Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is one I vividly remember from my own youth. This book and its sequels, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones, were in every library and classroom, read and passed around by everyone, and was the first to go at those Scholastic free book days that came once a year (man I loved those). Before picking up all three at the Fletcher Free Library, I could still remember vague images of the illustrations and bits and pieces of particular stories.

Reading them again, I was surprised at how grisly and graphic some of the stories are. I guess books for kids were more raw in 1986 when the first book was published than now. Remember the controversy over that video game DOOM? These books and illustrations are way harsher. Maybe not surprising that the series topped the 100 most frequently challenged book list of 1990-2000 by the American Library Association and was #6 for the 2000-2007 list.

An important detail of the structure of the books I had forgotten or lodged itself somewhere in my lizard brain is the organization of the material. The introduction of each volume describes these stories as having their origins in urban legend and folklore, and the endnotes of each story describes their variations, origins, and antecedents. For me personally, this was something of a revelation; just like the childhood museum visit or field trip, often we have no idea what the affects of such exposure will have on our interests or even careers.

Beyond the surprising academic rigor behind the content of the books, there is also the stunning illustrations by Stephen Gammell. These things have had possibly more staying power than the text (everything seems to be oozing/dripping, distorted, or tied to an equally haunting environment by webs) and I'm sure contributed to the books prominent place on challenged book lists. Given the current trend in re-appropriating material from the 80's and 90's for pop culture, I'd say these are an overlooked gem for such exploitation.

It appears that a number of factors contributed to the book's frequent challenges. Its ubiquitousness in schools and libraries, its popularity - no doubt stemming from its "dangerous" and frightening content, the graphic and wonderfully creepy illustrations, and its intended young audience are all apparent. Most of the books frequently challenged in our contemporary society appear to be those either written for younger readers or typically assigned in classrooms. In a culture where the freedom of speech and press are (at least in hypotheticals) commonly accepted, only the rallying cry of "Protect our children!" convinces the public of the legitimacy to ban a book. If a cursory glance at the list of commonly challenged books is any indication, this back-door banning of books is aimed particularly at content some attempt to control in society at large, from sex and drugs to poverty and race relations. By attempting to control what material we expose our children to, for good or ill, they attempt to pray on the instinct to protect children while enforcing a larger agenda. The next selection of books all are found at the top of frequently challenged book lists and are either intended for young readers or are common in class curriculum.

Up next: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier