This is a compilation of three previously published volumes of urban legends and folk tales collected and retold by Alvin Schwartz. Illustrator Stephen Gammell provides the stories with eerie and gruesomely effective black and white illustrations. These volumes contain classic slumber party fare such as "The Hook" as well as songs and poems. Alvin Schwartz's books have been favorites of both kids and librarians for the past two decades and counting; they are truly classics of the horror genre for children.
Another classic compilation of retold folk tales from various traditions, "Favorite Scary Stories of American Children" contains 23 stories, grouped by appropriate age range. Old standards such as "The Golem" and "The Red Velvet Ribbon" are included; all retellings are short and thus easy to read aloud without losing a young audience's attention.
Scottish-born author Robert Louis Stevenson was the author of the frightful landmark "The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde" as well as several other short horror stories such as "The Bottle Imp" and "A Lodging for the Night." Not all of these stories are horror stories, and the nineteenth-century language may feel too antiquated for some younger readers, but Stevenson remains a fine choice for pedigreed spook stories.
Six of the scariest African-American folk tales collected by folklorist and author Zora Neale Hurston in the early part of the 20th century are presented in this volume adapted by Joyce Carol Thomas and illustrated by Leonard Jenkins. The stories include not only a talking skull but a witch who can shed her skin and, yes, a haunted house.
R.L. Stine is the author of the enormously popular "Goosebumps" series of young adult horror novels. In this collection, he handpicks 19 of his favorite scary stories by a range of authors including Ray Bradbury, Bram Stoker and Roald Dahl; the compilation includes comics and poems as well. If your child is a fan of "Goosebumps," this volume should be a hit.