Scholastic Horrors

When I was a kid, we had a couple books laying around in our "book box" (we didn't have any book cases) that both intrigued and frightened me.  They were both Scolastic/Arrow books of ghost stories.  It wasn't the content of the books that scared me, it was the covers themselves.  Those books were lost over the years, but I was able to find them at various sales.

"13 Ghostly Tales" in particular scared me.  I remember looking at it in laying on my closet floor wanting to get something, but afraid to reach across it.  Okay, I was only 4 and a big chicken.  When I finally did get the courage to read these books, I found the stories within decidedly unscary.  They're the standard kid's fare of "spooky" tales like "The Golden Arm", "Teeny-Tiny", "The Railroad Ghost" and "The Dare".  I do recall one story somewhat disturbing called "The Thing at the Foot of the Bed" in which the protagonist finds two eyes staring at him from the end of his bed.

Reaching for the revolver he keeps under his pillow at night (probably not a great idea), he proceeds to shoot off his own big toe which he'd mistaken for one of the "eyes".

I've written previously about my love for Scholastic Books. Reading was always a brighter spot in the school day and the day Scholastic books arrived was only rivaled by the arrival of the next Scholastic Flyer.

Below are some Halloween-related Scholastic books I've picked up over the years.  Some of these have been previously posted, but deserve a second look. Enjoy, and if you see any that bring back memories, let me know in the comments.

Something tells me "Abby Kedabra" was a pen name.

"Hurricane Luck" isn't a scary story (well, I guess hurricanes can be scary), but I thought the cover had a spooky vibe.

"The Mystery in Dracula's Castle" was a Wonderful World of Disney TV 2-part episode.  I remember watching this when I was probably 5 years old and being scared by it. I rewatched it recently and I'm not sure what scared me.  It's available on Youtube.

These Scholastic Mysteries always tend to disappoint. Generally, the endings always involve a misunderstood hermit or bank robbers.  But the covers are great.  "Mystery at Shadow Pond" is another cover that unnerved me as a child.  Something about that robot with the glowing eyes.

Then of course there were always the collection of strange but "true" tales. These set me down the road to a lifetime of watching shows about ghosts, Bigfoot, and Chupacabras not to mention that dang "Curse of Oak Island" show.  Seven seasons in and NOTHING!  The curse is I've wasted my time watching it.

I previously blogged "Strangely Enough".  This is a newer copy with a revised cover.

Again, this cover isn't scary (except for the worm he's about to blow away), but the rear cover is Halloween appropriate.

"How Spider Saved Halloween" was one of my favorite books in...checks published date...Second grade.

A couple Norman Bridwell books. Norman Bridwell was the author of the Clifford the Big Red Dog books as well as "The Witch Next Door".

I previously blogged "Monster Jokes and Riddles

"The Ghost of Windy Hill" was another disappointment to my 4th grade self.  No actual ghosts were used in the writing of this book.

Did this post leave you wanting to read more? Then take a trip on over to the Countdown to Halloween.  There's plenty of spooky blogs to browse and it won't cost you a thing but time.