HIT>Scary Stories

[Lorna Joy McCloud <lmccloud@PEN.K12.VA.US>]

Thanks to everyone who sent me ideas for more scary books in my
library!  I can't wait to "go book shopping"!

Patricia Bain and Wilson Breeden asked how I shelve and search
for these books...  Well, we try to put ghost stickers  on all
"scary" books and Halloween books (I am behind in this, though)
because students ask for them so much.  As for cataloging
options...my system (Follett) has keyword search, and the kids
all seem to know to try "scary" in there.  I see no problem
with adding your own subject headings specific to your school
needs.  I did it before "multicultural literature" showed up in
SEARS, and guess what--it's in the new edition!

Well, here's your HIT--hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did!

Hi Lorna -  Have you tried R.L. Stine's  "Goosebumps" series?  While they
> areen't great literature (remind me of the Hardy Boys, or the Three
> investigators) they are wildly popular.  I read two or three of them
> before I put them out (a child had donated them) and thought he had done
> a good job of scary without being too graphic.
> **********
> Candace Foster
> Librarian, Aina Haina Elementary
> Honolulu, HI  96821
> <candacef@kalama.doe.hawaii.edu>


> The Bruce Coville books are a hit with many 3-5 students.  R.L. Stine has
> written the "Goosebumps" series.  They are never in the library and are
> on reserve for others. These are both paperback series and relatively
> inexpensive.  The John Bellairs series is older, but well received.
>
> Kathy Arnfield  (arnfield@umd5.umd.edu)
> Media Specialist, Chevy Chase Elementary MCPS


> I am sure this is not what you want to hear but the Goosebump books never
> stay on teh shelves in my library!
>
>                            Guusje Moore
>                  Librarian, Housman Elementary School
>                            Houston, Texas
>                           guusje@tenet.edu


> Lorna,
>       Are all children just naturally macabre?  Mine, anyway.  I don't
> have nearly enough to satisfy the demand, but I can't justify spending my
> skimpy budget in that area very much.  Anyway, these always stay checked
> out in my K-5 library:
>
> Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, by Alvin Schwartz
> More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
> Scary Stories 3
>
> The Thing At the Foot of the Bed, by Maria Leach
>
> In a Dark, Dark Room, by Schwartz
> Ghosts! by Schwarta (both of these are for younger kids)
>
> anything by Betty Ren Wright (scary novels for about 4th or 5th gr.)
>
> anything in the Goosebumps series (too gory for me, but the kids love them)
>
> My trouble is that I have very little for the young ones, even though
> they are interested too.  Finding gory stuff for the older ones is easy.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Joy
> tnl_jbranham@pstcc.cc.tn.us


> >I need to get more "scary stories" into my library (patron demand),
> >and I don't want to get more copies of the infamous 2--we already
> >have some.  What are some K-5 level books that you have seen your
> >students enjoy?  They can be full-length fiction type books, or
> >sets of stories...
> >
> Collections:
> Short and Shivery (San Souci)
> The Thing at the Foot of the Bed (Leach)
> The Oxford Book of Scary Tales
>
> Picture Books:
> The Monster and the Tailor (Galdone)
> One Spooky Night (Kunas)
> The Ghost of Skinny Jack (Lindgren)
> The Boy and the Ghost (San Souci)
>
> Chapter Books:
> The Ghost of Windy Hollow (Bulla)
> Dracula is a Pain in the Neck (Levy)
> Frankenstein Moved in to the Fourth Floor (Levy)
> anything by Betty Ren Wright
>
> Hope this helps.  I'd love to see your list when it's done.
> Regards,
> Linda
> .
> .
> Linda Greengrass
> Bank Street College Library
> 610 West 112th Street
> New York, NY 10025
> (212) 875-4452
> lindag@bnk1.bnkst.edu


> I just reviewed a new one called "Headless Haunt" which has stories
> similar in length etc. to the Scary Stories books; sorry I can't give
> more info. but I passed it on to another teacher.  Also, I'm in Ohio and
> there are three paperbacks - Haunted Ohio I, Haunted Ohio II, Haunted
> Ohio III- which are always out.  We have another paperback called Ghosts
> of the Heartland which is also popular.
> Elaine Ezell
> Bowling Green Jr High


> The most popular ones in our school of 540 kids K-5 are Scary Scary
> Room;Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the
> Dark; Scary STories III; Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep;
> Headless Horseman Rides Tonight ( thelatter two by Jack Prelutsky)


> Have you considered the books by John Bellairs--some are definitely
> junior high level, but others are suitable for elementary kids:
>
> The house with a clock in its walls
> The figure in the shadows
> The lion, the witch, and the ring
> The eyes of the killer robot
>
> to name a few...
>
> Steve Smith
> Warden, WA


> If your infamous two are not Alvin Schwartz (?sp) Scary Stories ana
> More Scary Stories, you might like to order them.  Several are urban legends
> retold.  They are popular.  Mr. Scwartz received Buckeye Book  Awards (voted
> by students in elemetary grades) for the books.   He died a few years ago.
>
> Christopher Pike is an author popular with older students.
> --
> Marge Lucas, Librarian/Media Specialist
> Euclid High School
> 711 East 222 St.
> Euclid, OH  44123


> Lorna,
>
>
> We buy a few 'Goosebumps' in paperback each fall and our 3rd graders,
> especially, love them.
>
> .....Madelynne Johnson...Assistant Librarian, The Bush School (k-12)
>                          405 36th Ave E, Seattle WA 98112
>                          madelynn@helen.bush.edu


> Thank goodness Christmas vacation is here and I'm at home, not at school.
> But, unfortunately, I may not be able to give exact titles....
> My grades 5 and 6 love Hahn's novels--esp. _The Doll in the Garden_.  They
> all love the _Scary Stories_ series--we have the first 3....don't know if
> there are more.  The Red Room Riddle (by Corbett???) is a favorite with the
> little ones.  Of course, _The Thing at the Foot of the Bed_ is everyone's
> fav.  There are a lot of scary folktales and I'd be glad to put together a
> list of those if you're interested.  They're mostly 2nd and 3rd level.
> Happy scaring...
> Jo Ann Lynn
> St. Agnes Academy/St. Dominic School
> Memphis, TN
> lynnja@ten-nash.ten.k12.tn.us


> Lorna I hate to admit i broke down and put some Goosebumps books in as my
> 10 year old reads them i donate them to my library. Other kids donate
> theirs also I couldn't decide what to do about them until a teacher read
> one in class and the demand has just grown kids who have never read
> before practically fight over them. I figure if i let my own daughter
> read them I shouldn't deny the school kids.


> Lorna,
> Here are a few suggestions that are very popular from my collection:
>
> Hopkins -- A-Haunting we will go
>
> Aiken -- Give yourself a fright : thirteen tales...
>
> Sommer-B(?) -- If you want to scare yourself
>
> San Souci -- Short and shivery : thirty chilling tales
>
> Galdone, Joanna -- Tailypo
>
> McKissack -- Tales of the dark thirty
>
> Yolen -- Werewolves : a collection of original stories
>
> I look forward to your ->HIT, as this is always a popular subject with my
> patrons.
>
> BTW, how do you deal with the question, `Do you have any scary stories?'
> Do you have a special section set aside? Provide a bibliography? Spine
> stickers? I've considered each of these, but haven't decided which way to
> go yet.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> { Wilson L. Breeden, Librarian              wilsonb@tenet.edu     }
> { Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary School       work: (210) 433-7071  }
> { Edgewood ISD                              FAX:  (210) 433-7212  }
> { San Antonio, TX                           home: (210) 647-1772  }
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


> From: Beth S Eades <bseades@sacam.OREN.ORTN.EDU>
> Subject: Re: Scary books
> To: Lorna Joy McCloud <lmccloud@pen.k12.va.us>
> Date: Sat, 17 Dec 1994 01:12:00 -0500 (EST)
>
> Here's some authors I've introduced successfully to intermediate readers:
>
> John Bellairs
> Mary Downing Haun
> Betty Ren Wright
> Patricia (I think that's first name) Clapp (title is Jane-Emily)
> Alvin Schwartz' series of scary folktales
>
> Top of my head, hope these help.


> From: Patricia Bain <pbain@kalama.doe.Hawaii.Edu>
> Subject: Re: Scary books
> To: Lorna Joy McCloud <lmccloud@pen.k12.va.us>
> Date: Sat, 17 Dec 1994 18:44:03 -1000 (HST)
>
> Hi Lorna,
>    I wanted to check my collection on Friday, so held off writing
> to you.  Unfortunately, I forgot about looking it up.  My students
> enjoy scary stories.  One book they like is Scary Stories to tell in
> the dark by Alvin Schwartz.  They also like the sequels, More Scary
> Stories, and Scary stories 3.
>    It is not easy for them to find the "scary stories".  It is not
> a subject in the catalog.  When they ask for scary stories, how do
> you find the books for your students?
>    Please post a hit, or send me the information you get.  Pleas
> list the titles of your 2 popular books also.  Sorry I couldn't
> get a bigger list to you.  I know I won't have time to look it up
> on Monday, our last full day of school.  A popular title for the
> younger students is In a dark, dark room by the same author.  It is
> an I can read book.  All the titles I've listed are the ones that
> are never on the shelves.  They return to the library to be checked
> out, often before they can be reshelved.
>    I hope you get different titles from others who reply.
> Pat Bain, librarian
> Waialua Elementary School
> 67-020 Waialua Beach Road
> Waialua, HI  96791


> The ones my students enjoy the most are:
> -Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Schwartz, Alvin
> -More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Schwartz, Alvin
> -Scary Stories 3, Schwartz, Alvin
> -Short and Shivery, San Souci, Robert (or is it Daniel?)
> -More Short and Shivery, San Souci
> -Roald Dahl's Ghost Stories
> -Oxford Book of Scary Stories
> -Edgar Allen Poe's Tales of Terror
>
> I'm not sure if these titles are exact, but they are close.  I'm not at
> school, so this is the best I can do.  There are more titles, but these
> were the only ones I could pull semi-accurately out of my head.  I am the
> librarian for grades 1-4 in a private boy's school.  The boys can't get
> enough of scary books!  If you need any more info. on this subject, let
> me know.  I could give you many more titles (and with complete info.)
>
> Sincerely,
> Barbara Kinkead, St. Mark's School of Texas, Dallas
>