Scary Stories for children

As a kid some of my favorite books were R.L. Stein's Goosebumps. Its been years since I've read them, but I'm sure there was death in several forms in his books. I found a link below that has a small synopsis of the books in the series that may be worth a look through. Those books were an institution when I was a kid and are probably the best example of horror for children.

I don't personally think alluding to the death of a character is too much for kids, but I can see how some may think it is if the kids are very young and haven't really covered the topic with their parents yet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goosebumps_(Original_series)#Books

I remember Goosebumps being all the rage too. Although I didn't read them, I did read some other scary books that were aimed at my age book but literally gave my nightmares for weeks.

So I think the line of "too scary" depends more on the temperament of the kid.

Since it's a short story collection rather than a novel, why not just market the book towards an older audience rather than tone down the scary level, if you're concerned that it's too much for 7-year-olds?

CircusOfCrows said:

I recall reading scary stories when I was a kid, and I'd often times read absolutely terrible things which were meant for children - the story that comes to mind is the green ribbon.

Her head falls off.

What do you folks say? Is alluding to the death of a character too much for kids?

Click to expand...

Nope.

Look at the death and cruelty in fairy tales meant for children. Look at the Disney movies meant for kids. There are a ton in which a mother or father (or sometimes a child) dies, or that absence is clear, at least.

I read scary stuff when I was a kid, and still do. Kids can take it, probably easier today than ever before unless they're sheltered, in which case they probably wouldn't be reading your book.

By the way, I remember that story! I also remember one in which a little girl always wore a ribbon. When she was made to take it off, her neck showed scars from a rope because she was dead, having hanged herself years before. That may not have been in a book for kids, but I was a kid when I read it. Probably helped make me the horror buff I am today.

Shelley

kids love scary, or there wouldn't be a market for it.

It's fine.

Look at Neil Gaiman's children's books as an example of current scary kidlit.

I hope this doesn't sound too snarky...but...I have to wonder. If you've read ANY recently published kidlit AT ALL, you would already know the answer to this question. Because...um...have you heard of a fellow named Albus Dumbledore?

Characters are killed off all the time in middle grade books. And yes, the story of the girl with the green ribbon whose head falls off is still a classic. My first graders LOVE that story and fight over the book at the library. They're 6 years old.

Plus there is the marketing aspect that collections of short stories are extremely hard to sell unless you've already published a novel or some PBs.

So my advice is to drive yourself over to your local library ASAP and check out every scary kid's book the librarian can find for you. Do some intensive research, and you'll have a much better idea of what's acceptable for kids these days.

If Gaiman's your influence, then you should already know there's a pretty high tolerance for "dark" in kids' books.

The Graveyard Book's opening line is about the knife that brutally murdered a toddler's family before the killer set out to find and murder the toddler, as well. Then said toddler toddles out of his diaper and into a cemetery.

Don't even get me started on Coraline and "Other Mother".

Yes. Scary books sell, even with deaths.

Hiya Circus! Just go for it! I wrote a middle-grade fantasy which included lots of parts I thought way too gory for young brains...but you know what? Those were everyone's favourite parts! I learned right then that little people like yucky, dark, scary, and icky same as us old folk. Just do it. You can always tame down later.