More (Kidproof) Tales Of Terror

Ordinarily, R. L. Stine writes books faster than most kids can read them. Lately, though, the children's horror author has been eerily quiet. Is he slowing down? Stine's franchise has suffered at the hands of Harry Potter: monthly sales, once as high as 4 million, are down to 200,000. But like the monsters in his books, Stine's just lying low before an attack. Next Halloween, Stine told NEWSWEEK, he'll launch two new series. The first, he says, is "a 'Twilight Zone' for kids" called "The Nightmare Room." The second is "Goosebumps Gold," a recasting of his famous series with all-new titles. "Somehow," Stine says, "I still have a few more stories to tell." Already, our skin is crawling with anticipation.