The History of Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark: Banned & Beloved
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SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK is a book series introduced in the early 1980’s that has been scaring kids for over 40 years. Because of that, SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK is also one of the most challenged series of books in school libraries.
SCARY STORIES Documentary: https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07PGCBVZC
SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_Stories_to_Tell_in_the_Dark
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_Schwartz_(children’s_author)
The Lion and the Unicorn vol 12 issue 1
https://indecentandimmortal.wordpress.com/tag/alvin-schwartz/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1377487724/?match=2&terms=alvin%20schwartz%20scary%20stories&search-id=538340f9-1e2a-4d11-bb48-fad21dd995b0&search-rank=7
https://soar.wichita.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/7f85806d-4215-4632-bf70-59cc4ec13e4b/content
https://web.archive.org/web/20130921060329/http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2011/12/18/scary-stories-to-tell-in-the-dark-gammell-vs-helquist/
https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade1999
https://www.newspapers.com/image/696746826/?match=31&terms=alvin%20schwartz%20scary%20stories&search-id=ddd76a8a-ddf8-4a17-ae2b-165629506143&search-rank=6
https://www.newspapers.com/image/1142793743/?match=4&terms=alvin%20schwartz%20scary%20stories&search-id=e5aa6399-ca6c-4f8a-9072-c7a4cfedb36e&search-rank=6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scary_Stories_to_Tell_in_the_Dark_(film)
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@GameDevWithKellyGallagher
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I remember when I was a kid I loved the stories and illustrations, but when I was a slightly older kid, I was fascinated by the "acknowledgements" section in the back of the book where the author cites the folklore and literature. These stories were not just silly stories that the author made-up- so it's not just for entertainment, but it's also a cultural document similar to Grimms' Fairy Tales or the Raud Ballads.
@Greenminded1
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
Holy shii, I saw that thumbnail, and I lost it for a second. Why the hell does that creepy image look so familiar? Then read the description and realized it was from a long ago childhood memory.
Blast from the past dude! 😎
@frankierivera215
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
Still have the box set of all 3 from elementary school when the 3rd was the new edition.
@cmfort2696
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
@SecretGalaxyTV
Believe it or not, I received this book one year, in fourth grade, on Halloween, at school during our Halloween party; as did everyone else in my class.
@tooturtly
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
Those books were cool as hell. 🙂 the art was cool. Watercolor blown out. The stories were scary. 🙂
@HealingHikess
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
"The Rock" 😂😂😂😂
@gunmnky
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
Its also possible that the art was only licensed for the initial run.This is common and getting a cheaper writer could have saved a lot of money. Famously, Fox redesigned the alien design for Aliens so they didn't have to pay HR Gieger again.
@MitchellFornes
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I heard that they changed the artwork to be less unsettling, but I hope the originals are still being sold somewhere.
@snowbumenzo
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I had all of them. These books were total nightmare fuel for a 7 year old.
@deftoyz
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
How can taking children's books out of school libraries ever be a good thing? There are so many terrible problems in society, children's books are not one of them
fascinating stuff as always Secret Galaxy
@darthdeth1
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I read this book and still have an original copy!
@jpmiller7922
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I got it from the book fair in middle school during the mid 90s.
@kylejacobe627
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
The movie was ass. It was just another glorified goosebumps repeat. And of course feminist writers had to turn around and make the story sound like Alvin Schwartz's wife did everything, and he just took the credit for it. A bunch of bullshit.
@JADub87
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I read these books along with Goosebumps. I remember the book that had the spiders crawling out of the girl's face! 😬🫣
@mattworth5026
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
My older sister had these books in her desk drawer and used to tell me them before bed growing up. The images would scare the bejebus out of me but I would stare at them until it wasnt scary anymore, I think it was the first time I would ever faced my fears.
@Grayald
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
These were my favorite books as a kid. I bought them a few years back as an adult.
Stories are for the most part very goofy.
The art, on the other hand? Freaking incredible.
@MitchellWade-s8o
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I read this when I was a child.
@Slightlyangled
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I read these books all the time as a kid in the 90’s. Scared the heck out of me
@corinnekoladay4392
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I still think of the lady with a black velvet band choker necklace…
Coincidentally, my parents had to call the school and tell them I was not allowed to check this out because I got nightmares from reading this book…still a horror fan, but maybe I got ahold of this a might early ❤
@antigrav6004
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
Gammel's art is incredibly creepy and unnerving no matter what age.
@user-je3vs3ot6i
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
How could the boy suddenly speak Chinese?
@RazielLucifer666
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
Had three of those books. Loved them. My absolute favorite books for a large chunk of my childhood. Gave them to a friend's daughter over a decade ago. Hope they are still being loved. Really wish I still had them. The gecko story always creeped me out. And I still say "room for one more" to this day.
@rraiteri
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
Loved these so much as a kid, remember getting them at the book fair back in MO lol
@zacharyfindlay-maddox171
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
My 3rd grade teacher had the second book in her classroom, and I was just hooked! The artwork was something straight out of a nightmare.
@stacysimons1323
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I would check the first book (and maybe the second?) out every October from the local library while in grammar school. I remember some of the pictures were so creepy that I had to cover them with a sheet of paper while I read. Also didn't help that the house I lived in at the time was legit haunted.
@legionaireb
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
40 years later and the illustration from the one about the priest who encounters a dead girl in an abandoned house still haunts my nightmares.
@synthstatic9889
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
The stories: a competent drawing of an ordinary horse.
The illustrations: a rearing fiery stallion.
@JadenRoss-v3s
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
Is that a cannon films shirt? Where can I get one
@purplesky11
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I bought this book at my school’s Scholastic Book fair in ‘89 and I still have it.
@alexhickenbottom2820
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
This was a popular series especially around Halloween. The Librarian in my elementary school read some stories from it one year to my class and several others. Most of the stories were based on true events. The artwork freaked me out more than the stories did but I always loved reading these books. Too bad they are banned, you’re missing out on a great series of books.
@joester4life
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I loved this book! I still have it.
@theyalwayscomeinfall
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
At my elementary school, like other people have mentioned, we had a waiting list for these books. It is strange to look back as an adult and realize the things that shaped you and your artistic sensibilities. The art in these books, and the cut scenes in Splatterhouse 3, both shaped the things I like greatly. It is also interesting because both of those things scared me or made me uncomfortable as a child. Yet, I could not stay away from either, haha.
@0lyge0
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
The first two books were such an important part of my childhood that when they announced the book was being released with new drawings I found the three books with the original artwork on Amazon and bought them immediately. They were ALWAYS checked out so you had to get lucky to even get it, then everyone wanted to borrow it from you.
@Astronomikat
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I got mine at the scholastic book sale in elementary. It terrified me. But I also loved it.
@daviddavidson1492
October 18, 2026 at 8:16 am
I'm personally fine with kids reading this book, but parents absolutely should have a say in their children's education. The right to free speech does not imply the right to be heard.