Two Classic Ghost Story Collections for Halloween

The tradition of telling scary stories likely goes back as far as storytelling itself. Although there are varying degrees of skepticism when it comes to the supernatural, even those who say they don't believe in ghosts, witches, and demons may enjoy the occasional scary story.

That said, if you're further interested in spooky tales, but don't know where to begin, a great start is Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark collection, a trilogy of books, the first of which was published in 1981. Now re-published as a "25th Anniversary Edition," this collection remains a treasure trove of simple but dark and frightening works for nearly all ages.

Collected from folklore sources such as California Folklore Quarterly, Indiana Folklore, and New York Folklore Quarterly, the first book contains such stories as "The Thing," about a pair of friends who encounter a deathly ghoul rising from a deserted field in the night. Adding to the classic chills of these tales are the nightmarish illustrations by Caldecott Award Winner Stephen Gammell, also famous for his work on such books as My Friend, the Starfinder by George Ella Lyon, and The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School by Judy Sierra.

If you're familiar with Gammell's work through these other, more lighthearted books, you're in for a shock. His illustrations in Scary Stories consist of distorted, hellish images of menacing haunted houses, decomposing zombies, and innocent babysitters taunted by killers. Gammell's trademark, if you will, in his drawings are their "stringy" appearance, as if each thing in the picture is coming apart at the seams.

Some of these folktales may ring familiar, such as "The Wendigo," regarding a female spirit spoken of in Native American legends that carries away victims into the sky, according to the Notes index at the end of the first book. It also contains famous urban legends such as "The White Satin Evening Gown," about a poor woman who has an ill-fated encounter with a rented dress for a dance. This particular legend has reached such proportions that it has been passed around as an Internet hoax in e-mails and Flash videos.

Now, of course, not everyone enjoys scary stories, just as horror films don't appeal to all tastes. Recently, at an elementary school, some parents and teachers expressed concern over these very stories being read to children there.

While they may frighten very young children, and even some adults...is it so terrible to be frightened? Some therapists may argue that the experience of being frightened, particularly by a story or film, can be cathartic. After one "survives," so to speak, there is a chance that they may feel stronger, or more equipped to deal with conflicts in the world. Also, all types of stories, including scary ones, can foster creativity. This may be a discussion for an entirely different article, but...it is worth taking into account.

The concept of being scared, in turn, is part of the fun of Halloween. When kids and teenagers dress as the things that scare them most, it is almost a way of facing those fears head-on. How many of us, as adults, can say that we did not, at one point, enjoy campfire stories or scary movies of some sort?

Yet another favorite collection in the scary story realm is Great Ghost Stories (Books of Wonder), recommended for children Grade 6 and up, according to Amazon.com. The book contains 13 stories by masters of horror (and fantasy), including H.P. Lovecraft, H.G. Wells, Bram Stoker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Madeleine L'Engle.

Among the classic tales in this collection are W.W. Jacobs' "The Monkey's Paw," with its "be careful what you wish for" theme; H.G. Wells' "The Red Room," in which a young man tries to spend the night in a haunted room; "Man-Size in Marble," by E. Nesbit, in which a newly-wedded couple's housekeeper flees their cottage the night before Halloween; and "The Judge's House," by Bram Stoker, in which a college student rents the mansion of an old judge for a bit of respite. Sensing a theme here?

One Amazon.com customer said, after reading this book, that he felt "pathos and humor do turn what could have been some decent stories into snorers." Nonetheless, this same customer enjoyed a number of the stories, and you might as well.

In the age of the 'Net, iPods, and Blackberries, it may be a more difficult task to gather a group of children to listen to scary stories. However, with the right Halloween atmosphere (i.e. low lighting, cupcakes, creepy music), and the properly trained storyteller, it all just might work out. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and Great Ghost Stories are essential reading for anyone who enjoys a good chill now and again.