The Dark-Thirty
by Patricia McKissack
Middle grade · ages 9–12 · grades 4–7 · 780L · 1996
Why we'd hand it over
McKissack's frame-story masterpiece weaves African American folklore, history, and suspense into 30 unforgettable tales that reward rereading and conversation — the kind of book that makes kids *think* about what scares them and why.