The Role of Horror in Life and Kid Lit, a guest post by Ciera Burch

It’s really easy to get scared.

The world can be a scary place, especially if you’re on the internet too often, and it sometimes it can feel like scary is the only thing the world is. That’s not true, of course. It’s also beautiful and vast and fascinating and any number of descriptive words.

Of course, most of us don’t get to see or explore the whole world. We might not even get to see our entire country or whole state. And for kids, who depend on their guardians for most things, their worlds can seem much smaller and, as a result, scarier than it actually might be. The smaller a place is, the more potential there is for scares.

The closet? Of course.

Under the bed? Definitely.

Narrow stairs in a cramped, secret room in the attic of a formerly abandoned Victorian house? Absolutely.

When I was little, I was very much afraid of the dark. I’d have nightlights and make sure every door and window were closed tight. I’d keep my feet firmly tucked into my bed instead of dangling off the sides and, of course, my blankets would come up over my head until I fell asleep so that nothing outside my little bed cocoon could get to me. I’d chalk my fear up to an overactive imagination—and sometimes uncles who turned on scary movies I was probably way too young to be seeing—except that my fear was valid. Darkness is dark. You can’t see a thing which means that anything could be lurking in there.

Underneath my fear, however, was excitement. Both things were what made it hard to sleep.

What if there were monsters?

How would that change my life, my worldview? What would I do if they were mean? What would I do if they were nice? The excitement in the unknown made going to sleep a little worrying but made my dreams all the more thrilling.  It sparked my imagination and a love for ‘what if’ questions that I’ve never gotten rid of, perhaps to my family’s chagrin.

Fear plays a role in life. It keeps us safe. It keeps us on our toes. And sometimes…it’s just fun. That’s where scary video games and movies and, of course, books come in. In such a big world, having the ability to pick and choose your scares and to be in control of them is such a wonderful gift. Horror in popular culture allows us to choose our own adventures without being thrown into real life danger and can help teach us to regulate our emotions or how we experience things. If a boss fight in a game is getting too hard, you can turn it off. If a chapter is getting a little scary and that main character won’t stop moving toward the giant zombie monster you just know is in the woods? Close the book!

Sometimes, it can even give us insight into ourselves. Would I have made the same decision a character did to walk into the forest? Could I face a monster to protect someone I love? I think that the best type of horror asks questions and hopes that you respond. Finch House asks a lot of questions of the reader as they follow along with Micah, partially because I had a lot of questions to answer myself as I wrote it. Would I be brave enough to make the same choices? Would I have been willing to go into the house to begin with?

Horror is great at bringing questions like “what do I care about most?” to the forefront. Like with many decisions, there are no real right or wrong choices, just different outcomes and whether one outcome is better or worse depends on what you want out of it. Figuring out what you want can be hard. Sometimes it’s even harder than the decision itself. Horror strips things down to the basics. You often don’t have time to consider all of the pros and cons without the decision abruptly being made for you. You have to go with your gut or your heart and then, usually, you have to live with your choice.

That can be difficult. Or scary. Or exciting. Or all three at once.

We all need things to allow us to decompress in life and for some people that’s throwing themselves into a world where there are real life monsters to fight against or befriend, a place where they can be a hero, or make choices they might not be able to in real life. In the kid lit space, horror allows for exploration, both of the world and the self. It can be a safe space to explore more difficult feelings or a way to cultivate empathy, even if it is for ghosts or monsters, that can translate to real life.

And sometimes it’s just fun, and that, to quote one of my favorite pieces of horror media, is “perfectly splendid.”

Meet the author

Ciera Burch is a lifelong writer and ice cream aficionado. She has a B.A from American University and an MFA from Emerson College. When she’s not reading or baking, she can be found listening to true crime podcasts, eating ice cream, and advocating for diverse kids lit. While she is originally from New Jersey, she currently resides in Washington, D.C with her stuffed animals, plants, and far too many books.

Find her online on her website at cieraburch.com, on Twitter @CieraBurch017 and on Instagram @cierasburch.

About Finch House

Encanto meets Coraline in this spooky middle grade story that deals with family ties, fear of change, and generational trauma as it follows a girl who must convince an old, haunted house to release its hold on her and her family.

Eleven-year-old Micah has no interest in moving out of her grandfather’s house. She loves living with Poppop and their shared hobby of driving around rich neighborhoods to find treasures in others’ trash. To avoid packing, Micah goes for a bike ride and ends up at Finch House, the decrepit Victorian that Poppop says is Off Limits. Except when she gets there, it’s all fixed up and there’s a boy named Theo in the front yard. Surely that means Finch House isn’t Off Limits anymore? But when Poppop finds her there, Micah is only met with his disappointment.

By the next day, Poppop is nowhere to be found. After searching everywhere, Micah’s instincts lead her back to Finch House. But once Theo invites her inside, Micah realizes she can’t leave. And that, with its strange whispers and deep-dark shadows, Finch House isn’t just a house…it’s alive.

Can Micah find a way to convince the house to let her go? Or will she be forced to stay in Finch House forever?

ISBN-13: 9781665930543
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date: 09/05/2023
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post