Prepare to be jolted . . . electrified . . . zapped. Here are thirteen hair-raising stories that are bound to stun and shock you. There is great suspense in Robert Westall's "Aunt Florrie" and Larry Bograd's "The Reincarnation of Sweet Lips." Horrifying happenings occur in Annette Curtis Klause's "The Hoppins" and Patricia Windsor's "Teeth." Ghosts abound in stories by Joan Aiken, Vivien Alcock, Elsa Marston, Jane McFann, Frances A. Miller, and Joan Lowery Nixon. For a dose of comic relief, readers will gulp with glee at Ellen Conford's "For Pete's Snake," Gary Blackwood's "Ethan Unbound," and Steven Otfinoski's "Salesman, Beware!" Read this shocking collection at your own risk. "From the Paperback edition." xi • Introduction (Short Circuits: Thirteen Shocking Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults) • (1992) • essay by Donald R. Gallo 3 • There's a Tomb Waiting for Yor • (1992) • novelette by Joan Lowery Nixon 24 • Anubis • (1992) • novelette by Elsa Marston 47 • Save the Elephant, the Ant, and Billikins • (1992) • short story by Vivien Alcock 60 • Ethan Unbound • (1992) • short story by Gary L. Blackwood [as by Gary Blackwood] 75 • TLA • (1992) • short story by Jane McFann 89 • For Pete's Snake • (1992) • short story by Ellen Conford 104 • Aunt Florrie • (1992) • short story by Robert Westall 118 • The Reincarnation of Sweet Lips • (1992) • short story by Larry Bograd 136 • A Nasty, Muddy Ghost Dog • (1992) • short story by Joan Aiken 147 • Salesman, Beware! • (1992) • short story by Steven Otfinoski 156 • Something's Different • (1992) • short story by Frances A. Miller 171 • Teeth • (1992) • short story by Patricia Windsor 183 • The Hoppins • (1992) • novelette by Annette Curtis Klause
Author
"Stories about journeys have interested readers since the beginning of language," says Donald R. Gallo of DESTINATION UNEXPECTED, his critically acclaimed anthology of short stories by prominent writers of young adult fiction. "Arriving at the destination is the goal, certainly, but the experiences during the journey itself are what transform the character. The most important experiences are often those not expected." With more than a dozen anthologies to his credit, Don Gallo has garnered a reputation as the godfather of YA short stories. He was initially drawn to the genre back in 1980, when he realized that junior and senior high schools across the country taught required units on short stories, but that virtually none of the stories students were asked to read were by authors who wrote specifically for teenagers. His first, ground-breaking anthology of YA short stories, SIXTEEN, featuring some of the top authors in the field, was recognized by the American Library Association as one of the 100 Best Books for Young Adults published between 1966 and 1999. Since then, Don Gallo has edited a number of short story anthologies for teens, including the highly regarded FIRST CROSSING and WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF?. Among the numerous awards he has received is the ALAN Award for Outstanding Contributions to Young Adult Literature. A former junior high school teacher and university professor of English, Don Gallo currently spends his time as an editor, author, workshop presenter, and interviewer of famous authors. He also likes to read, travel, garden, cook, and take photographs. The father of two, he lives with his wife in Solon, Ohio.
