The scary pages
Children’s horror books have faced much criticism throughout the years, but their allure still holds strong.
A stack of “Goosebumps” books at the Bellingham Public Library in Bellingham, Wash. on July 21, 2022 // Photo by Lily Webster
Written by Aryonna Willoughby
“Reader beware — you’re in for a scare!” proclaims R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” books. Whether that signature promise was kept, or you found the stories silly while growing up, horror books have played a significant role in the world of children’s literature, giving shape to the fears of kids for years.
John Wolf, an author and librarian at Battle Ground Community Library, said he is a bit too old for “Goosebumps” to have been formative. Instead, Wolf’s introduction to horror literature featured a book of Edgar Allan Poe stories that his father gave him in second grade. The sinister narratives and vivid illustrations imprinted on Wolf.
“I will remember the image from ‘Masque of the Red Death’ until the day I die,” he admitted.
Maybe it was the Poe book — or the time he accidentally watched “Alien” when he was three — that led to Wolf’s fascination with “the weird stuff.” Whatever the case, he became enchanted with reading works of weird fiction, a subgenre of literature that blends elements of horror, fantasy and sci-fi. Eventually, he started writing his own short stories.
When it comes to children’s horror, Wolf believes the genre can serve practical purposes.
“I think horror speaks to them because it speaks on fears that they are willing to acknowledge,” Wolf explained. “So many horror stories, from classic urban legends, to novels, to short stories, to TV shows, […] were like fables that informed kids about things that maybe they should be aware of or should be scared of, but in a way that’s palatable to them.”
Elements of horror have been creeping in the corners of children’s popular media for decades, but it wasn’t until the 1980s and early 1990s that horror literature began being targeted toward children, according to Point Park University Associate English Professor Jessica McCort in her 2016 book “Reading in the Dark: Horror in Children’s Literature and Culture.”
“Among the first books to be explicitly packaged and heavily marketed as ‘horror literature for young readers’ were horror serials that relied heavily on fright for fright’s sake,” McCort wrote.
“Goosebumps,” a collection of weird and scary stories featuring iconic monsters like the Haunted Mask, Living Dummy and Werewolf of Fever Swamp, became popular in the 90s, despite being viewed negatively by some for “capitalizing on children’s terror while simultaneously rotting the brains of young readers,” according to McCort.
A stack of “Goosebumps” books at the Bellingham Public Library in Bellingham, Wash. on July 21, 2022. This collection of books has a history of being viewed negatively by parents // Photo by Lily Webster
During the 80s and 90s, Alvin Schwartz’s best-selling trilogy “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,” gained mass popularity — but not without contention — for its macabre narratives and disturbing illustrations drawn by Stephen Gammell.
In October of 1991, “Scary Stories” made its way onto shelves at an elementary school library in Kirkland. Shortly after, parents at Lake Washington School District created a petition to ban the books, citing concerns about the violence depicted in the stories. One parent even went as far as to steal them until the issue was resolved.
In the end, the school district voted unanimously to keep the books, according to a Seattle Times article.
Attempts at censorship didn’t end there, though. The American Library Association listed Schwartz’s “Scary Stories” as the number one most challenged book of the 1990s. The ranking, compiled by the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, is based on reports from libraries, schools and media coverage about attempts to remove the books. As late as 2012, “Scary Stories” made on-and-off appearances on the ALA’s annual Top 10 list of most challenged books.
In recent years, horror books have become less of a target for censorship. In their place are books dealing with themes of sexuality and gender. Last year, half of the books on the Top 10 list were challenged for “LGBTQIA+ content.”
“A notable feature of these challenges is an effort to frame any material with LGBTQIA+ themes or characters as inherently pornographic or unsuitable for minors, even when the materials are intended for children and families and they are age and developmentally appropriate,” the ALA wrote in their 2020 State of America’s Libraries report.
In 2021, the number of challenges tracked by the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom spiked. Over 700 challenges were recorded, an approximate 93% increase from 2019. The ALA says their data only depicts a portion of the real numbers due to surveys indicating 82–97% of book challenges remain unreported.
For librarians like Wolf, issues of censorship are a frustrating topic.
“Aside from putting [a book] on a wire rack, there’s no blinking neon sign, there’s no ‘Hey — you need to read this.’ It’s just there,” Wolf said. “Books are attacked so often… They are some of the most passive forms of media we have on this planet.”
And, unless you’re in a haunted library, the books aren’t exactly leaping off the shelf at you.
“[Books] are there for you to open up and they are there for you to not open up,” Wolf said. “It’s binary. It’s as simple as that.”
One of the core principles shared at the library Wolf works at, as well as many others, is providing equitable access to information. According to Wolf, the library staff will never stand in the way of helping patrons find what they want to read.
At Bellingham Public Library, deputy library director Bethany Hoglund shared similar views. However, as a mother of young children, she knows how sensitive children can be, especially regarding scary stories.
“I personally am supportive of kids being able to explore and get into whatever they’re interested in,” said Hoglund. “Of course, parents know their kids best — they’re their first and best teacher — so parents need to be okay with that, because no one likes nightmares.”
Fortunately, a wide gamut of literature exists for children interested in horror, ranging from imaginative-and-silly scary to more bone-chilling.
As an example, Hoglund recommended “Creepy Carrots!”, a picture book by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown about a rabbit who’s stalked by carrots as a great pick for younger children looking for a light scare.
Children’s services librarian Bernice Chang reads “Creepy Carrots” at the Bellingham Public Library in Bellingham, Wash. on July 21, 2022 // Photo by Lily Webster
For middle school kids who’ve been sneaking in and enjoying episodes of “Stranger Things” on Netflix, Hoglund and Wolf both recommended “The Dark Deep” by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs.
Whether the content is scary or not, Hoglund encourages open conversations between young readers and parents about the stories they’re reading. Reading shouldn’t be seen as an isolated activity, especially for children. When children discuss what they’ve read they can build emotional literacy, increasing their ability to express emotions and communicate feelings.
For reluctant readers, horror books can act as a gateway into reading.
“I think it’s great for catching a hesitant reader. It’s fast-paced, it’s involving, it’s hard for them to tear their eyes away from it,” Wolf said. “You just got to get them to crack open the book first.”