Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz

I was going to rant here about our ill-conceived, often hypocritical efforts to 'protect' our children and censor their reading materials, but I'll save that for another day. Who thought this was a good idea? I'm incensed, especially for all the kids who might pick up this book expecting to have the bejeebers scared out of them and wind up merely bored or slightly amused. Without Gammell's drawings, this collection loses its bloody, beating heart and is barely worth the paper it's printed on. You don't mess with perfection and genius. The reason the original 1981 edition became an instant classic and a frequently challenged book in schools and libraries was for Stephen Gammell's ghoulish and nightmarish artwork. To say that it's been sanitized for safe consumption is an understatement. My edition is the 2010 'updated' version published by Harper Collins with new illustrations by Brett Helquist. This is the regular full size edition of these books.I'm not giving any stars here, only a warning: beware which edition of this collection you choose, for if you choose unwisely, you will be sorely ripped off in more ways than one.

Third book shows marker on the edges with some highlighter inside (see photos). Bends/impressions on bottom right corner of each book.

They show some soiling and handling use on the covers. They show a bit of rubbing along the spine from being put in the box with some corner wear and bumps. Each one has been read and shows some handling marks. Box shows wear, bumps, bends, impressions, light soiling, and edge tears.

The question everyone asks me is: do these have the original drawings banned by so many school libraries? The answer is Yes indeed!Ĭondition: Good books. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark boxed set by Alvin Schwartz Beware these stories may give you clammy palms, goose bumps, the shivers, and other signs of fright. The titles of the books are Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981), More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1984), and Scary Stories 3 More Tales to Chill Your Bones (1991). Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a series of three children's books written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz