The Scariest Stories You've Ever Heard, Part II

Scariest Stories You've Ever Heard #2

by Katherine Burt, Richard Kriegler (Illustrator)

They're back!

It's another spine-tingling, blood-curdling collection of the most frightening tales ever told!

Two boys take their little sister out on Halloween night--but they can't believe what she brings home!
A doctor is called out on a dark and stormy night to save a sick child--but who (or what) brought the message?
A mysterious man suggests two boys go fishing in a secluded part of the lake--too late, they learn the horrible secret!

Tell these terrifying tales at a slumber party, around a campfire, or in a dark room with the wind howling outside. But here's a warning--the scream you hear may be your own!

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Short Stories, Young Adult, Childrens, Halloween, Short Story Collection

94 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1989

Reviews

[Elizabeth Sagewood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had this book as a kid and I remembered I loved the stories so much that I read it till it literally fell apart. Now, about 30+ years later, I found it again in a second hand shop and I remember now why I loved it so much. The stories are fantastic and entirely gruesome for a kids book. It’s so nostalgic, no fluff, just bloody, spooky stories that kids and adults alike will love to re read over and over. It’s a rare book so I’ll try not to let it fall apart this time!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book picks up where the first Scariest Stories You've Ever Heard left off....and gathers 11 more creepy short tales for kids. Most of the stories are urban legends/ghost stories/campfire tales that adults have heard before....the sorts of stories we scared each other with on campouts or at slumber parties. The stories are for kids...so they are creepy but not TOO creepy. Each tale is just a few pages long,,,perfcect length for reading out loud. I could also see these stories being used for a creative writing assignment in a classroom....read a story to the class, then have then write their own short scary tale! Or just as a book in the class library for free time reading, especially in the fall. Fun!

I just happened to find an old, used copy of this book at a 2nd and Charles bookstore in SC. Grabbed it right up! I love these old kid's books, especially when they are ghost stories/creepy/Goosebumps type books. :) Always fun to read! I enjoyed this book so much I hunted up copies of Part
1 and 3 as well!

I enjoyed each of these stories! Most were ones I have heard in one form or another before....but a couple were new to me!

Very entertaining!

**Just an aside, but it makes my teeth clench when adults rate down children's books for the stories being too simple, ones they have heard before, or for stories not being scary/violent/bloody enough -- when the book is written for CHILDREN and not adults. If you want spurting blood, grab an ADULT horror novel. These stories were written or adapted from urban legends/campfire stories for middle grade age children more than 30 years ago! Just my opinion -- enjoy these stories in the context of when and who they were written for....and just have fun!**

[McCaid Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series of short, scary stories! These are easily some of the spookiest ones I've ever read! Will definitely be keeping these with me through the years!

Favorite one's: Terror Trip, The Last Initiation, The Rose Garden, The Hitchhiker
Scariest one: The Last initiation

[Dana Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun and fast read. 11 short stories written in the 80s. I found this very similar to the "scary stories to tell in the dark" books. The stories were a little longer than those books but similar style in creepiness and spook factor. There are no illustrations, only the 11 short stories. I enjoyed this book so much I finished it before bed on a whim. Highly recommended for the 80s and spooky short story lovers. No adult situations so it is appropriate for younger readers but there is some mild gore in a few places.

[☆ emeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

eeek×2

[Hannah Garden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A while back I'd gotten a copy of some other scary stories volume and was like uh I guess these are giving me terrific nostalgic shivers but like not really? But then at one of the million yardsales we just went to in Minnesota Joe picked up THIS and I was like OH BECAUSE I HAD THE WRONG ONE BEFORE and then spent the evening deliciously hooting my way through all the back alleys of my kid-year old creeper self who used to love to lie in bed pretending moths at the windows were fingers. Bloodcurdling.

[Jason Harlow · Rating 4 out of 5]

My expectations for this were admittedly very high considering how amazing Pt. 3 is, and this certainly delivered for the most part. The first three stories are absolutely epic but unfortunately it slowed down and dragged in the middle. There were probably three stories in a row that were complete letdowns. As it kept going however, it improved a lot. The story called 'Trick or Treat' and another story based on the creepy urban legend about the hitchhiker at the mall helped redeem a very lackluster stretch and make this a 4/5 stars from me.

[ThatGatlinGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can remember buying this book at a school book fair in elementary school. My teacher decided to read a few of the stories to my class during Down Time, way back when we were allowed to put our heads down for a bit after lunch. I still remember how we loved hearing these stories so much that we skipped our time on the playground just to listen to her finish the book. Revisiting this book is comforting Halloween nostalgia for me. I miss those days.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a set of 11 stories. You'll find a wide variety of different situations, scary locations and killer twists. There is even a story about Halloween inside. All tales are ideal companions for the season and will cause shivers running down your spine. Are those stories really the scariest ones? I don't know but they are pretty effective and creepy. Highly recommended!

[Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for kids who love creepy tales or people who used to be kids who love creepy tales.

Urban legend heavy, but genuinely chilling at times.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Think of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. These stories are a little longer, and have a little more meat. I wish I had read some of these when I was younger, they were pretty creepy!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

AUTHOR: BURL, Katherine
TITLE: The Scariest Stories You've Ever Heard, Part II
Date Read: 10/07/13
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Horror/1996/Willowisp Press/94 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: #2

TIME/PLACE: Any/Various
CHARACTERS: Short Stories

FIRST LINES: A cold wind blew dead leaves past his office window as Dr. Watkins looked out at the darkening October sky.

COMMENTS: I received this little book in a Halloween swap & was surprised at how much I did enjoy it. The stories were enjoyable for any age group -- simple & short enough to recall to tell around the campfire.

[Istiningdyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from openlibrary on an impulse. I thought it would be fun to read scary stories before going to bed. The first few stories are more disturbing rather than scary. Then it gets creepier and creepier. After The Man on the Dock story I decided to stop reading this book because it scared me (I was reading it at 2 AM). I continued reading and finished this book in the morning when the sun shines bright. It was fun but I'm not sure if reading this book before going to sleep is such a good idea.

[Kaelin O'Reilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Fun and quick read, and surprisingly scary (I don't scare easily!). A bunch of these stories were already familiar to me, but a few were new, and pretty creepy for stories geared toward children. Actually, I think these are probably a bit too scary for middle school-aged kids and may be more suitable for young adults. "Terror Trip" and "Trick or Treat" were stand-outs for me. I'd definitely check out the other two books in this series for a short, fun summer read.

[jonnie brewster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Besides the use of the word 'neat-o' to describe someone, twice, the stories are in fact not the scariest I have read. They are more like retold urban myths. Didn't bother to finish it. It is now in the donate box for the local library. The writing was good, but used typical 1989 cliche words.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is great. not as great as the first one. but I will always remember the stories from when I was a kid. Truely love these books.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

17/25
4 original
3 good topic
4 fast read
4 plot
2 opinion

[Stacey Dorothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

reminiscent of my childhood