Books Help Resurrect Tradition of Ghost Stories

Halloween is on the way, and I can’t wait. Sure, I’m looking forward to wearing my gorilla suit and eating the Snickers bars left over from trick-or-treaters.

But, most of all, I’m looking forward to a Halloween tradition that seems to have died in recent years: sharing ghost stories.

Reading aloud with kids is great any time of year, but if you choose the right stories, it can add an extra chill and shiver to Halloween night.

Before you send your kids out for an evening of tricks or treats, try spending a little time together (in a dimly lit room after sundown, preferably) to enjoy a spooky story or two.

Bear in mind that horror stories do not necessarily include gore and gratuitous violence. Properly chosen, the stories will let even very young children enjoy a good scare without lasting damage.

The following titles are just a few examples of what your library or bookstore may carry in the way of safe fright.

“One-Minute Scary Stories,” by Shari Lewis and Lan O’Kun, is a fantastic introduction to some of the most-loved classic ghost stories in world literature.

Lewis and O’Kun have made “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and 18 other favorites shorter and more easily readable. A 3-year-old will understand most of them.

The stories are great for reading aloud because each is only about two pages long and is accompanied by bright, colorful illustrations.

In hardcover, “One-Minute Scary Stories” costs $10.

The “Random House Book of Ghost Stories” is another popular collection for family reading, according to Adri Butler, owner of Pacific Bookstore in West Los Angeles.

These stories are relatively mild in nature, which makes them spooky but non-threatening for young children.

“They’re scary but definitely not ‘adult’ scary--more like Edgar Allan Poe,” Butler said.

At $18.95, the “Random House” collection is a little pricey, but the 17 stories are written by a variety of well-known writers and the illustrations are first-rate. In fact, this would be a fantastic gift book.

The “Scary Stories” series is a big hit with older elementary and junior high students. It contains three volumes so far, each featuring tales and legends collected from international folklore and retold by Alvin Schwartz.

These books are a real bargain, I think, because you get about 25 fairly chilling stories and some black-and-white illustrations for just $3.95.

Many of the tales in the “Scary Stories” books are quite short (some are a single page), so they are ideal for reading aloud.

For those who prefer a little humor mixed with their fear, try “Knock Knock” by Colin and Jacqui Hawkins.

Best suited for kids who are old enough to know what a joke is, “Knock Knock,” offers about two dozen silly jokes and many wacky illustrations.

Kids especially like this book because it uses the “lift-a-flap” method--that is, they have to lift a flap on the page to see the answer or funny picture underneath.

“Knock Knock” costs $14.95 in hardcover.

For a toddler, that first celebrated Halloween can be a little confusing and frightening.

But “My First Halloween,” by well-known illustrator Tomie dePaola, is a good way to take some of the fear out of the occasion for small children.

DePaola shows kids the fun parts of Halloween by discussing jack o’lanterns, costumes, trick-or-treating, and other traditions.

“My First Halloween” costs $5.95.

Comic books have remained consistently popular with kids of all ages for decades, and horror comics seem to have a particularly strong following.

There are many to choose from, but the best for grade-school kids are the old Epic Comics from the 1950s, which are now being reprinted, according to Tom Hermanson of Hi De Ho Comics and Fantasy in Venice and Santa Monica.

He especially recommends “The Vault of Horror,” “The Haunt of Shear” and “Tales From the Crypt.”

The reprinted comics cost $2 each.

The “Tomb of Dracula” comics series is more modern and more adult, most appropriate for junior and senior high school students.

The first edition of “Tomb of Dracula” has just come out, and it will eventually be a series of four.

Each issue costs $4.95. That may seem high for a comic book, but the printing techniques and color are spectacular.