The first in a new series called Easy-to-Read Spooky Tales!, this book promises gory fun on its cover and delivers it. The tale begins with three boys having a sleepover. The host’s mother has to leave for a moment and instructs the boys, “Don’t open the door! Not for anybody!” Once she is gone, each boy tells a scary story involving a child who breaks the guardian’s command and opens the door. The helpful afterword informs readers that the three stories are based on folk tales from the Guyanas, Bohemia, and Peru, though they certainly echo cautionary tales from other cultures. These stories illustrate the unfortunate consequences in folk tales of opening the door for strangers, and the storytellers get a good fright when the last tale is interrupted by someone knocking at the door. Though it is only the narrator’s mother, the boys go to sleep with the light on – just in case.

The vocabulary, sentence structure, and large print suggest that Don’t Open the Door! is suitable for children aged seven to 10 to read on their own; it would also entertain younger audiences who like a slightly more thrilling read-aloud. Leanne Franson’s pen-and-ink drawings add comic emphasis to the text and highlight some gory details, such as a goblin-in-disguise that reveals its true identity by eating live frogs. Charles aptly combines comedy and horror in an entertainingly spooky read that won’t leave children needing to sleep with the lights on.