The Scary Book

by Joanna Cole, Stephanie Calmenson, Chris L. Demarest (Illustrator)

A collection of spooky stories, poems, riddles, tricks, and tongue twisters.

Genres: Halloween, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Ghosts, Horror

116 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Joanna Cole, who also wrote under the pseudonym B. J. Barnet, was an author of children’s books who teaches science.

She is most famous as the author of The Magic School Bus series of children's books. Joanna Cole wrote over 250 books ranging from her first book Cockroach to her famous series Magic School Bus.

Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby East Orange. She loved science as a child, and had a teacher she says was a little like Ms. Frizzle. She attended the University of Massachusetts and Indiana University before graduating from the City College of New York with a B.A. in psychology. After some graduate education courses, she spent a year as a librarian in a Brooklyn elementary school. Cole subsequently became a letters correspondent at Newsweek, and then a senior editor for Doubleday Books for Young Readers.

Reviews

[Samara O'Gorman]

A collection of Halloween stories, riddles, poems, songs and jokes. I picked up this collection because it includes Bony-Legs, a story by Joanna Cole which I am basing a creative project on. It was intriguing to see what other stories fascinated Cole in the ‘scary’ realm of things.

[Melanie Bracco]

Cute book that's more silly than scary; with "spooky" riddles, jokes, stories, poems, tricks and games for younger people to enjoy. Not a bad read.

[Sandra Sweazy]

The kids enjoyed the jokes at the end of the book.

[Sarafina]

I got this book as a wee thing from the Scholastic book fair and it served as an introduction to the horror genre. Very nostalgic to reread.

[Eden Silverfox]

The Scary Book isn't scary at all. Of course, it has ghosts, witches and other unusual things, but it is really a funny book with stories, poems, jokes, riddles and more.

The one story called "Wait 'Til Martin Comes" is one I've read two times before in two other books, but they were different versions of the story. The story, however, never gets old and is fun each time I read it.
The rest of the stories I also really liked as well as everything else in the book.

If you like ghosts, witches and other strange things, but aren't really into being scared, then this would be a good book for you.

[Siskiyou-Suzy]

Nostalgia gives this book 5 stars because I definitely loved it. I would read it a lot. I have always loved "spooky" stuff. But grown-up me thinks it is seriously meh. It's not one I'd been keen to share with my own children, for instance. But I sure did love it as a kid.

[Pachelbel]

I bought this book when I was in second grade. It's just as much fun to read to my nephew today as it was way back when.

It has such a wide variety of stories and jokes that it appeals to kids of all ages. Highly recommended!

[Crystal]

A childhood favorite.

[Violetta]

I saw the cover and instantly recognized it from my childhood. Wow.

[Brandi]

I love to read these stories I loved as a child to the kids at school every year around Halloween. They really get a kick out of them!

[WSL Library]

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