More than just scary stories, this book is made up of collected American folktales. STUDENTS COULD TRACE SIMILAR STORIES THROUGHOUT TIME OR IN DIFFERENT REGIONS. SPARKS KIDS' CURIOSITY INTO FOLKTALES, ESPECIALLY KIDS WHO AREN'T INTO TRADITIONAL READING. GREAT WAY TO INTEREST BOYS.

I will never fucking sleep again. ( )

I purchased this book as one that I fondly remembered from childhood. I don't know for certain how many times my brother and I checked this out from the public library, but it was a lot. The stories in it are fun and the artwork is fantastic. As a matter of fact, even though I remember most of the stories from reading them before, it's the artwork that lodged this book into my head so firmly. Although all black and white, the images are spooky and gruesome. Exactly what an impressionable pre-teen needs to be sufficiently creeped out!

The stories themselves are usually 1 to 2 pages each and are still fun. While they wouldn't scare the bejeepers out of me today, I can see why I was drawn to them as a child. The last section of stories is also fun as they are in the same line as the spooky tales, but are intended to be humorous and silly.

All in all this is a fun book for kids of all ages and I really was glad that I went ahead and purchased one of my childhood favorites. ( )

A collection of short stories, poems, and activies with truly frightening illustrations! This is not for the younger set, but will utterly delight (and frighten!) pre-teens. A true classic! ( )

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is collection of eerie folktales for the young reader. This 25th anniversary edition of the book consists of five chapters, each containing several similarly themed tales that range from frightening to funny. Notes, sources, a bibliography and acknowledgments complete the book. Scary urban legends are included with stories that are more traditional.

Alvin Schwartz's collection of scary stories contains most of the classic campfire tales of youth. While they may be new to children, most adults will recognize many of these tales.



"The Big Toe" is a classic tale that I remember as "Who Stole My Golden Arm?" The extensive notes following the stories, confirmed my suspicion that the stories were indeed the same. The notes, sources, and bibliography are excellent resources for professional storytellers or literary scholars.



Although School Library Journal noted that this book is appropriate for grades 3 through 8 and "low elementary grades," some of the content may be too frightening for younger students. Gammell's illustrations in black-and-white are a perfect accompaniment for these tales. The lines are thin and wispy, the figures undefined, giving an ethereal quality to the illustrations. The full-page illustration accompanying "The Haunted House" is frightening enough to give an adult pause.



Not all of the tales are gruesome, however. The collection is a mix of traditional and modern, scary and humorous. The stories are grouped together by type - stories to make you laugh, stories to make you jump, stories about ghosts, stories set in the present day. There should be a story to suit any reader in this collection. Scary Stories may be too frightening for school, but it's a must for the campsite or scouting trip. ( )