Be Careful What You Wish For by R. L. Stine Page B

glanced down and saw Judith. She was standing beside Clarissa.
    Judith stared up at me from the ground, and I guess she got her first wish — because she had the
biggest
smile on her face!

BEHIND THE SCREAMS
BE CAREFUL

WHAT YOU WISH FOR
    CONTENTS
    About the Author
    Q & A with R.L. Stine
    Make a Wish!
    Fortune-Telling: Tools of the Trade
    Word Search: Sam’s First Wish
    Haunted Sports: Gaming Ghosts
    A Terrifying Peek at
MY FRIENDS CALL ME MONSTER
    Bonus material
written and compiled by
Matthew D. Payne

About the Author
    R.L. Stine’s books are read all over the world. So far, his books have sold more than 300 million copies, making him one of the most popular children’s authors in history. Besides Goosebumps, R.L. Stine has written the teen series Fear Street, the funny series Rotten School, as well as the Mostly Ghostly series, The Nightmare Room series, and the two-book thriller
Dangerous Girls.
R.L. Stine lives in New York with his wife, Jane, and Minnie, his King Charles spaniel. You can learn more about him at www.RLStine.com.

Q & A with R.L. Stine
    If you were given three wishes, what would you wish for?
    R.L. Stine (RLS):
That’s really hard. The truth is my biggest wish came true: I wanted to be a writer — and I am. But if I do have two wishes left, I’d use one wish to travel back in time. And I’d use the second one to make sure I got back to the present!
    The main character in
Be Careful What You Wish For
is an enormous klutz on the basketball court. What’s your most embarrassingly klutzy moment?
    RLS:
It was just a couple of years ago. I was talking to a big crowd of important TV people and I told a story that I thought was really funny. But no one laughed. That got me so flustered that as I left the stage, I tripped and fell!
    Did you play any sports as a kid?
    RLS:
No, I didn’t play sports — unless you count Ping-Pong. But I loved to watch sports — especially football. In Ohio, everyone is crazy about football and I am still nuts about it. Go, Buckeyes!
    Your stories often take place in everyday schools and neighborhoods. How do you keep current on what kids are up to?
    RLS:
My readers keep me up-to-date. Kids write to me and send me loads of messages at
www.rlstine.com.
Thanks, guys.
    There are Goosebumps books, websites, DVDs, and even a video game. Are there any new places where you’d like to see Goosebumps go?
    RLS:
I love all the games and movies and DVDs — but most of all I like writing and having kids read my books. It’s a real thrill for me that my books are read all over the world. You know what they call Goosebumps in France?
Chair de Poule —
that means chicken flesh. Cool, right?
    You’ve introduced readers to many fantastical fiends like the creatures in your latest book, Goosebumps Horrorland #7:
My Friends Call Me Monster.
Do you ever scare yourself with your creations?
    RLS:
I never scare myself — and scary books and movies never scare me. The truth is, scary things make me
laugh!
I guess that means I’m a little weird, but it’s true.
    To find out R.L. Stine’s favorite photography
subject, pick up the new collector’s
edition of SAY CHEESE AND DIE!

MAKE A WISH!
    Don’t have a crystal ball-carrying woman wandering around your neighborhood forest? Don’t sweat! There are plenty of ways to make wishes without the aid of creepy old ladies. Here are a few:
    THROW A COIN INTO A FOUNTAIN and make a wish! Here’s the idea behind this wishing technique: The spirits who live in the water are more likely to grant your wish if you include a little payment. Seems like nobody does anything for free these days!
    The next time you eat a turkey, CRACK THE WISHBONE with someone else. Whoever ends up with the larger piece will get to make a wish! Too busy to cook an entire turkey? No worries … fake wishbones are now available for mess-free wishing.
    When you see a ONE-EYED CAT, spit on your thumb and then grind your thumb into the palm of your other hand while making a