Another 10 Classic Children’s Anthology Books Worth Revisiting for Halloween
Growing up, my Halloween experience wasn’t complete without ghost stories. Long before I could get my hands on horror movies, my Halloween thrills were largely found in books. Little did the parentals know, these books of mine were just as, if not more, scary than the movies I watched, at least to a little kid with an overactive imagination.
Like last time, and the time before that, I delved into children’s horror anthologies of yesteryear—some I already owned, others I recently came across—and singled out the ten stories I felt were memorable and would enhance your Halloween.
Tales for the Midnight Hour (1977)
Pictured: J.B. Stamper’s Tales for the Midnight Hour.
Before Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was available, young and horror-hungry readers had Tales for the Midnight Hour. J. B. (Judith Bauer) Stamper then wrote three more Midnight Hour books in the 1980s and ’90s. That first collection, however, sticks the most, if you’re of a certain age. And its opening story is probably why. Stamper didn’t hold back just because “The Furry Collar” was the first entry; she did quite the opposite. Here, two girls are left home alone on Christmas night, and after one of them checks out a strange noise downstairs, the other waits in anticipation for her return. What comes next is a gruesome way to kick off this beloved book.
Other recommended stories: “The Jigsaw Puzzle” and “The Face.”
Monsters You Never Heard Of (1983)
Pictured: Raymond Van Over’s Monsters You Never Heard Of.
This next book was brought to my attention by a fellow reader, asking about a specific story whose source they couldn’t recall. The tale in question turned out to be “Windigo,” a gruesome yarn about a hunting party holed up inside a cave after an avalanche, and one by one, the group fell victim to the titular creature hidden among them. It was clear from “Windigo” that Raymond van Over’s Monsters You Never Heard Of wasn’t exactly going to be kids’ stuff.
Other recommended stories: “The Burr Woman,” The Golem,” and “The Beautiful Werewolf.”
Cold Feet (1985)
Pictured: Cold Feet.
The name Philip Pullman might ring a bell. Along with Robert Westall, Joan Aiken, and others, the author of His Dark Materials contributed to Cold Feet, an assortment of British shorts. And with a title like “Video Nasty,” horror hounds are bound to want to read Pullman’s story of boys getting a rude surprise while watching a legit snuff tape. As far as I know, this is the first—and maybe only?—instance of snuff films coming up in a children’s anthology story. Then again, the most disturbing part of “Video Nasty” isn’t even the snuffing. Bravo, Pullman, bravo.
Other recommended stories: “The Boys’ Toilet” (Robert Westall), “Nathan’s True Self” (Alison Prince), and “Not at Home” (Jean Richardson).
Phone Call from a Ghost (1988)
Pictured: “Something in the Room” – Daniel Cohen’s Phone Call from a Ghost.
Daniel Cohen was a prolific author of children’s paranormal books that drew from supposedly real hauntings and the like. And in one of these books, Phone Call from a Ghost, I was caught off guard by “Something in the Room.” The illustration here, courtesy of David Linn, gave the biggest jump scare as I turned the page and saw that terrifying face looking back at me. So while the Cole haunting is questionable, “Something in the Room” can still be enjoyed as a good old-fashioned ghost story.
Other recommended stories: “Phone Call from a Ghost” and “Beware!—Jack.”
Happy Deathday to You… And Other Stories to Give You Nightmares (1995)
Pictured: G. E. Stanley’s Happy Deathday to You… And Other Stories to Give You Nightmares.
G. E. (George Edward) Stanley had his own Goosebumps-like series at one point; under the puntastic pseudonym of M. T. Coffin, the Texas-born author wrote Spinetinglers in addition to some Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. And in my last dose of anthologies, I mentioned another Stanley anthology: Rats in the Attic and Other Stories to Make Your Skin Crawl. Compared to that one, though, Happy Deathday to You… And Other Stories to Give You Nightmares is darker and more horrific. The title story alone, one about a teenager who is afraid of her brother and his imaginary friends, proves Stanley wasn’t clowning around.
Other recommended stories: “A Greeting Card for Every Occasion,” “Bats,” “Dad Came Home to Play War Games With Me,” and “Who Wants to Play Old West.”
Still More Night Frights: Thirteen Scary Stories (1996)
Pictured: J. B. Stamper’s Still Night Frights: Thirteen Scary Stories.
J. B. Stamper wrote a trilogy of anthology books called Night Frights in the 1990s, and the last installment, Still More Night Frights, operated on the belief that the threat of harm is as good as actual harm. So these books didn’t always go so far as to kill a child directly on the page, but make no mistake—the kiddos weren’t safe in Stamper’s hands. For example, “Moans from the Closet” features the most haunted comeuppance for one young prankster who hid inside an infamous piece of furniture.
Other recommended stories: “Audrey,” “Horrorscope,” and “Good Luck Charm.”
Even More Scary Stories for Stormy Nights (1997)
Pictured: Don L. Wulffson’s Even More Scary Stories for Stormy Nights.
Scary Stories for Stormy Nights branched off from the Scary Stories for Sleep-Overs line, although other authors filled in for Q. L. Pearce as the series continued. Even More Scary Stories for Stormy Nights was credited to Don L. Wulffson, and out of everything in the volume, “A Charmed Life” stood out the most. Yes, even more so than the tale about the bloody boar featured on the cover. “A Charmed Life” shall remain unspoiled, though, seeing as this tale of missing children, the summer solstice, and the hunt for eternal beauty is best left discovered on your own.
Other recommended stories: “Five Bucks” and “The Bone Box.”
Christopher Pike’s Tales of Terror (1997)
Pictured: Christopher Pike’s Tales of Terror.
Here is a story written by one of the best authors from YA horror’s past. Sure, one might say Christopher Pike (real name Kevin McFadden) is for teens and older readers, not kids, but that didn’t stop us youngins from devouring his work well before we understood it. That said, the opener from Pike’s anthology, Tales of Terror, is easy to follow. It’s also pure Pike goodness delivered in less than forty pages.
“Death of Despair” centers on the teenager who believes he’s now dead after falling off his balcony, but things are not what they seem. The idea for this twisted story, by the way, came to Pike as he was adapting his novel Remember Me as a script. We obviously never got that movie, but at least we have this little gem as well as Tales of Terror (and its sequel).
Other recommended stories: “Timespell” and “Dark Walk.”
Nightmare Hour (1999)
Pictured: R. L. Stine’s Nightmare Hour.
After the original Goosebumps boom, and before the revivals, the king of young horror himself, R. L. Stine, penned Nightmare Hour. This anthology went unnoticed for those who stopped keeping up with Stine, but there are some solid stories here. And most of the tales, including “Pumpkinhead,” were eventually used for television’s The Haunting Hour: The Series.
Apart from “Pumpkinhead,” which is very different from the new movie, I suggest another Halloween-set tale called “I’m Not Martin.” This story about a boy who will do anything to get out of his surgery was actually the one story Stine had qualms about when it came time to adapt it for The Haunting Hour.
Other recommended stories: “Afraid of Clowns” and “The Most Evil Sorcerer.”
Scary Sea Stories Vol. 2 (2000)
Pictured: “The Off-Season” – Mark Kehl’s Scary Sea Stories Vol. 2.
Publishers can turn any theme into an anthology. Hence, Scary Sea Stories is a duology of coastal and seafaring horror shorts written by Jonathan Schmidt and Mark Kehl. The two volumes’ offerings ranged from monsters to ghosts, and Kehl’s “The Off-Season” leans toward the latter. It’s not a frightening story, mind you, but it also stayed with me long after reading. It’s emotionally haunting and perfect for fans of Ray Bradbury and A Ghost Story for Christmas.
Other recommended stories: “The Lighthouse” and “Island of Terror.”
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