Some Scary (and not so scary) Stories
Some Scary (and not so scary) Stories
by
Kate Marley
Perennially popular, scary stories really seem to come into
their own in October. While it may seem that mere books, in
these days of Freddy Kruger and the evening news, don’t have
the same horror factor, be warned! The power of the written
(or spoken) word is still powerful enough to create shivers.
PICTURE BOOKS
Inside a house that is haunted
by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. c
1998, Cartwheel Books.
Using the familiar rhythm of the famous nursery tale “The
House That Jack Built”, this rebus story with a Halloween
theme works best when read aloud. Then, kids can get the
full effect of the rhyming mishaps of the poor creatures of
the haunted house, as they get their own scary experience.
Cartoonish, bug-eyed characters, illustrated by Tedd Arnold
with amusing little details, make this a fun book for the
fall.
The Halloween House
by Erica Silverman. c 1997, Farrar,
Straus, Giroux.
Here’s another well executed take off, this time of the
nursery counting song Over In The Meadow. Two cons on the
lam try to hide in an empty house at Halloween, but various
animals and monsters (with younglings) are at every turn.
Kids can count down from ten little werewolves to one witch,
and chuckle over the unexpected ending. Amusing pastel
drawings by Jon Agee make this an even more fun book to
share.
The Ghost of Sifty Sifty Sam
by Angela Shelf Medearis. c
1997, Scholastic.
Told in original verse, the hero is a pudgy cook named Dan
who wants to collect the reward offered by a realtor to get
rid of Sam’s ghost. But his night in the haunted mansion
doesn’t turn out quite the way he (or his readers) had
anticipated. Expressive illustrations by Jacqueline Rogers
add to the book’s potential as another great read aloud.
Velcome
by Kevin O’Malley. c 1997, Walker and Co.
This is an interesting mixture of funny and scary by an up
and coming Baltimore author and illustrator. Adults and
older children will recognize the camp behind some of the
pictures, but a few of the stories, and some of the jokes on
the side might be best for older or more sophisticated
picture book readers. Detailed illustrations by the author
also deftly combine giggles with the grotesque.
13 Monsters Who Should Be Avoided
by Kevin Shortsleeve. c
1998, Peachtree Publishers.
Professor LeGrand warns readers in verse about some really
strange monsters such as snurps and gorgs. Illustrator
Michael Austin cleverly hides most of them, with mostly only
tentacles or claws showing in dark, misty settings to set
the readers’ imaginations at work for the rest of the
monster.
TRANSITIONAL BOOKS
Halloween Hide-And-Seek
by Pamela Jane. c 1997, Bantam.
Jonathan’s been invited to a Halloween party, and is excited
about a game where each guest tries to find the spookiest
hiding place. Early elementary kids will sympathize with his
struggle for bravery and politeness. A cute story, nicely
illustrated by Julie Durrell.
The Berenstain Bear Scouts Scream Their
by Stan & Jan
Berenstain. c 1998, Scholastic.
The Widow Bearkin has left the troop some property in her
will but there’s a catch - they have to spend a night in
what everyone KNOWS is a haunted house! How the Bear Scouts
earn their inheritance and solve a mystery at the same time
makes a slightly shivery and satisfying story. Illustrations
are by the authors’ son Michael.
The Halloween Horror and Other Cases
by Seymour Simon. c
1997, Morrow Junior Books.
This is part of the Einstein Anderson, Science Detective
series, so a little brain power is all that’s needed to
solve these ten separate cases with this generation’s
Encyclopedia Brown. The black and white drawings are by S.
D. Schindler.
FOR OLDER READERS
A Terrifying Taste of Short & Shivery
retold by Robert D.
San Souci. c 1998, Delacorte.
Quite a few of these “thirty creepy tales” from around the
world really are creepy, and some with unhappy endings. Some
children run into nasty situations, and some, but not all,
escape. These would make great stories to read in the dark,
or during sleepovers, or around the campfire.
Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man
by Wendelin Van Draanen. c
1998, Knopf.
On Halloween night, Sammy and her friends run into a mystery
at the spooky Bush House. In solving the mystery, and
settling some private scores, Sammy learns that all is not
always what it appears to be. Not even herself. This looks
like it will be an interesting new series with a heroine
that might remind adult readers of Kinsey Millhone.
Hook Moon Night
by Faye Gibbons. c 1997, Morrow Junior Books
Inspired by tales she heard as a child in the Georgia
mountains, these spine tingling stories - including a
ghostly panther, bad luck necklace and a premature burial -
will make almost anyone shiver.
Reef of Death
by Paul Zindel. c 1998, HarperCollins.
Mr. Zindel's two previous horror books were highly
recommended for reluctant readers by the ALA, so this will
probably fit that bill (and more) also. Set in Australia,
with a mysterious reef, horrible deaths, a deadly monster,
aborigines...and a treasure. For horror fans, a delicious
treat. Squeemish people should stay away.
Save Halloween!
By Stephanie S. Tolan. c 1993, Beech Tree.
First off, this isn’t scary or even slightly mysterious. But
older readers will be interested in the moral arguments
advanced. Is Halloween the devil’s holiday? A sixth grade
girl from a family of evangelical preachers struggles to
find a way to balance her love for Jesus and family with her
belief in the First Amendment. And even though she’s never
been allowed to participate in Halloween, she’s always been
fond of the holiday. How she reconciles two seemingly
opposing views, and discovers depths within herself make for
an interesting and thought provoking book.
All contents © 1998, Kate Marley. All rights reserved.
