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Monsters You Never Heard of: Read about them...if you dare!
Examines such lesser-known monsters as the Jersey Devil, the Hairy Hands, the Dover Demon, Spring-Heeled Jack, and phantom animals
97 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
1 person is currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Cohen
204 books58 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Daniel Edward Cohen was born on March 12, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents divorced when he was very young and his mother, Sue Greenberg, married Milton Cohen, a veteran of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Daniel Cohen attended Chicago public schools and was a "hanger-on" in the bohemian community around the University of Chicago while in high school in the early 1950s. He attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he abandoned an interest in biology for journalism. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in journalism in 1958. Cohen married Susan Handler, a writer, on February 2, 1958. He briefly worked as a proofreader for Time, Inc. in Chicago; but, demoralized by the paternalistic organizational culture, he took a job as assistant editor of Science Digest magazine in 1959. He was transferred to New York City shortly after being hired.
In addition to his editorial work, Cohen wrote articles for Science Digest and for other publications. Encouraged by praise of his articles on paranormal subjects, Cohen published his first book, Myths of the Space Age, a collection of skeptical essays on paranormal creatures and phenomena, in 1967. The Cohens moved to a farmhouse in Forestburgh, New York, in 1969 so Daniel could write full time. He originally planned to write popular science books, but the demands of the market led him to concentrate on books about ghosts, monsters, UFOs, and psychic phenomena. Since then, Daniel Cohen has written on an astonishing variety of subjects beyond just the paranormal: historical and current biographies; advice for teenagers; world history; science and technology; animals and nature; urban legends; and popular television, music, film, and sports personalities. He has noted that he writes mass-market paperbacks for children who are reluctant to read and not especially gifted. Thus, he chooses subjects of interest to such readers.
Susan Cohen was born on March 27, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, to Martin and Ida (Goldman) Handler. She earned a B.A. degree from the New School for Social Research in 1960 and an M.S.W. degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, in 1962. She worked as a social worker in the mid-1960s before writing The Liberated Couple, a feminist tract, in 1971. She wrote eleven gothic romances and mysteries under the penname Elizabeth St. Clair between 1974 and 1981. Susan and Daniel Cohen began collaborating on books in 1982 to help alleviate Daniel's workload. They have written books primarily on popular entertainment, advice for teenagers, and animals. The Cohens currently live in Cape May Court House, New Jersey.
Daniel Edward Cohen was born on March 12, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois. His parents divorced when he was very young and his mother, Sue Greenberg, married Milton Cohen, a veteran of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Daniel Cohen attended Chicago public schools and was a "hanger-on" in the bohemian community around the University of Chicago while in high school in the early 1950s. He attended the University of Illinois at Chicago where he abandoned an interest in biology for journalism. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in journalism in 1958. Cohen married Susan Handler, a writer, on February 2, 1958. He briefly worked as a proofreader for Time, Inc. in Chicago; but, demoralized by the paternalistic organizational culture, he took a job as assistant editor of Science Digest magazine in 1959. He was transferred to New York City shortly after being hired.
In addition to his editorial work, Cohen wrote articles for Science Digest and for other publications. Encouraged by praise of his articles on paranormal subjects, Cohen published his first book, Myths of the Space Age, a collection of skeptical essays on paranormal creatures and phenomena, in 1967. The Cohens moved to a farmhouse in Forestburgh, New York, in 1969 so Daniel could write full time. He originally planned to write popular science books, but the demands of the market led him to concentrate on books about ghosts, monsters, UFOs, and psychic phenomena. Since then, Daniel Cohen has written on an astonishing variety of subjects beyond just the paranormal: historical and current biographies; advice for teenagers; world history; science and technology; animals and nature; urban legends; and popular television, music, film, and sports personalities. He has noted that he writes mass-market paperbacks for children who are reluctant to read and not especially gifted. Thus, he chooses subjects of interest to such readers.
Susan Cohen was born on March 27, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, to Martin and Ida (Goldman) Handler. She earned a B.A. degree from the New School for Social Research in 1960 and an M.S.W. degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, in 1962. She worked as a social worker in the mid-1960s before writing The Liberated Couple, a feminist tract, in 1971. She wrote eleven gothic romances and mysteries under the penname Elizabeth St. Clair between 1974 and 1981. Susan and Daniel Cohen began collaborating on books in 1982 to help alleviate Daniel's workload. They have written books primarily on popular entertainment, advice for teenagers, and animals. The Cohens currently live in Cape May Court House, New Jersey.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 30, 2021
When I was in my early teens, my older buddy Mike in the neighboring town used to pick me up on weekends, drop me off at his mom’s, and go to work until 11pm.
He’d come home and hang out for a few hours, usually we’d watch a movie, then he’d get up the next morning and head in to another job until the early afternoon.
In total I probably saw him 5 hours over the weekend.
I spent the rest of the time in his room with a separate cable box, a bunch of CD’s, and a shit ton of books.
This was one of those books.
I have read chapters out of this book hundreds of times.
I forgot about it for years.
About a month ago my old friend moved back into town. I helped him move. This book was in one of his totes.
He said he needed to downsize and asked if I wanted to buy anything before I left. This ratty old book was the first thing I grabbed. Seriously, it has been read to near death over the years.
I’m so glad to have had the chance to read it cover to cover today. It’s a short one, and I can’t objectively say whether or not I like or love the book, because this book carries a LOT of good memories.
Being in my buddy’s room with a full library of music and books, with access to pop culture on cable (we didn’t get cable at home for a long time because our village was much smaller) was a dream come true. I felt safe in that room. It was an escape from my school, my family, everything. I liked school and my family well enough, but to have another place to explore . . . it was unparalleled. I never realized it, but that was my home away from home.
He’d come home and hang out for a few hours, usually we’d watch a movie, then he’d get up the next morning and head in to another job until the early afternoon.
In total I probably saw him 5 hours over the weekend.
I spent the rest of the time in his room with a separate cable box, a bunch of CD’s, and a shit ton of books.
This was one of those books.
I have read chapters out of this book hundreds of times.
I forgot about it for years.
About a month ago my old friend moved back into town. I helped him move. This book was in one of his totes.
He said he needed to downsize and asked if I wanted to buy anything before I left. This ratty old book was the first thing I grabbed. Seriously, it has been read to near death over the years.
I’m so glad to have had the chance to read it cover to cover today. It’s a short one, and I can’t objectively say whether or not I like or love the book, because this book carries a LOT of good memories.
Being in my buddy’s room with a full library of music and books, with access to pop culture on cable (we didn’t get cable at home for a long time because our village was much smaller) was a dream come true. I felt safe in that room. It was an escape from my school, my family, everything. I liked school and my family well enough, but to have another place to explore . . . it was unparalleled. I never realized it, but that was my home away from home.
March 7, 2017
I had read this long ago when I was in elementary school and absolutely loved all of it. The text is large and the book is short with easy to read segments on a wide variety of monsters. I feel like this book is a perfect starting point for kids who are interested in reading about monsters and the supernatural.
September 28, 2024
Monsters you've never heard of...
The New Jersey Devil... seriously? There is a professional sports team (hockey) in an international league named for it.
Spring-heeled Jack?
I guess if you are in second grade reading this (maybe the target audience?) then maybe you have not heard of them.
The information provided is very vague... like, "this happened sometime in the 1950s or 1960s somewhere in England."
The New Jersey Devil... seriously? There is a professional sports team (hockey) in an international league named for it.
Spring-heeled Jack?
I guess if you are in second grade reading this (maybe the target audience?) then maybe you have not heard of them.
The information provided is very vague... like, "this happened sometime in the 1950s or 1960s somewhere in England."
January 2, 2025
This book was my early grade school introduction to cryptids beyond the usual Bigfoot and Nessie; it includes several British as well as North American creatures, and a couple from other places as well. I credit this book for starting me down the path of interest in the weird and paranormal.
January 1, 2023
Interesting, quick read I started at Halloween and just finished. I really hadn't heard of most of them and I'm a fan of cryptids
August 13, 2008
Cohen looks at the Jersey Devil, Spring-Heeled Jack, Phantom Animals, the Hairy Hands, Demon Dogs, Big-Birds, the Dover Demon, the Biggest Snake, the Tazelworm, the Invisible Killers, and Goatmen and Grunches. Ok kids book on weird creatures and such.
April 17, 2012
Quarter: 3
Genre: Fantasy
Genre: Fantasy
May 31, 2016
I remember reading this when I was a kid, and loving it! Really wish I still had it in my possession, because I would love to read it again!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews