SLIS 5420 - Module 15 - Scary Stories to Tell in the Dar5

Bibliography

Schwartz, A., & Gammell, S. (1981). Scary stories to tell in the dark (1st ed.). New York: Lippincott.

Summary

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a compilation of traditional and non-traditional stories intended to frighten and spook the reader and whoever the reader choose to pass the tales onto next. The stories are arranged by section, such as “AAAAAAAAAAAH!”, a section where the stories are told with emphasis on causing the audience of the story to jump in fright. The stories themselves are appropriate for the age group with some minor bodily dismemberment and other gruesome images likely to get a scare out of younger readers. The stories are short and easy to read and there are several stories with instructions on how to best to scare the listener.

Impressions

The book was written in 1981 and compared to a lot of more recent publication (books by Neil Gaiman come to mind) the stories are fairly tame. However, the tameness of the stories may be because I am not the intended audience for these stories and have experience much more blood-curdling stories in my many years or literary exploration. Looking at the stories from the perspective of my 8 year old self, I would have most likely been unable to sleep after only a few of these stories.

As for why this book was banned, I haven’t the foggiest. Scary stories are traditional and as old as campfires. Kids will always try to scare each other with ghost stories or other creepy tales, so I can’t understand why writing them down would make them forbidden. I suppose that kids who would use this book to torment other kids would make the book undesirable in the eyes of teachers and parents, but compared to some things, this book isn’t bad at all.

Reviews

“This folklore collection is unusually good. True to the genre, the stories contained are suitable for telling, particularly at Halloween and around the campfire. Contemporary and humorous stories are blended with spooky ones. The scholarship in the source notes and bibliography will be useful to serious literature students. Although the cover art is not charming, it hints at the particular macabre, shadowy black-and-white illustrations inside. The stories are not unbearably grotesque; they are suitable even for low elementary grades.”

Chamberlin, L. (1982). Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Book Review). School Library Journal, 28(5), 81.

“This spooky addition to Alvin Schwartz's popular books on American folklore is filled with tales of eerie horror and dark revenge that will make you jump with fright.

There is a story here for everyone -- skeletons with torn and tangled flesh who roam the earth; a ghost who takes revenge on her murderer; and a haunted house where every night a bloody head falls down the chimney.

Stephen Gammell's splendidly creepy drawings perfectly capture the mood of more than two dozen scary stories -- and even scary songs -- all just right for reading alone or for telling aloud in the dark. If You Dare!”

HarperCollinsPublishers. (2010). Scary stories to tell in the dark 25th anniversary edition. Retrieved 05/09, 2010, from http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780064401708/Scary_Stories_to_Tell_in_the_Dark_25th_Anniversary_Edition/index.aspx

Library Use

This book would be a great book to have out for Halloween or during the summer to get kids ready for camping.

SLIS 5420 - Module 14 - Gothic! Ten Original Dark Tales

Bibliography

Noyes, D. (2004). Gothic! : Ten original dark tales (1st ed.). Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.

Summary

Gothic! is a compilation of ten chilling short stories created to provide spine-tingling fear for those foolish enough to read its pages. The stories range from the classic haunted house ghost story to a strangely unique view of our world as the land of the fantastic and the realm of the macabre as the norm. The stories feature authors of great renown, such as Neil Gaiman and Gregory Maguire, as well as several prolific young adult writers. The stories are long enough that the reader has a good feel for the characters and the settings, but short enough to leave the classic cliffhanger in place to really hook the reader and give that satisfying chill after finishing.

Impressions

The stories were very well written and age appropriate for the young adult audience. There was some minor language and sexual innuendo, but honestly no worse than would be found in a PG movie. The stories were varied enough to cover multiple aspects of the gothic genre, but themed well enough so that there was never a doubt that you were very much reading something gothic.

Reviews

“By turns lyrical and bleak and leavened at times with grim, bleak humor or goofiness, the ten stories in this anthology either entertain or terrorize--or both. Although the title conjures up a vision of Victoria Holt-like heroines in peril, Noyes has assembled an exciting variety of dark fantasy and horror stories--all far more sinister and less predictable than formulaic "gothic" tales. After a rather tame start with Joan Aiken's Lungewater--that provides standard gothic fare--terror takes over. Vivian Vande Velde, M.T. Anderson, Gregory Maguire, Garth Nix, and others offer ghosts and vampires, ghouls and sorcerers, and monstrous family members to quicken the pulse and provide frissons of fear. Consistently well-written, these stories will appeal to many fantasy readers and all horror readers and they will lead to exploration of other writings by the authors. The level of terror, violence, and overt sexual content mark this book for older readers--who will enjoy it mightily.”

(2004). GOTHIC!: Ten Original Dark Tales (Book). Kirkus Reviews, 72(17), 871.

“This uniformly well-written collection features short stories by noted young adult authors such as M. T. Anderson, Caitlín R. Kiernan, Garth Nix, Celia Rees, Janni Lee Simner, and Barry Yourgrau. From Joan Aiken's more traditional tale about a ghost haunting a river in the gloomy countryside to Gregory Maguire's contemporary offering about a teenage delinquent forced to live with an elderly relative who has a secret locked in the attic, almost all of these stories evoke a shivery delight. Vivian Vande Velde's shocking and scary piece features the ghost of a psychopathic serial killer who looks like a teenager and kills an unsuspecting girl posing as a "dead body" at a haunted hayride. Neil Gaiman's selection lampoons the classic gothic scenario of a terrified, nightgown-clad heroine running away from a brooding manor house and will have readers laughing out loud in recognition. These varied tales take place in the distant past and in the high-tech present. Some are humorous while others have surprising twists or are reminiscent of classic fairy tales full of malevolent characters, but all share a love of the surreal or supernatural. Noyes's insightful introduction defines what a gothic tale is and includes information about the authors and the origins of their stories. A sophisticated, thought-provoking, and gripping read.”

Rawlins, S. (2005). Gothic!: Ten Original Dark Tales. School Library Journal, 51(1), 134.

Library Use

This book would be amazing to give to “tweens” during the Halloween season. The stories are just scary enough that they would be chilled by reading them, but not gruesome enough to turn them off.