Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales

Kiersten White, the author of the New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, is ready to make her middle-grade debut!

Once upon a time, a girl skipped into the forest and became a zombie.

Wait, no, that's not how this story is supposed to go. Let's try again.

Once upon a time, a boy did a horrible job as a sheep-sitter and burned his tongue on stolen pie.

No, children in these stories are always good and virtuous. From the top.

Once upon a time, a king and queen tried to find a princess for their son to marry, and he wound up fleeing from a group of very hairy vampires.

Hmmm...

What about, once upon a time, a bunch of fairy tales got twisted around to be completely hilarious, a tiny bit icky, and delightfully spooky scarytales... in other words, exactly what fairy tales were meant to be. Grab some flaming torches, maybe don't accept that bowl of pease porridge, and get ready for a wickedly fun ride with acclaimed author Kiersten White and fairy tales like you've never heard them before.

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Fantasy Young Adult Short Stories

Release date: July 2017

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Kiersten White

Kiersten White’s storytelling is a blend of fierce imagination, sharp wit, and deep emotional resonance. Known for her ability to spin complex tales of fantasy, horror, and the supernatural, White has captured the hearts of readers with her distinctly bold, often dark narratives. Her stories are where the boundary between the ordinary and the extraordinary blurs, where readers are invited to dive into worlds filled with magic, monsters, and unforgettable heroines.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kiersten grew up with a passion for both reading and writing, though she was the kind of person who loved to daydream about new worlds before ever setting them down on paper. From an early age, she found herself enchanted by stories that pushed the limits of what was possible—stories that felt real, even when they were anything but. That love of the fantastical is something that continues to infuse her books, drawing from her own love of adventurous narratives and her curiosity about what lies beneath the surface of reality.

White made her mark with the Paranormalcy series, which quickly established her as a fresh voice in the young adult fantasy world. The series, which blends paranormal creatures with humor and heart, centers around Evie, a fierce yet relatable heroine who works as a monster-hunter and juggles the complexities of relationships, identity, and saving the world. But it’s not just the action-packed plotlines that make White’s work stand out—it’s her ability to delve into the emotional lives of her characters. Whether writing about teen angst or the complexities of friendship, Kiersten brings her characters to life with a depth that’s often missing in genre fiction.

In her later works, including the And I Darken trilogy and The Camelot Betrayal, White shifted to historical fantasy, reimagining history through the lens of the fantastical. With And I Darken, she brings to life a fierce, bold, and sometimes brutal reimagining of Vlad the Impaler’s story, with the main character, Lada, as a strong-willed, complex female lead. Her world-building in this series is rich and immersive, where battles, power struggles, and unflinching survival intersect with themes of gender, power, and self-determination.

White’s ability to tackle such varied genres—paranormal, historical, and mythological—shows her versatility as an author. She blends sharp dialogue, compelling character arcs, and bold ideas, challenging readers to reconsider what they know about the world and about themselves.

Her books have resonated with readers of all ages, particularly young adults, who find in her characters a sense of belonging, a sense of rebellion, and a voice that is unapologetically their own. White’s writing is as sharp and surprising as the twists she weaves into her narratives, making it no surprise that her books have become beloved favorites.

As Kiersten herself puts it, “I want to create books where readers feel both challenged and seen.” And it’s this balance of empathy and challenge that keeps readers coming back to her work, eager to see where her imagination will take them next.