Boo!
Everything you ever wanted to know about fear (but were afraid to ask)
Will be published approx. on 3. September 2026
Book
Hardback
200 pages
978-1-83600-545-2 (ISBN)
Description
Join this fascinating thrill-ride to discover everything you ever wanted to know about fear, but were too afraid to ask.
What are you afraid of??Maybe it's heights, public speaking, spiders or the things that go bump in the night. Whatever makes your stomach flip, have you ever wondered why it affects you so much? Boo! answers that question and many more.
Across thirteen chapters discover:
Historical figures with surprising phobias, such as Emperor Augustus and his fear of lightning.
Some of the eeriest real-life hauntings ever reported, from the ghostly Roman legions of York's Treasurer's House to the vengeful spirits of Ireland's Leap Castle.
The long history of telling scary stories, with tips on how to craft your own featuring insights and quotes from some of the best storytellers.
How your favourite horror films work, and the techniques that make them so effective.
Some of the most common modern fears, from FOMO to everyday anxiety.
Clear, practical advice for identifying, managing and overcoming your fears, helping you build confidence in day-to-day life.
From the depths of the human brain to the voices from beyond the grave, and tackling the fears familiar to us all,?Boo! is a must-have guide to this endlessly interesting yet little understood topic.
Whether you're after a dose of psychology, pop-culture, folklore, mental wellbeing tips or just a good old-fashioned scare, this is the book for you!
What are you afraid of??Maybe it's heights, public speaking, spiders or the things that go bump in the night. Whatever makes your stomach flip, have you ever wondered why it affects you so much? Boo! answers that question and many more.
Across thirteen chapters discover:
Historical figures with surprising phobias, such as Emperor Augustus and his fear of lightning.
Some of the eeriest real-life hauntings ever reported, from the ghostly Roman legions of York's Treasurer's House to the vengeful spirits of Ireland's Leap Castle.
The long history of telling scary stories, with tips on how to craft your own featuring insights and quotes from some of the best storytellers.
How your favourite horror films work, and the techniques that make them so effective.
Some of the most common modern fears, from FOMO to everyday anxiety.
Clear, practical advice for identifying, managing and overcoming your fears, helping you build confidence in day-to-day life.
From the depths of the human brain to the voices from beyond the grave, and tackling the fears familiar to us all,?Boo! is a must-have guide to this endlessly interesting yet little understood topic.
Whether you're after a dose of psychology, pop-culture, folklore, mental wellbeing tips or just a good old-fashioned scare, this is the book for you!
Reviews / Votes
"Part history, part guidebook to the world of scary. Hand this page-turning romp to fans of nonfiction -series like "-Eyewitness."" * School Library Journal * "Equal parts informative and entertaining, this visually enticing compendium invites readers to embrace the thrill of being scared." * Publishers Weekly *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing PLC
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade, Interest Age: From 10 to 13 years
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 150 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
620 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-83600-545-2 (9781836005452)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Clive Gifford has travelled to more than 70 countries, climbed rocket launch towers, ridden on robots and flown gliders. He's had more than 200 books published and received nominations for or won Royal Society, School Library Association, Smithsonian and TES awards. He won the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Book with Facts 2019 for his title The Colours of History (QED). Clive lives in Manchester, UK. Rohan Eason is an illustrator best known for his stark black and white imagery, which plays heavily on the roles of composition and view point, and the balance between intricate detail and dark or light space. His work has become widely used in book illustration and more recently in advertising, where his uniquely hand crafted style stands apart from the more typically used digital art forms. Rohan loved the work of Aubrey Beardsley and Arthur Rackham as a boy, and this devotion to and pursuit of the beautifully hand-drawn line followed him into adulthood. His portfolio now bursts with the magical and fantastical scenes from dreams to nightmares, from real life to imagined creations, but all with the same single grounding fact, that of beauty and balance.
Content
INTRODUCTION: Welcome to the World of Fear
CHAPTER 1: When Fear Strikes
CHAPTER 2: Fear is Your Friend . . . Or Is It?
CHAPTER 3: Phobia, Hoaxes and Panic
CHAPTER 4: Animal Alarm
CHAPTER 5: Ghosts and Things That Go Bump in the Night
CHAPTER 6: A Tale of Terror
CHAPTER 7: Festivals of Fear
CHAPTER 8: Scare Tactics
CHAPTER 9: Thrill-Seekers and Scaredy-Cats
CHAPTER 10: Frolics of Fear
CHAPTER 11: That's Scaretainment
CHAPTER 12: Facing Your Fears
CHAPTER 13: Create Your Own Scary Stories
Glossary
Index
CHAPTER 1: When Fear Strikes
CHAPTER 2: Fear is Your Friend . . . Or Is It?
CHAPTER 3: Phobia, Hoaxes and Panic
CHAPTER 4: Animal Alarm
CHAPTER 5: Ghosts and Things That Go Bump in the Night
CHAPTER 6: A Tale of Terror
CHAPTER 7: Festivals of Fear
CHAPTER 8: Scare Tactics
CHAPTER 9: Thrill-Seekers and Scaredy-Cats
CHAPTER 10: Frolics of Fear
CHAPTER 11: That's Scaretainment
CHAPTER 12: Facing Your Fears
CHAPTER 13: Create Your Own Scary Stories
Glossary
Index