The Nest Will Give You Nightmares

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, is a spine chilling story about an extreme hive of wasps living just outside a newborn's nursery. Steve is the baby's big brother, and he is also a worrier. Right now he is really worried about two things: the growing wasps' nest, and the baby's sickliness. Of course, Steve's parents are also more than a little preoccupied with the baby's health. Not only are the wasps keeping Steve busy during the hot days of summer vacation, they are also visiting him in his dreams. Steve is at first comforted by the visits and soothing words of the queen; however, he is horrified to later learn the sinister plot she has in mind for Steve's baby brother.

Steve is an unlikely hero and you'll cheer for him as he takes on the wasps single-handedly to help save his little brother. You'll want to have the exterminator's number handy as you fly through the pages of this short novel. The black and white illustrations by Jon Klassen add to the spooky ambiance. The Nest is the book you could get if you combined Jon Klassen's picture book The Dark, and any Steven King novel.  Check out this terrific HarperCollins book trailer for the story. This book is suitable for kids ages  9-up who don't mind a fright in their reading.