Goosebumps

Stine, R. (2008). Revenge of the living dummy. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
This book is on the 100 Most Challenged Books list

Exposition:  Britney is upset when she is told that her cousin, Ethan, whom she cannot stand, is coming to live with her and her family.  Ethan shows up with a ventriloquist's dummy that he calls Mr. Badboy.  Her best friend, Molly Molloy, has a father that is a professor of folklore and travels the world searching for and collecting weird, scary, strange, and interesting objects.  When Ethan brings Mr. Badboy to Molly's house, Professor Molloy says that the dummy looks familiar.

Conflict:  Strange things are happening around Britney's house.  Ethan is blaming Mr. Badboy for the mean and rude things that he is doing.  Ethan tells Britney that the doll is alive and makes him be his slave.  Britney doesn't believe Ethan until one evening she sees the doll sit up and talk all by itself.

Rising Action:  Britney sees Mr. Badboy sit up and he talks to her.  She is scared and goes to Molly's house to look for information on why Professor Molloy thought the dummy looked familiar.  While searching his files, she comes across a photo of Mr. Badboy and it says that the dummy's real name is Slappy and was cursed by a magician back in the 1800s.  It makes all its owners turn into slaves for him.  The bottom of the picture has six words that Britney must say to put him back to sleep.  Britney goes back to her house and says the six words to Slappy.  She believes that Slappy is now no longer alive.  Britney and Molly find a remote control in Ethan's room that makes Slappy move and talk.  Britney has been tricked once again by her cousin Ethan.

Climax:  While sleeping, Britney feels a tap on her shoulder.  It's Slappy!  When she said the six words to him earlier he was already sleeping.  Saying the six words had really waken him up.  She must now stop Slappy from going to the cemetery to dig up a doll, that had been buried earlier, that will erase her mind and make her Slappy's slave.

Falling Action:  Britney follows Slappy to the cemetery. A fight ensues for the doll that can erase minds.

Resolution:  Britney is able to prevent Slappy from getting the doll that would erase her mind.  Instead, she is able to erase Slappy's mind with the doll and she buries Slappy.  Britney won free tickets to an amusement park called HorrorLand.  She goes to the amusement park with her family and her best friend, Molly.  While there, she is unable to find her parents after they have checked into the hotel.  She looks on her father's camera for any clue to where they might have gone.  What she finds is a picture of...Slappy!  Goosebumps is a series and now there is a new conflict and there is no real resolution.  The next book in the series is called Creep from the Deep.

R.L. Stine has created a mood for young readers that will keep them on the edge of their seats and a little frightened.  He also creates a setting that adds to the mood of the book.  He uses a creepy attic and cemetery.