Middle grade readers who like suspense, thrills, and scary creatures will enjoy this cosmic horror story. It reminded me of the 90's film, Tremors, and at first I wondered whether the story would advance beyond fighting a creature. As the characters tried new tactics, the threats became stronger, and the stakes were higher as well. I liked the elements of an alternate environment that anyone who is not in the backyard is unaware of. I also liked how the girls saved themselves and were strong protagonists. Tweens and teens won't care that there is no logical explanation for the existence of the tentacled creature or how the story wraps up. It gives just the right amount of adventurous thrills and a good scare factor to make this enjoyable.

This was cute as heck. It had Lovecraftian-type creatures, perfect for a new generation of Horror Readers!

I loved the first book in this new Eek! series, It Watches in the Dark, by veteran Horror author, Jeff Strand, so I've been anticipating this release. This has a classic set-up, with three girls, Chloe, Avery and Madison, doing a little backyard camping. It's the best way to have a sleepover, IMO.
The girls are just settling in when the neighbor, Elijah, stops by to say hi. They just know he'll be back later too, trying to prank them. Typical boy behavior.

Sure enough, they hear scratching on the outside of their tent later in the evening. Fully expecting to catch Elijah red-handed, they rush to open the tent flap and look out, but it appears there's no one there. A little creeped out, they retreat back into their tent, but not long after the scratching noises return. Getting more freaked out by the second, the girls desperately want to figure out the source of the scratching, but the truth turns out to be much worse than the girls could've dreamed of, even in their worst nightmares.

Nightmare in the Backyard is a wildly-entertaining Middle Grade Horror story reminiscent of the Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark stories of the olden' days. I had the privilege of listening to the audiobook and feel that the narration is perfect for this age category. The narrator brought these characters and the insane circumstances they found themselves in to life. I def recommend that format.

I loved how fast-paced this story was and how the kids really worked well together trying to figure out exactly what was happening in the backyard. It was a lot. Wild, crazy and zany enough to keep Young Readers thoroughly entertained. Also, I do want to note that these books can be read in any order. Just like the Goosebumps series, these books aren't really related. It's all new characters and circumstances.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Kids and Tantor Media, for providing me copies to read and review. I'm not sure how many installments are slated for this series, but I will be reading them all, I can assure you of that!

Absolutely love this, if you loved Goosebumps this is a good one to pick up.

Following 3 girls wanting to just have a fun summer camp out in the backyard turns into a monster horror filled night when the backyard erupts with tentacles! I can’t wait to purchase a copy and read it to my son when we’re having a back yard campout

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy! Jeff Strand really did it with this book! It was FANTASTIC! the mystery, the spooky, the MONSTER! From the very beginning I was attached! I relate a little bit like Madison in the book (I don’t like camping) so her character was my favorite. I feel like this book is going to HUGE SUCCESS! Like…the plot twist was CRAZY! It left me wondering what was going to happen next ALL THE TIME!

Thank you, SOURCEBOOKS KIDS, for the advance reading copy.

This one is quite terrifying given that the kids are trapped in a place with a scary creature in a universe where the adults cannot hear them!

I find the cover quite related to the plot and the characters.

The characters are developed well. The plot is good. The writing has good humour! I wasn’t expecting that.

When it comes to the ending, I would sum it up with “all’s well that ends well”!.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around Jeff Strand also writing middle grade horror. Until I read It Watches in the Dark, which I think everyone should check it out, I had only read his wonderfully twisted adult books, which I highly recommend for older readers. But for younger reader who enjoy a chilling tale (or adults like myself who are still kids at heart and also love chilling tales), you should definitely check out Jeff’s middle grade work. His newest is Nightmare in the Backyard.

Chloe and a few of her friends are planing to have a fun night, camping in her backyard. What starts are a fun evening takes a sharp turn into terror. When they hear a scratching on the outside of their tent they just think it’s Elijah, Chloe’s neighbor, trying to scare them. They soon find out they couldn’t be more wrong as they are attacked by tentacles bursting up from the ground. While I still maintain that It Watches is superior, this was still a lot of fun, and I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. But the ending is also where it falters, just a hair. It got just a little too goofy for me, though is likely perfect for the target audience. So if you’re a fan of middle grade horror (aka fans of Goosebumps and the like) or know someone who is, or if you just like fun chilling tales, do yourself a favor and check this one out. I’d like to thank SOURCEBOOKS Kids and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Nightmare in the Backyard.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1PI15NKM7WIR/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

This is my third book by Jeff Strand and it will certainly not be the last. What immediately drew me into this book was the cover, major Are you afraid of the Dark vibes. It is such a perfect middle grade summer read, of course I recommend it to read it in the fall.

Imagine having the time of your life with your friends, backyard camping before school start. I can practically see it, s’mores, spooky stories and staying up late. Best friends Chloe and Avery are not having the best of luck setting up their pop up tent. They eventually manage to set it, it’s important to Chloe for everything to go perfect. She hasn’t had the best year since her dad disappeared and she wants to enjoy this time with Avery. While outside they are spooked by her neighbor Elijah, he thinks scaring the girls is the best. While everything starts to go right, they hear a terrible scratching noise coming from outside.

At first they ignore it but to their misfortune, it intensifies. Thinking to be Elijah again they venture outside to investigate and everything they know about reality will change. This story was just so good, I absolutely loved every minute of it, the author’s writing is definitely amazing. It pulls you in and doesn’t let go, I read this in one sitting and can’t this spooky book enough.

In NIGHTMARE IN THE BACKYARD, Chloe’s backyard sleepover goes from nighttime fun to nightmare in an instant! The sleepover seemed to be a great way for Chloe to distract herself from her sadness over her father’s disappearance. Chloe, her bestie Avery, and her annoying cousin Madison settle in for the night, enjoying s’mores and telling spooky stories. When some bumps surface and wiggle beneath their sleeping bags, they dismiss them as snakes. The girls soon realize they’re wrong—and in a big way—when a creature with tentacles bursts through the ground, viciously attacking them. When their phones fail and no one seems to hear their cries for help, they’ll have to band together to figure out a way to save themselves.

I love that the book centers girls and gives them the opportunity to show their strength against the tentacled creature. A fast paced, action-filled scary thriller, NIGHTMARE IN THE BACKYARD will be devoured by readers looking for suspense mixed with humor.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing an eARC of the book with me.

What was one of our favorite activities as kids? Sleepovers. And what happens when a sleepover turns into a bit of a nightmare? Horror ensues. However, that horror is accompanied in this book by a lot of heart and smarts from our leads. The story is well written, fast paced, and quite endearing.

This is the first book by Jeff Strand that I've read. I used it as a read aloud with my daughter. When I was her age, I read Goosebumps and any R.L, Stine book I could get my grabby hands on. As you can probably tell, I loved a good thrill. She has taken after me and I knew when I saw this book that it would make a great read aloud with her. There were thrills and chills and just all-around fun. We laughed and enjoyed reading about Chloe, Madison and Avery...and of course Elijah (the kid next door who tries to prank them). The cover is bright and colorful which makes it very easy to want to pick up and devour.
Me and my daughter both loved it, and it won't be the last Jeff Strand book we read! I will be adding this to my home library. When I looked this book up, I noticed it was book 2 in the series. I can't wait to pick up It Watches in the Dark as well. Reading this during the summer, makes me ready for fall nights. Camping in the backyard with my family, roasting marshmallows and sharing scary stories around the campfire.

It’s the end of summer and the end of a long year without her missing father, and Chloe is just looking forward to having a fun backyard campout complete with s’mores, spooky stories, and maybe a little gossip about boys with her best friend Avery to distract her from reality. Things start going wrong from the start, from a tent that just does not want to be put up easily to her mother’s announcement that her annoying cousin, Madison, will be joining in. Later, the even more annoying (and lazy) boy next door, Elijah, decides to start pranking them.

So when weird things start happening, the girls first suspect Elijah is playing another prank. But then their phones aren’t working. Their mothers can’t hear them screaming from the backyard to the house. And then before you know it, there are aggressive tentacles attacking them from every which way.

This book is a relatively short, fast-paced, action packed monster fest of a book that will delight and thrill those horror fanatics who are ready to move up into chapter books or who have already exhausted the selection of Goosebumps available. I’m looking forward to adding this to my list of books that I can recommend when I am inevitably asked for “the scary books.”

Normally when I review and rate books, my own opinion and my opinion for what would be a good fit for my students and library are one and the same (I genuinely love reading middle grade and young adult books!). In this case, though, my review and rating are going to be premised more on the viewpoint of my students. This particular book did not appeal to me as much, but I think that is more because this is a book that definitely focuses more on having an action-packed plot rather than thorough character development. I’m not this book’s particular audience, but the important part is that there are many many kids who are and this will definitely be an asset in any library collection, including my own.

Another young adult great read from Jeff Strand. Easily misses horror and humor. Great story, characters, and pacing. Can't wait for the next Juff Strand book.

Avery Chloe, and Madison have planned a sleepover in the backyard and are quite excited; Chloe's dad a disappeared some time ago and the family has been struggling, so a fun campout is just what the doctor ordered. Our night is just beginning when the girls feel something moving under the tent, and all of a sudden giant tentacles burst from all over the yard, attacking the girls. They try to call for help, but their phones are dead, so they escape to Chloe's old treehouse, where they are joined by Elijah, the next door neighbor.
When the mother's come out of the house to see what all the commotion is, they are taken underground by huge tentacles, and Elijah is taken next. Will the girls not only survive the monster in the backyard, but also rescue the mothers and Elijah?

What I liked: The cover is very appealing and will attract readers. In addition, this book is nonstop action condensed in just a little over 100 pages, and will please reluctant readers.
It did end rather abruptly though.
I will purchase for my middle school collection.

From my early Goosebumps days to now sharing spooky tales with my children, especially my daughter, finding the perfect mix of thrills and giggles has been a cherished tradition for us. "Nightmare in the Backyard" was a delightful surprise that had us laughing and shivering with excitement! Picture this: a backyard campout with friends, marshmallows roasting over the fire, and spooky stories filling the air. But when strange scratching noises and tentacles appear, the fun takes a spine-tingling turn! Jeff Strand's storytelling magic kept us glued to the pages, eagerly anticipating what would happen next. Chloe, Avery, and Madison had us cheering them on as they faced down a cryptid creature straight from our wildest dreams. With its perfect blend of humor and heart-pounding suspense, Nightmare in the Backyard delivered an unforgettable adventure that left us screaming for more. It's a must-read for any young thrill-seeker looking for a spooky good time!

Thank you Jeff Strand and Netgalley for sending us this amazing ARC

I love Jeff Strand! I started reading his fun adult horror stories and this is his second book I've read for him that's for kids. The night starts innocently enough before children camping in the backyard encounter a scary monster.
What's fun about these books id that they start with normal situations, and anyone could relate to these friendly, smart kids. It's also really great that, instead of just accepting the bad situation, the kids work together to try to figure out how to save themselves -- and save the grownups they love. I highly recommend this for kids who enjoy being a little scared. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This is the second book in a new middle grade series. I think young readers will find this book both scary and silly. Chloe, Avery, and Madison planned a backyard sleepover, complete with marshmallows and scary stories. But what they didn’t plan for was an ancient monster with lots of tentacles. The story made me nostalgic for backyard sleepovers from when I was a kid.

I enjoyed all of the different ways the kids tried to defeat the tentacles. They did several clever things, like writing notes and using boards with nails. I loved that the kids came together to save everyone in the end. It did become a bit repetitive, but didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.

If you are a reader who enjoys fun middle grade scares or knows someone who does, I recommend you read this book.

"'He was born with two arms, two legs, and one head, but the luxury of having a head wouldn't last forever.'"

Chloe and her best friend Avery are camping out in the backyard. And Chloe's annoying cousin is tagging along. The night starts out as fun (nostalgic for me) until things take a sudden turn to weird and scary.

This was a fun read. Would recommend for fans of Goosebumps.

Fun book especially for a younger audience looking to get into the horror genre! Thought this was super endearing and exciting!

Second in Jeff Strand's new EEK! middle grade Series, NIGHTMARE IN THE BACK YARD turns a simple backyard sleepover camp-out into a night of inexplicable unending Cryptid Creature Horror for 3 girls when the back yard erupts with....tentacles! All their resilience and ingenuity is tested as they discover their fully charged cell phones are dead, their voices can't be heard by anyone, and the tentacles won't allow them to reach their house! This is well-written Implacable Horror, with a set of endearing, determined, intrepid characters, stranded in a bizarre unaccountable situation, and only they can save themselves. Or can they? Read and find out!