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.
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