Collins Readers - Cirque du Freak - Darren Shan

Told in a compelling 'mock-umentary'style, Cirque Du Freak is more than just a spooky supernatural tale. It has bags of teaching potential, and is consistently described as one of the best books to engage reluctant readers - and keep them reading..

Darren is just your average schoolboy - or was, at least - until he and his friend Steve buy tickets to the outlawed magical and macabre Cirque Du Freak. Packed with wonderfully grotesque characters - including a snake-boy, a wolf-man and, most exciting of all, an enormous performing spider - the boys are enchanted, fascinated and yet terrified by the show.

Darren, a total spider freak, decides to steal and train the spider to perform amazing tricks. Not realising the extreme consequences of his daring theft, Darren finds himself forced to make a terrible bargain with a creature of the night.