The Werewolf of Fever Swamp facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | R. L. Stine |
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| Cover artist | Tim Jacobus |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Goosebumps |
| Genre | Horror fiction children's literature |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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December 1993 |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 123 (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0-590-49449-X |
| OCLC | 29391346 |
| LC Class | MLC R CP01334 |
| Preceded by | Piano Lessons Can Be Murder |
| Followed by | You Can't Scare Me! |
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp is the fourteenth book in the original Goosebumps, the series of children's horror fiction novellas created and authored by R. L. Stine. The story follows Grady Tucker, who moves into a new house next to the Fever Swamp with his family. After a swamp deer is killed, his father believes Grady's dog is responsible, but Grady is convinced a werewolf is the culprit.
The Werewolf of Fever Swamp was very well-received by critics. One reviewer felt the book built up suspense by hiding the identity of the werewolf until the end.
The book was featured on the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller list. In the mid-1990s, it was adapted for television, and was later released on both VHS and DVD. In 2006, the book was adapted into a comic book story in the volume Creepy Creatures.
Plot
Grady Tucker and his family have moved to Florida into a house next to Fever Swamp because his father, a scientist, wants to determine if swamp deer from South America can survive in Florida. Grady’s father keeps the deer in a pen but plans on releasing them in the swamp. Grady and his sister Emily get lost while exploring the swamp and meet a swamp hermit who lives in a shack. As the hermit chases after them, they run away ultimately making their way back home. A few days later, as Grady is going outside to meet Will Blake, one of his new friends, a big stray dog jumps onto Grady. Grady thinks the dog resembles more a wolf than a dog and decides to call the dog Wolf. One morning, Will tells him that a neighbor, Ed Warner, went missing after hunting in the swamp. Cassie O'Rourke, a girl who lives in the neighborhood, suggests that a werewolf is the reason for Mr. Warner's disappearance.
After going out to investigate some howling, Grady finds a hole that had been ripped from the deer pen and a murdered deer laying on one side. Grady's father sees paw prints around the pen and blames Wolf for the murder. He plans on taking Wolf to the pound, but Grady is convinced that a werewolf killed the deer and other animals in town, and he helps the dog flee before his dad can capture Wolf. That night, Grady hears howling and observes Wolf slowly moving towards the swamp shortly afterward. As Grady follows the dog he runs into Will, who says he heard the howls and decided to investigate them. While they are following Wolf, Grady gets separated from both Will and the dog.
Eventually, Grady comes across the swamp hermit's shack and begins to hear loud howling coming from nearby. Worried that the swamp hermit is a werewolf, he starts to flee before he is attacked by Will, who is revealed to be a werewolf. During the struggle, Will sinks his fangs into Grady’s shoulder, causing Grady to become a werewolf. Wolf reappears and fights off Will before Grady passes out. When Grady regains consciousness, he learns from his mother that the swamp hermit found him and carried him home. His parents also let Grady keep Wolf after discovering that the dog saved his life. During the next full moon, Grady (now a werewolf) and his dog go out to hunt.
Comic book story
Gabriel Hernandez adapted the book into a comic book story in Creepy Creatures, published on September 1, 2006 as the first book in the Goosebumps Graphix series. Kat Kan, writing for Booklist, stated that Hernandez "uses sketchy but expressive art to convey the spooky atmosphere" in the story, and the ""gotcha" ending of the tale is particularly well done." The comic book story reappeared along with three other Goosebumps book adaptations in the Goosebumps Graphix book Slappy's Tales of Horror, published August 25, 2015.
