarium fish begins biting people and eating things no ordinary fish should consume. As it grows more troublesome and frightening, Paul wants it gone, but the creature has plans that make escape difficult.

Moving into a new house brings Jon an odd neighbor, a frightened cat and a growing problem with rats. When the animals his pet kills refuse to stay buried, he must confront the possibility that the neighborhood’s strangeness is something far worse.

A rude, entertaining mynah becomes a favorite school pet until its behavior turns threatening and it begins speaking for someone called Susie. The children discover that upsetting this unseen presence can have consequences far beyond an ordinary bird’s tantrums.

Six Christmas stories turn familiar festive animals into sources of unease. Dogs beside the fire, cheerful robins and friendly reindeer may look reassuring, but these encounters ask what happens when the creatures surrounding a celebration conceal something dangerous.

On a school trip, hostility between Pippa’s roommates seems to explain a mysterious bone beneath one girl’s bed. Then strange noises and a following shadow suggest that someone, or something, more dangerous may be helping their feud escalate.

Rhoda’s cat refuses to approach an ordinary-looking armchair, prompting her to discover a feline ghost haunting it. The spirit of Sheba wants something badly and will not let the household ignore her demands or stand in her way.

After something begins killing local sheep, Andy’s father plans to shoot the dog he believes responsible. Andy discovers that the culprit is far stranger, and stopping his father from hunting it may be the only way to keep him safe.

Jess’s mother treasures an old teddy bear bought at a sale, but the toy makes Jess deeply uneasy. Convinced it harms anyone who dislikes it, she fears that trying to throw it away could bring an even worse punishment.

Tired of singing a nursery rhyme to his younger siblings, Leo downloads an online game with the same name. The apparent amusement turns sinister when its spider proves to be a virus unwilling to remain confined inside the computer.