No matter the time of year, if you work as a children's librarian or as a bookseller in the Kids department of a bookstore you are guaranteed to hear this question at least once a week: "Where do you keep the scary books?" However, during the weeks leading up to Halloween and in the hot summer months when families sit around midnight campfires, the requests always increase.
Being a lover of "things that go bump in the night" myself, I relished the opportunity to share some of my goosebump raising favorites with kids brave enough to open those cobweb covered tomes and discover the horrors that lurk within.
For me, the best stories to tell at a Halloween party or while sitting around a campfire have their roots in folklore and urban legend and are only a page or two long. Any longer than that and the kids will get restless. Interest needs to be piqued early and the momentum needs to build quickly until it ends with a big finish.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwarz is guaranteed to make your next halloween party for kids over eight a success. Gather everyone in a circle, turn out the lights, shine the flashlight on yourself and begin. You'll have them screaming in no time. Many of the families I recommended this book to came back for more, and, happily, this is just the first in a trilogy that includes More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3.
For a great list of scary books to suit the season go to:
http://www.monsterlibrarian.com/horrorfictionlistkd.htm
