Christmas Tales of Terror features 7 spooky Christmas-themed tales. From a cursed drummer boy to demented snowmen, this book puts the ho ho ho in horror. This is the 3rd book by Priestley that I have read. His witty and clever horror stories never fail to deliver chilling, spooky joy.

The stories are written for middle grade age children, but are complex enough to be enjoyed by adults, too. The stories have scary moments and horrific twists, but there is nothing inappropriate for kids ages 10 .

Why should the Christmas season be all warm & fuzzy? Add a touch of horror to the season.....it might not be Father Christmas who is coming down the chimney, after all. *inject music stab here dah...dahhhhhhhhhh....dah*

I've been on a Christmas reading frenzy lately for some strange reason, and thought I would take a break from Scrooge re-tellings to enjoy some Christmas horror. Glad I did. I haven't yet come across a story by Chris Priestley that wasn't well done. If your kids enjoy scary stories, or if you want an easy spook-filled afternoon read, check out this book, or any of Priestley's short story collections.

This book differs from the other Tales of Terror books I've read so far (Uncle Montague's Tales of Terror, Tales of Terror from the Black Ship) in the way the stories are presented. In Uncle Montague and Black Ship, the stories were woven inside another story about a central main character. Christmas Tales just presents the 7 short stories. I enjoyed both formats.

The cover art for this book is just amazing! Very holiday horrific!

My rating: 8/10
Scary situations, but age appropriate
Ages 10 ( )