nightmares!!! by storeprime.com

Copy

right

© 2

014

The

Jaso

n Se

gel C

ompa

ny

NightmaresNovels.com #NightmaresNovels

Hello?

Is anyone else awake?

A few months ago, my dad married the weirdest

lady in town. Now we live in her creepy purple

mansion with my little brother, Jack. I’m telling

you—something is really wrong with this place.

Every night my stepmonster disappears into a

room at the top of the tower. And as soon as I fall

asleep . . . well, let’s just say I’ve been doing my

best to stay awake.

I wish I could convince my friends that my

stepmother’s up to no good. But Paige thinks

I’m losing it. And Rocco and Alfie are too busy

with their own problems to pay much attention

to mine. They’ve caught the eye of our school’s

sinister new principal. And now they say they’re

having nightmares too.

Strange things are happening, and I’m too tired

to face them. If you’re out there, send help!

And coffee!


Copy

right

© 2

014

The

Jaso

n Se

gel C

ompa

ny

Your worst Nightmare!An exclusive sneak peek at Chapter 4 of Nightmares! starring YOU.

INSTRUCTIONS: Pick a child to lead the game. The leader will ask for the words to fill in the blanks. When the blanks are all filled in, the game leader reads the story to the group. Make a few copies of this page and play the game again using new words. Alternatively, have the children split into

groups to fill in the blanks and have each group share their worst nightmares with everyone.

ABOUT JASON SEGEL & KIRSTEN MILLER

JASON SEGEL used to have nightmares just like Charlie, and just like Charlie, he’s learned that the things we’re most afraid of are the things that can make us strong...if we’re brave enough to face them. Jason likes acting, writing, making music, and hanging out with his friends. Sometimes he writes movies. Sometimes he writes songs for movies. Sometimes he stars in those movies and sings those songs. You might know him from The Muppets and Despicable Me. Your parents might know him from other stuff.

Nightmares! is his first novel.

KIRSTEN MILLER grew up in a small town just like Cypress Creek, minus the purple mansion. She lives and writes in New York City. She’s the author of the acclaimed Kiki Strike books and the Eternal Ones series and How to Lead a Life of Crime. You can visit

her at kirstenmillerbooks.com.

HC: 978-0-385-74425-6 GLB: 978-0375-99157-8 EL/EPUB: 978-0-385-38403-2 CD LIBRARY: 978-0-8041-6812-0 DN RETAIL: 978-0-8041-6811-3 DN LIBRARY: 978-0-8041-6813-7

MIC

HAEL

MUL

LER

1. His dad married a woman he is sure MOONLIGHTS AS A WITCH.

2. He had to move into her purple mansion, which is

NOT A PLACE YOU WANT TO FIND YOURSELF AFTER DARK.3. He can’t remember the last time sleeping wasn’t a

NIGHTMARISH PROSPECT. Like even a nap.

What Charlie doesn’t know is that his problems are about to get a whole

lot more real. Nightmares can ruin a good night’s sleep, but when they start slipping out of your dreams and into the waking world—that’s a line that should never be crossed.

And when your worst nightmares start to come true . . . well, that’s something only Charlie can face. And he’s going to need all the help he can

get, or it might just be lights-out for Charlie Laird.

FOR GOOD.

NIGHTMARES! EVENT ACTIVITIES ABOUT NIGHTMARES!

CHARLIE LAIRD HAS SEVERAL PROBLEMSKI

RSTE

N M

ILLE

R


Copy

right

© 2

014

The

Jaso

n Se

gel C

ompa

ny

Your worst Nightmare!An exclusive sneak peek at Chapter 4 of Nightmares! starring YOU.

INSTRUCTIONS: Pick a child to lead the game. The leader will ask for the words to fill in the blanks. When the blanks are all filled in, the game leader reads the story to the group. Make a few copies of this page and play the game again using new words. Alternatively, have the children split into

groups to fill in the blanks and have each group share their worst nightmares with everyone.

NIGHTMARES! EVENT ACTIVITIES ABOUT NIGHTMARES!

CHAPTER 4: THE ________________________

“Look who’s here,” something ________________________ed.“ And just in time for dinner!”

“Splendid!” said a second voice. The words were followed by a familiar cackle.

“So glad you could join us,__________________. Aren’t you looking just__________________tonight?”

A jolt of fear made __________________’s eyes snap open. He/She was no longer in his/her room.

His/her bed was shoved up against a crumbling stone wall that was splattered with patches of moss

and mold. He’d/She’d been to the __________________’s __________________before, but this time

he/she could see the cavernous space even more clearly. A roaring fire had been built in the center

of the room.

A cloud of smoke rolled above him/her. __________________struggled to sit up, only to discover

that he’d/she’d been tied down as usual. __________________s chafed his/her wrists and ankles.

He/She could lift his/her head just high enough to see the __________________seated

beside a__________________ cauldron, chopping a __________________. The contents of the

pot__________________ed every time it dropped a hunk in. As the__________________rose from

its seat, it tossed a handful of scraps onto a rubbish heap in the corner. Bones of all shapes stuck out

from the pile. __________________ spotted a__________________skull and a broken bat wing or two.

Adjective

Animal sound

Name of person

Repeat name of person

Repeat scary creature


Object



Silly Adjective

Food

Scary place

Adjective

Scary creature

Noise



Copy

right

© 2

014

The

Jaso

n Se

gel C

ompa

ny

Night Watch!THE SETTINGNight Watch is a group role-playing game of strategy, survival, and the ability to spot a fraud. The concerned citizens of Cypress Creek need to work with Charlie to send the spine-tingling nightmares back to the Netherworld so dreams and restful slumber can return!

There are numerous variations of the game. The version described here requires a deck of cards and works best with at least 8 players. We suggest an adult taking on the role of narrator.

SET UP:1. Take a deck of ordinary cards and pull out two black queens, a red king, and a joker. 2. Add to this as many non-face cards as are needed to equal the number of people playing. 3. Set the remaining cards aside. 4. Shuffle the cards carefully, then deal them out. 5. Each person should receive one card. a. The players with the queens are the nightmares b. The player with the king is Charlie c. The player with the joker is the narrator d. Everyone else is a citizen of Cypress Creek

HOW TO PLAY1. Game play revolves around rounds of “night” and “day” 2. Every “night” the narrator calls out the nightmares and selects a townsperson to scare. Charlie has the opportunity

to guess who the nightmares are. 3. Every “day” the narrator will announce who was “spooked” by the nightmares, and the whole group (including the

nightmares and Charlie, since no one knows who they are) selects one member of Cypress Creek to go to the Netherworld for good. Charlie can help steer the direction of the conversation based on his knowledge.

4. It’s important that no one reveal his or her cards, unless: He/She is Charlie and revealing will help the townspeople of Cypress Creek beat the nightmares. He/she is sent to the netherworld for good.

5. The narrator coordinates the “night” round, which is silent. Everyone participates in the “day” round with eyes open, while the narrator guides play.

SAMPLE DESCRIPTIONS/ROUNDS: NARRATOR: “Night has fallen on Cypress Creek. Everyone close your eyes.” (Check all eyes are closed.)

NARRATOR: “Nightmares, open your eyes. Who will you spook tonight?” Only the two people holding the queens open their eyes. Without speaking, the nightmares choose the townsperson who will be scared, point to him/her, and confirm with a nod.

NARRATOR: “Interesting choice, nightmares! Good luck & close your eyes! (Check all eyes are closed.)

NARRATOR: “Charlie, awaken from your slumber.” (The player holding the king opens his or her eyes.)

NARRATOR: “Charlie, take your guess.” (Charlie accuses player. Narrator nods yes/no.)

NARRATOR: “Charlie, with this new knowledge, close your eyes. Let’s hope you can save Cypress Creek when dawn arrives.” (Verify that he/she has complied.)

NARRATOR: “Sunlight is revealing dust on windowpanes and birds are chirping, A new day has arrived. Everyone open your eyes. ___________ [Name of person nightmares chose to spook] had an unfriendly encounter with his/her nightmares last night. Who is the nightmare hiding amongst us?”

All players (except narrator) start to guess who the nightmares are. Encourage the children to use their deductive reasoning skills and creativity!

Charlie and his friends are dealing with scary nightmares and learning to face their fears. On their adventures they pick up creative skills to fight their fears. Fight your fear of The Dark and turn it into something

fabulous with these shadow puppets, using your hands and a flashlight. (This is called shadowography.)

INSTRUCTIONS: You only need one light source, like a candle or a single bulb, and a wall to cast shadows upon.

The vintage illustrations shown below include both easy and challenging examples.

Take pictures of your puppets and share them with @RandomHouseKids and tag #NightmaresNovels.

NIGHTMARES! EVENT ACTIVITIESNIGHTMARES! EVENT ACTIVITIES


Copy

right

© 2

014

The

Jaso

n Se

gel C

ompa

ny

Fighting fear of The Dark with your fingers!Charlie and his friends are dealing with scary nightmares and learning to face their fears. On their

adventures they pick up creative skills to fight their fears. Fight your fear of The Dark and turn it into something fabulous with these shadow puppets, using your hands and a flashlight. (This is called shadowography.)

INSTRUCTIONS: You only need one light source, like a candle or a single bulb, and a wall to cast shadows upon.

The vintage illustrations shown below include both easy and challenging examples.

Take pictures of your puppets and share them with @RandomHouseKids and tag #NightmaresNovels.

THE WORLD’S BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNIVERSAL EDUCATOR (BOSTON: J.R. SPAULDING & CO., 1901) 518

NIGHTMARES! EVENT ACTIVITIESNIGHTMARES! EVENT ACTIVITIES


Copy

right

© 2

014

The

Jaso

n Se

gel C

ompa

ny

Readers’ Theater Activity!

Charlie’s recurring nightmare about the witch and her spooky cat have played an integral part of his new life with his stepmom. Using the following directions, have the children demonstrate an understanding of text structure by retelling and sequencing a scene from Nightmares!

INSTRUCTIONS:1. Read the Nightmares! excerpt with the group. After reading, have the children complete a “Somebody wanted but so”

chart as a way to make observations about the characters, setting, conflict, and plot.

2. To enhance understanding, take a well-known story (perhaps a fairy tale) write a Readers’ Theater script as a whole group activity. After discussing dialogue and performance, divide the group into smaller groups that will each create an original script using a chapter from Nightmares! as inspiration.

SCENE SUGGESTIONS • When Alfie, Rocco, or Paige faces his or her nightmares • Charlie’s first encounter with the witch • Dabney rescuing Charlie when he first enters the Netherworld

• Charlie’s late-night conversation with his stepmonster

3. Allow the groups ample time to assign roles and practice. Be sure to confer with each group to answer or clarify any questions they may have.

4. Finally, it’s show time! Allow the children to create costumes, props, and sets for the final Readers’ Theater performance. Groups will perform for one another. For additional fun, consider filming each performance to share with the whole class.

G O O D N I G H T, C H A R L I E .S L E E P T I G H T, J A C K .T U R N O U T T H E L I G H T S A N D W A T C H

Y O U R B A C K .

With lively dialogue, quirky characters, and lots of action, Nightmares! provides excellent opportunities for young reader—created theater experiences.

NIGHTMARES! EVENT ACTIVITIES


Copy

right

© 2

014

The

Jaso

n Se

gel C

ompa

ny

Readers’ Theater Activity!

SOMEBODY (Character)

WANTED (Goal)

BUT . . . (Problem)

SO . . . (Solution)



Copy

right

© 2

014

The

Jaso

n Se

gel C

ompa

ny

Host a Nightmares! Event or PartyHere are some seriously sinister, spine-chilling ways to bring NIGHTMARES!

to life, and celebrate all year-long.

SPOOKY SNACKS: Make or bake cupcakes, cookies, or other snacks and provide edible accessories to decorate with, such as: • Marshmallows • Chocolate sprinkles • M&Ms • Black licorice (3 inches long) • Mini ice cream cones

DECORATING IDEAS: 1. Cut marshmallows in half crosswise; place a half on each cupcake or cookie. Frost the marshmallows

and the top of the cupcake. Dip the cupcakes in chocolate sprinkles. Place a dab of frosting on each M&M and press on the cupcakes for eyes.

2. For spider legs, use a metal or wooden skewer to poke four holes in opposite sides of cupcakes; insert a piece of licorice into each hole.

3. Place a circle of frosting in the center of the cupcake or cookie and affix a mini ice-cream cone upside down to serve as a witch’s hat.

4. Pipe three concentric circles of frosting on each cupcake or cookie. Starting at the center, draw a toothpick 5 or 6 times through frosting to the outside edge of cupcake to make a frosting spiderweb design. Let stand till frosting is dry.

NIGHTMARES! NAME TAGS: Have every child and/or parent write their name and draw a spooky creature next to it.

NAME THAT NIGHTMARE: 1. Prepare several labels with various nightmares, such as: a. The Boogie Man b. Zombie c. Vampire Bunnies d. Your teeth falling out e. Clowns f. Spiders g. Aliens

2. Stick a label on the back of each person in attendance

3. Announce that it’s time for the game to begin. Everybody must mingle and introduce themselves and each person asks yes-or-no questions to gain clues about the name of the creature on their own back.

4. When a person correctly guesses his/her identity, he/she has someone remove the label and continues to mingle until a set amount of time.


• Seasonal candy: Candy Corn (Halloween), Candy hearts (Valentine’s Day), Chocolate Eggs, Jelly Beans (Spring holidays), etc.

• Frosting tubes in various colors

nightmares!!! by storeprime.com

Lifestyle

worst nightmares

charlie laird

charlie doesnt

new words

game leader

creepy purple mansion

strange things

dn library