Abandoned Amusement Parks
From the Series Scary Places
There is something both sad and creepy about an abandoned amusement park. Perhaps it’s because a place that was once packed with fun seekers has become slowly choked with weeds. Or maybe it’s because the sound of kids’ excited laughter has been replaced with the quiet creaking of rusted rides. When the only visitors are the spirits of those who died there long ago, an amusement park can be a scary place to visit.
Among the 11 amusement parks in this book, children will discover a roller coaster left to rot after nearly killing its passengers, a theme park that is now home to alligators and snakes, and the ghost of a man who is still trying to take a ride on a Ferris wheel that stopped working years ago. The haunting photographs and chilling nonfiction text will keep children turning the pages to discover more spooky stories.
| Interest Level | Grade 4 - Grade 8 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 4 |
| Category | Nonfiction |
| Subject | Social Studies |
| Copyright | 2014 |
| Publisher | Bearport Publishing |
| Imprint | Bearport Books |
| Language | English |
| Publication Date | 2013-08-01 |
| Reading Counts! Level | 7.4 |
| Reading Counts! Quiz | Q62687 |
| Reading Counts! Points | 3.0 |
| BISACS | JNF052030 |
|---|---|
| Dewey | 791.06'873 |
| Lexile | 950 |
| ATOS Reading Level | 5.9 |
| Accelerated Reader® Quiz | 161391 |
| Accelerated Reader® Points | 1.0 |
Awards
- 2015 Children's Choices Selection
Reviews
Abandoned Amusement Parks
Nothing screams creepy as much as a former amusement park, taken over by rush, weeds, and memories, or an old theater, where death-and perhaps a restless spirit-still linger. These entries in the Scary Places series will pique many children’s curiosity with the strange and unknown. Each title uses double-page spreads to introduce 11 undeniably scary sites around the world. From the stock-market crash to Hurricane Katrina to the tragic derailment of roller-coaster cars, Abandoned Amusement Parks shows some of the many reasons amusement parks close forever. Vivid descriptions highlight the parks in their heyday, the state of their ruin, and even some hauntings. Tragic Theaters depicts several ways, whether by distraught lovers or victims of untimely accidents, in which theaters become haunted or dubbed as unlucky. Readers may recognize Fort’s Theatre, the site of Lincoln’s assassination, or the Paris Opera, which inspired The Phantom of the Opera. Both volumes comprise a wealth of trivia, from Kansas City’s Electric Park, which influenced a young Walt Disney, to occasional appearances by Harry Houdini and Judy Garland at New York’s Palace Theatre. Modern and archival photos, as well as eerie superimposed images, add to the books’ effect. Delightfully spooky.
Abandoned Amusement Parks
Nothing screams creepy as much as a former amusement park, taken over by rush, weeds, and memories, or an old theater, where death-and perhaps a restless spirit-still linger. These entries in the Scary Places series will pique many children’s curiosity with the strange and unknown. Each title uses double-page spreads to introduce 11 undeniably scary sites around the world. From the stock-market crash to Hurricane Katrina to the tragic derailment of roller-coaster cars, Abandoned Amusement Parks shows some of the many reasons amusement parks close forever. Vivid descriptions highlight the parks in their heyday, the state of their ruin, and even some hauntings. Tragic Theaters depicts several ways, whether by distraught lovers or victims of untimely accidents, in which theaters become haunted or dubbed as unlucky. Readers may recognize Fort’s Theatre, the site of Lincoln’s assassination, or the Paris Opera, which inspired The Phantom of the Opera. Both volumes comprise a wealth of trivia, from Kansas City’s Electric Park, which influenced a young Walt Disney, to occasional appearances by Harry Houdini and Judy Garland at New York’s Palace Theatre. Modern and archival photos, as well as eerie superimposed images, add to the books’ effect. Delightfully spooky.
