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Spooky Washington: Tales Of Hauntings, Strange Happenings, And Other Local Lore

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Pull up a chair or gather 'round the campfire and get ready for twenty-five creepy tales of ghostly hauntings, eerie happenings, and other strange occurrences in the state of Washington. From the ghost of a Native American princess in the Pike Street Market to the story of teens in a graveyard and the sight that drove one of them mad, the stories in this entertaining and compelling collection will have you looking over your shoulder again and again.

Washington folklore traditions are kept alive in these expert retellings by master storyteller S. E. Schlosser and through artist Paul Hoffman's evocative illustrations. You'll meet ghosts and monsters, hear things that go bump in the night, and feel an icy wind on the back of your neck on a warm summer evening. Whether read around the campfire on a dark and dreary night or from the backseat of the family van on the way to Grandma's, this is a collection to treasure.

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

4 people are currently reading
107 people want to read

About the author

S.E. Schlosser

37 books30 followers
Author S.E. Schlosser has been telling stories since she was a child, when games of "let's pretend" quickly built themselves into full-length stories. A graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature and Rutgers University, she also created and maintains the website AmericanFolklore.net, where she shares a wealth of stories from all 50 states, some dating back to the origins of America.

(source: Amazon)

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5 stars
10 (12%)
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21 (25%)
3 stars
29 (35%)
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19 (23%)
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2 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Yakking Yogini.
275 reviews
May 18, 2016
This was a fun collection of local folklore that included urban legends and oral retellings that have been passed down through the years and told in story-telling style. I was pleased to read a lot of Native American folklore, i.e. the creation of Mt Hood, Mt Adams and Mt St Helens, which is a tragic Indian romance! The book is really enriched by the etcings of Paul G. Hoffman and his illustrations throughout the book are beautifully plentiful! If you love local folklore that are not gross but mildly spine-tingling, you will enjoy the 19 other books in her series like "Spooky Oregon."
Profile Image for Lily Zeff.
4 reviews
November 2, 2018
i though that the book was very interesting, not as scary as i had hoped but still interesting. it was interesting in the way that you get to see some of the old folk lore that went on in Washington, but you also got to read good stories instead of one long book. i wouldn't say that this is a really scary book if that is what you are looking for but some of the stories are dark and could be considered gruesome to the faint of heart. over all i wanted some good spooky stories and to learn more about Washington and i would say that i succeeded.
Profile Image for Nicole.
43 reviews1 follower
January 9, 2020
Tall tales and urban legends from cities all around Washington State. Lady of the Lake, Whitman Mission, Pike’s Place Market, and many more. Great short stories to read aloud on your next camping trip anywhere in the state. Some are more scary than others, so pre-read if you plan to read to your kids or students.
Profile Image for Melanie Kay.
64 reviews3 followers
November 15, 2020
Fun collection of Northwest folklore. In some stories, the first person old-timey talk (phrases like "dag gum") was kind of distracting, but other than that, a solid collection. My favorite stories were The Rocking Chair and The Miser.
Profile Image for Bonnie Westmark.
720 reviews10 followers
October 29, 2020
Thought this would be fun to read to my Washington State History students. It was entertaining, but don’t read it at night!!! You won’t be able to go to sleep!!!
1 review
September 28, 2021
Very interesting to read about the lore in the sate you live. Not sure I believe it but it was nice to read. Not as crazy as I thought it would be.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn Whitten.
Author 2 books8 followers
July 22, 2023
4🌟

Interesting and fun, just wish there were more ghost stories included and more spook involved. A short, fun read overall.
Profile Image for Leila.
428 reviews
September 24, 2025
Fell in love happy to have read it I do recommend if you like a lil fall read that isn’t as scary as people intend it to be but I did happen to love it and learning the lore of some places i visited.
Profile Image for Sam.
36 reviews
November 15, 2020
The stories in this book were hit and miss. It was a very fun read for the spooky season. I’m interested in a couple other books in this series like the ones on Canada, Montana, Wisconsin, and Campfire Tales. Maybe I will read these over the next few October’s haha.

My fav story: The Final Ride
My least fav story: Tree Octupus
Profile Image for Rachel McBain.
4 reviews
July 20, 2015
Tales about hauntings from the State of Washington. Some stories are told as first-person recollections. Scholsser is most effective when writing in third person, although "13 Steps" (Maltby 13 Steps to Hell) and "The Octopus" (Pacific Northwest three octopus cryptid) stand out from the pack. Would be good for reading around a campfire.
Profile Image for Jessica.
180 reviews35 followers
August 18, 2010
A fun and short read. Nothing to take too seriously, but it's always fun to learn about the "dark" side of your home state.
Profile Image for Dusty.
50 reviews21 followers
November 1, 2011
A neat little in-between read. The beginning was interesting if you're in to ghost stories. Once you get into the folk-lore and legends it gets a little strange, but it was a fun little story.
Profile Image for Abraham Ray.
2,150 reviews5 followers
May 1, 2015
good spooky book about washington state!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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