Scary Stories for Young Foxes is a 2019 children's book written by Christian McKay Heidicker, with illustrations by Junyi Wu. The book, published by Henry Holt and Company, was first envisioned to be similar to some of the Berenstain Bears' scary stories, but was rewritten into a collection of tales based on classic horror stories.
The novel consists of several connected stories told by an old vixen as cautionary tales to a new generation of kits. The stories are focused on Mia and Uly, two foxes from different dens, separated from their families and having to fend themselves against the dangers that lie in the forest, such as predators, humans and other foxes.
Scary Stories for Young Foxes was well received by critics, with Heidicker praised for his skill in creating interesting characters and dark stories, while Wu's drawings were highlighted by reviewers for their style and importance in helping create a scary atmosphere. The book was the recipient of a Newbery Honor in 2020 and was featured in "best of" lists by the ALA and The Booklist. A sequel, called Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City, was released on August 31, 2021.[1]
Plot
The book follows seven fox kits in search of scary stories. Their mother tells them about an old storyteller but prohibits them from adventuring there. Despite the warnings, they go there to listen to the old vixen's tales. The first one is focused on Mia, who is being taught survival skills alongside the rest of the litter. During their class, their teacher, Miss Vix, suffering from rabies, becomes aggressive and attacks the fox kits. In the aftermath, only Mia and her mother are not infected, and so they flee from their den. The elder then tells Uly's story, a fox born with a malformed front leg and ostracized by his six sisters, who mock him whenever possible. One day, Uly's father, Wynn, returns to the den and tries to force Uly's mother to kill him. She refuses and Uly runs away and jumps off a cliff then disappears into the forest.
Meanwhile, lost in the forest, Mia's mother steps on a steel trap and is almost captured, but Mia saves her and is captured instead. Mia is brought by the hunter, Beatrix Potter, to her house, where she remains caged for several days. After attempting to escape, Mia is strung on a rope and is soon found by Uly, who had felt the smell of food from nearby. Uly helps Mia escape and they run away. The two kits become friends and decide to go after Mia's mother. They first go through a swamp where Uly is attacked by an alligator. He manages to free himself but loses his malformed limb in the process.
The two foxes are forced to go through the domain of Uly's father, where his mother was as well. After faking his death, Uly and Mia trick Wynn into believing he is being haunted, and so he disappears. They continue on their journey to find Mia's mother, while Uly's mother returns to their den. Winter arrives and the pair finds a litter of fox kits without a mother. While taking care of them, they are attacked by Mia's brother, who is suffering from rabies, and Wynn. Mia's brother is killed by Wynn, who in turn is thrown into the river by Uly.
At the end of each tale told by the old vixen, a fox gets scared and goes back to their den. In the end, only one kit remains, and she explains it was due to her name also being Mia. The fox kit explains that every new generation a fox receives that name to honor a fox called Mia, who saved one of her ancestors from a trap many years ago. After the kit is called home by her mother, the storyteller is revealed to have been the original Mia all along, and Uly is revealed to still be alive as well, having survived and followed the river over the course of several months. As they retire to their den, Mia takes comfort in the fact that the kits know her stories and will pass them down to the next generation.
Major themes
The stories told by the old vixen are meant to serve as cautionary tales to the next generation, with aspects of fairy story morality.[2] One of the first concepts explored by Heidicker in his book is that of "domestic horror", both from the perspective of Mia and Uly. While Uly is constantly bullied by his sisters due to his disability, Mia is attacked by her teacher, who had gone rabid and is forced to abandon the rest of her family.[3]
Wynn is Uly's abusive father, who wants him dead because of the way he was born, and attacks Uly on multiple occasions. Wynn can represent not only domestic horror,[4][5] but also toxic masculinity.[6] Wynn is depicted not only as physically abusive, but also emotionally;[5] he is shown in one of the chapters attempting to groom Mia so she joins the other vixens of his den.[6]
Style
Scary Stories for Young Foxes is a horror novel and has been compared to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark in style, as well as to Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark and Grimm.[7][6] In her analysis of Heidicker's novel, Elizabeth Bird mentions the writer's ability "to render the banal horrible".[6] To mimic someone telling a scary story, Heidicker utilizes onomatopoeias, which "plays into the overall aesthetic of the book."[2]
Throughout the book, Heidicker stops the old vixen's narration and moves the focus to the fox kits who are listening to the stories. These breaks are used to build up the suspense and to give the audience a moment to relax from the moments of terror.[7] These brief pauses also have the effect of increasing the tension and, alongside Heidicker's "vivid descriptions of blood and viscera," they create "a careful balance of horror and suspense".[8]
The novel is also accompanied by Junyi Wu's illustrations, which are characterized as "unsettling",[7] "intricate",[5] and "haunting".[8] Wu's drawings work alongside the writing to help set an atmosphere of horror.[7]
Background
When writing the first version of Scary Stories for Young Foxes, Heidicker set out to create a retelling to some of the old Berenstain Bears scary stories, such as "The Spooky Old Tree" and "Bears in the Night",[9][10] with the main difference being that his story was more brutal.[11] At the time, since he hadn't been published yet and didn't know what were the accepted limits of middle grade horror stories, Heidicker also looked for inspiration in stories by Neil Gaiman, Miggery Sow and Gidwitz.[11]
Later, under the advice of his agent, John M. Cusick, Heidicker changed the story so that it would have "no anthropomorphized characters".[9] Initially, the characters in the story lived in a civilized society, which included wearing clothes and going to the store to buy food.[10] After following the advice, Heidicker redesigned the foxes to be more realistic. He also focused on all the tales having a parallel to classic horror stories but seen through the eyes of a fox.[9][10]
Cusick had also advised against publishing a short story collection, especially one of scary stories, so Heidicker changed it so they would be connected and form a complete novel, while also "add[ing] a snuggle for every snarl."[12]
The illustrations in the book were done by Junyi Wu, and were inspired partially by Stephen Gammell's art, present in the classic Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. To Heidicker, the stories themselves were only scary due, in part, to those illustrations.[11] Wu's illustrations, which are mostly black and white, have been described as being created with charcoal or graphite.[3][13]
Reception and awards
Scary Stories for Young Foxes was viewed positively by critics. Kirkus Reviews found the horror stories present in the book to "border on downright disturbing", also calling them "[d]ark and skillfully distressing," although they criticized the initial prose, due to its overuse of adjectives and its "slightly ornate descriptions".[3] The Wall Street Journal called the story "clever and harrowing", and noted the usage of white letters in black paper for the introduction as a way to draw in the readers.[4] A review published by The Buffalo News comments on Heidicker's choice to use a realistic approach to the animal characters, and praises how vivid and "truly terrifying" the dangers the characters go through are.[14]
Publishers Weekly's review calls the novel a "inventive middle-grade debut by Heidicker." They comment on the pacing of the stories, and how Heidicker "offers distance from the bleakness" through his writing.[5] Another review notes how the author, despite avoiding "'adult' themes of horror", still manages to create "dark, scary, and impactful" stories.[2]
Writing for The Booklist, Julia Smith praised the author's ability to transition from a young adult novel to a children's book. Smith also commented on the use of black-and-white illustrations, as well as the pauses in the scary stories by the older fox, saying they "effectively [build] suspense and [provide] momentary relief for the storyteller's audience."[7] Similarly, Kate Quealy-Gainer, reviewing for the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, called attention to Junyi Wu's drawings, which use "charcoal shading and negative space to create a haunting style".[8]
Hediciker's book was a Newbery Honor in 2020.[15]Scary Stories for Young Foxes was also in The Booklist's Editor Choice for 2019 and got featured on American Library Association's list of the best books for 2020.[16][17] Krishna Grady, a member of the 2020 Newbery Award Selection Committee, in a profile of the year's Honor and Award books, said Heidicker was able to create a scary story "masterfully with lush imagery and intriguing characters." Fellow committee member Eileen Makoff added that the author "makes the woods come alive".[18]
Sequel
A companion book called Scary Stories for Young Foxes: The City was announced to be published on 31 August 2021.[19] The story is set several years after the original, with a different group of main characters, this time facing dangers in an urban setting. While the first book is a retelling of old scary stories, the second one is a retelling of modern ones.[11] The draft for The City was completed before the release of the original book, and was planned originally to be released alongside as the second half of Scary Stories for Young Foxes. After receiving the Newbery Honor, Heidicker went back to working on the draft and rewrote it multiple times.[11]
The sequel was similarly praised by critics, with Kirkus Reviews calling it a "worthy follow-up,"[13] and The Booklist saying it's "[a] frightfully accomplished companion novel that stands on its own."[20]
Adaptation
In April 2021, it was announced that Lena Headey's company, Peephole Productions, and Boat Rocker Studios would co-produce a miniseries based on Heidicker's book.[21]
Related Research Articles
Huli jing are Chinese mythological creatures usually capable of shapeshifting, who may either be benevolent or malevolent spirits. In Chinese mythology and folklore, the fox spirit takes variant forms with different meanings, powers, characteristics, and shapes, including huxian, hushen, husheng, huwang, huyao, huzu, and jiuweihu.
Rodman Philbrick is an American writer of novels for adults and children. He has written popular children's books such as Freak the Mighty, Max the Mighty, The Last Book In The Universe, and has written other mysteries and thrillers for adults.
Shannon Hale is an American author primarily of young adult fantasy, including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy and The Goose Girl. Her first novel for adults, Austenland, was adapted into a film in 2013. She is a graduate of the University of Utah and the University of Montana. She has also co-written with her husband, Dean.
Holly Black is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction. Her most recent work is the New York Times bestselling young adult Folk of the Air series. She is also well known for The Spiderwick Chronicles, a series of children's fantasy books she created with writer and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, and her debut trilogy of young adult novels officially called the Modern Faerie Tales. Black has won a Lodestar Award, a Nebula Award, and a Newbery Honor.
The Fox and the Hound is a 1967 novel written by American novelist Daniel P. Mannix and illustrated by John Schoenherr. It follows the lives of Tod, a red fox raised by a human for the first year of his life, and Copper, a half-bloodhound dog owned by a local hunter, referred to as the Master. After Tod causes the death of the man's favorite hound, man and dog relentlessly hunt the fox, against the dual backdrops of a changing human world and Tod's normal life in hunting for food, seeking a mate, and defending his territory. As preparation for writing the novel, Mannix studied foxes, both tame and wild, a wide variety of hunting techniques, and the ways hounds appear to track foxes, seeking to ensure his characters acted realistically.
Hattie Big Sky is a children's historical novel by Kirby Larson, published in 2006. In 2007 the book was named a Newbery Honor book and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. Hattie Big Sky was also an Illinois Rebecca Caudill Award nominee.
Adam Gidwitz is an American author of children's books, best known for A Tale Dark and Grimm (2010), In a Glass Grimmly (2012), and The Grimm Conclusion (2013). He received a 2017 Newbery Honor for The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog (2016). In 2021, his book A Tale Dark and Grimm was adapted into an animated miniseries on Netflix.
Eugene Yelchin is a Russian-American artist best known as an illustrator and writer of books for children.
The Crossover is a 2012 children's book by American author Kwame Alexander and the winner of the 2015 Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award Honor. The book, which is told entirely through verse, was first published in the United States in hardback on March 18, 2014, through HMH Books for Young Readers.
Last Stop on Market Street is a 2015 children's book written by American author Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson, which won the 2016 Newbery Medal, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor, and a Caldecott Honor. The book follows a young boy named CJ as he learns to appreciate the beauty in everyday things during a bus ride. De la Peña and Robinson both drew on personal experiences when working together to create the book. Through its story and illustrations, Last Stop on Market Street tackles issues of race and class as they may be seen through the eyes of a young teen. Last Stop on Market Street was met with widespread acclaim after its release, receiving positive reviews from Kirkus Reviews and the New York Times Book Review amongst many others. Last Stop on Market Street's Newbery win was monumental, as it is extremely rare for picture books to be awarded this medal. In 2018, the children's book was adapted into a children's musical which has been performed by various children's theater groups across the country.
The Hate U Give is a 2017 young adult novel by Angie Thomas. It is Thomas's debut novel, expanded from a short story she wrote in college in reaction to the police shooting of Oscar Grant. The book is narrated by Starr Carter, a 16-year-old African-American girl from a poor neighborhood who attends an elite private school in a predominantly white, affluent part of the city. Starr becomes entangled in a national news story after she witnesses a white police officer shoot and kill her childhood friend, Khalil. She speaks up about the shooting in increasingly public ways, and social tensions culminate in a riot after a grand jury decides not to indict the police officer for the shooting.
Wolf in the Snow is a 2017 wordless picture book by Matthew Cordell. The book was favorably received by critics and won the 2018 Caldecott Medal. The story has drawn comparisons to fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood. The nearly wordless book tells the story of a girl and wolf who each get lost in the snowstorm. Cordell used distinctive illustration techniques for the girl and the wolf.
Anna-Marie McLemore is a Mexican-American author of young adult fiction magical realism, best known for their Stonewall Honor-winning novel When the Moon Was Ours, Wild Beauty, and The Weight of Feathers.
The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog is a young adult novel written by Adam Gidwitz and illuminated by Hatem Aly, published by Dutton Children's Books in 2016, and inspired by The Canterbury Tales. It is set in medieval France and describes how three magical children meet each other and become outlaws. It was named a Newbery Honor book in 2017.
On the Come Up, published on February 5, 2019, by Balzer + Bray, is a young adult novel by Angie Thomas. It tells the story of Bri, a sixteen-year old rapper hoping to fill the shoes of her father and "make it" as an underground hip-hop legend. Overnight, Bri becomes an internet sensation after posting a rap hit which sparks controversy. As Bri defeats the odds to "make it" she battles controversy to achieve her dreams. It is set in the same universe as Thomas' first book The Hate U Give.
Christian McKay Heidicker is an American author of children's books. His book Scary Stories for Young Foxes received a Newbery Honor in 2020.
Donna Barba Higuera is an American children's book author. Her debut novel, Lupe Wong Won't Dance, was a Pura Belpré Award honor book and PNBA winner in 2021. Her middle grade dystopian novel, The Last Cuentista, won the 2022 Newbery Medal and the Pura Belpré Medal.
The Ogress and the Orphans is a children's book by American writer Kelly Barnhill and published on March 8, 2022, by Algonquin Books. It counts the events of a small fictional town, where the library is burned down and an orphan goes missing, which leads to its citizen blaming an ogress who had just moved in.
Tehlor Kay Mejia is an American author. They are best known for their novels We Set the Dark on Fire (2019), We Unleash the Merciless Storm (2020), Miss Meteor (2020), and Lucha of the Night Forest (2023).
Miss Meteor is a 2020 young adult fantasy novel by Tehlor Kay Mejia and Anna-Marie McLemore.
↑ Christian McKay Heidicker's Newbery Honor Acceptance Speech. June 25, 2020. Event occurs at 2:46. Retrieved July 26, 2021. 'What you've done here', he said, 'is a hat-trick of publishing no-nos. Short story collections don't sell; scary stories don't sell; and anthropomorphism is basically a death knell.' I took John's advice. I knocked down the walls between stories and turned it into a novel in disguise; I added a snuggle for every snarl; and finally, to soothe any anthropomorphism jitters, I tried to make the story as scientifically accurate as possible.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
