''The Bad Seed'' by William March (1893-1954), public domain.

What happens to ordinary families into whose midst a child serial killer is born? This is the question at the center of William March's classic thriller. After its initial publication in 1954, the book went on to become a million-copy bestseller, a wildly successful Broadway show, and a Warner Brothers film. The spine-tingling tale of little Rhoda Penmark had a tremendous impact on the thriller genre and generated a whole perdurable crop of creepy kids. Today,The Bad Seed remains a masterpiece of suspense that's as chilling, intelligent, and timely as ever before.