Scary Stories Treasury by Alvin Schwartz

They are pretty silly (corny), and maybe it was the way the narrator read them, I was rolling my eyes on those. I personally didn't care for the really short, very jokey stories.

In my opinion, the quality of the stories diminishes with each volume. Honestly, some of these stories are still scary. I read this many, many years ago when I was a kid and I couldn't resist all the creepy and scary books in my library growing up. I read this last October and I never added to my tbr pile! I listened to the audiobook. It will probably freak your kids out, but that's the whole point. Make sure the seller's description says the illustrations are by Gammell. If you're looking to buy, try to find an old copy if you can. Stephen Gammell's illustrations MADE this book.

Much to my dismay, I learned that the original version with the images by Stephen Gammell is out of print and has been banned by several institutions! The newer versions have a new illustrator and less-creepy imagery. Now an adult, I went in search of a copy of this book to share with my nephew who loves scary stories. Seriously, pretend you're a ten year old girl for a second and just look at these. I remember staying up late reading these stories and staring at the images with a mixture of fascination and horror. The stories are creepy, but what really made this book great were the disturbing images by Stephen Gammell. The tales are mostly re-tellings of classic urban legends. I had all three of Schwartz's Scary Stories books as a child, and remember reading them over and over. Or you can watch my review on YouTube here: And if you haven't already read them, then you definitely should! Just remember to tell these scary stories. I look forward to seeing what Guillermo del Toro can do to bring these horrorifying images to life on the big screen!Īs any true lover of horror will tell you, these books are a must to add to your collection. They are without a doubt the stuff that nightmares are made of. Stephen Gammell's horrifying illustrations still give me the creeps even as an adult. They bring back fond memories and are still delightful to read even as an adult. As we did our best to freak each other out so these stories remain ingrained in my memory. I can still remember my friends and I staying up late at night sitting in a circle with a flashlight and these books and taking turns reading our favorite stories to each other. These stories were a beloved part of my childhood. Wonderfully written sets of little tales of horror.

But beware dear reader, these stories may be too scary for you! 😱 These stories are comprised of myths, folklore and urban legends from all over the world. These books are filled with short stories written down by the great Alvin Schwartz.

Scary Stories Treasury by Alvin Schwartz