Alvin Schwartz Folklore Connection

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Schwartz, Alvin. 1991. SCARY STORIES 3: MORE TALES TO CHILL YOUR BONES. Ill. by Stephen Gammell. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0060217944

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This spooky and eerie collection of scary stories is folklore at its creepiest. Schwartz has put together his third edition of ghost stories, legends from around the world, and both ancient and modern folklore. There is also a detailed bibliography of books and articles related to the stories and folklore. Following the stories are comprehensive notes and sources explaining where each story originated from. Some stories such as "The Trouble", in which a teenage poltergeist was suspected of causing household disturbances, are based on existing records.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This collection of stories is an ideal collection of folklore, perfect for reading aloud, or to whisper in the dark. Some retellings may be familiar to young readers, but most will not be, and readers are bound to be enthralled with the varied assortment of stories. Most stories are short, with perfect surprise and unforseen endings. Stephen Gammell's black and white drawings match Schwartz' text perfectly. The drawings are macabre and ghastly, with bulging eyes, long pointy teeth, and exquisite depictions of ghouls and ghosts. The notes and souces section remains interesting even for younger readers, drawing them in to learn more about the origins of each story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
KIRKUS REVIEWS: "Perfect for reading alone or aloud in a dimly lit room."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Guaranteed to make your teeth chatter and your spine tingle."

5. CONNECTIONS
* Turn off the lights in the room, light candles, play spooky music and read some of these tales.
* Pretend to have a campfire; sit around it eating marshmallows, and read some of these.
* Take turns changing the stories slightly to make them more spooky.
* Read other spooky tales including:
IN A DARK, DARK ROOM AND OTHER SCARY STORIES by Alvin Schwartz. ISBN 0064440907
SPOOKY CAMPFIRE STORIES by Amy Kelley. ISBN 1560448679
STORIES FOR AROUND THE CAMPFIRE by Ray Harriot. ISBN 0961765305