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Campfire Stories: Things That Go Bump in the Night
Original and classic stories of adventure, ghosts, and all the things that you must worry about the next time you hear something go bump in the night.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 10, 2012
This was not what I was looking for but is a good book. As a youth librarian I have told and performed lots of stories. The author has good tips on how to set a mood, and tell stories. I wanted something more creepy/scary and the 2 I read of these were almost like riddle stories. Not quite supernatural/horror for what I wanted. These would be suitable for 2/3 grade and up.
December 13, 2017
The book contains many different and interesting ghost stories. I like the way the author explained it first and then write the outline at last that can teach a family how to tell a ghost stories. These stories are not very scary.
March 7, 2022
Sooooo, I bought this book because I’m a Girl Scout troop leader and we go camping with our kids all the time. They’re always looking for campfire stories and in the moment I draw a blank, so I figured I can read these or bring the book along. Only problem was most of these stories were incredibly dark (but in a real life depressing way) or racist. Or both!
January 1, 2016
Growing up, I went to a camp for boys called Camp Kaskitowa (all camps should have vaguely Native American-sounding names).
One summer, I had this counselor who was a storytelling legend. Each night after lights out, us campers would lay in our bunks. Wide-eyed, we listened to him weave ghost stories in the dark. I can't remember the details of the stories. But I do remember that they were terrifying. Terrifying but so awesome.
As a dad, I'd love to be that kind of a master storyteller.
Well, this is the book of stories to enthrall young minds in the dark of the night! It's fairly impossible to rate a collection of stories, but all-in-all most of the stories in this book are great fun. All kids age differently, but I'd imagine that most of the stories are suitable for kids 6-13 (bonus points of you can scare older kids with your tellings).
Each story has an outline at the end so you can practice the structure and main points, as well as tips scattered through each story. Some of the words are even in all caps so you know where the jump scenes are!
The stories themselves aren't too creepy (think Satanic, torture, abject evil, witchcraft, etc.). Instead, they mostly deal with insanity, campy cannibalism, insect-grossness (a man that becomes completely covered with cockroaches!), nightmares, and ghosts. Lots of ghosts.
All told, I would recommend this book for anyone with young kids who want to hear about things that go bump in the night.
One summer, I had this counselor who was a storytelling legend. Each night after lights out, us campers would lay in our bunks. Wide-eyed, we listened to him weave ghost stories in the dark. I can't remember the details of the stories. But I do remember that they were terrifying. Terrifying but so awesome.
As a dad, I'd love to be that kind of a master storyteller.
Well, this is the book of stories to enthrall young minds in the dark of the night! It's fairly impossible to rate a collection of stories, but all-in-all most of the stories in this book are great fun. All kids age differently, but I'd imagine that most of the stories are suitable for kids 6-13 (bonus points of you can scare older kids with your tellings).
Each story has an outline at the end so you can practice the structure and main points, as well as tips scattered through each story. Some of the words are even in all caps so you know where the jump scenes are!
The stories themselves aren't too creepy (think Satanic, torture, abject evil, witchcraft, etc.). Instead, they mostly deal with insanity, campy cannibalism, insect-grossness (a man that becomes completely covered with cockroaches!), nightmares, and ghosts. Lots of ghosts.
All told, I would recommend this book for anyone with young kids who want to hear about things that go bump in the night.
March 2, 2025
This book was not what I expected, and I probably won't read another volume in the series, but I am still glad I gave this book a shot. There are campfire tales in this book, some of them quite chilling, but what this book really is is a guide on how to tell an effective campfire story, including when to make certain noises or raise your volume while telling a spooky story. The stories are aimed at an audience between 10-15 years old. There is a story at the end of the book for younger audiences. This would be a good guidebook for a scout troop leader or even a parent who loves to take his middle-school-aged kids camping. None of the stories are overly violent, though some of the imagery can be deliciously gruesome. None of the stories include swearing or anything else that parents of tweens might find inappropriate, save for some rather grisly images.
My top three stories were: "The Valley of Blue Mist", The Partner", and "The Ice Walker."
My top three stories were: "The Valley of Blue Mist", The Partner", and "The Ice Walker."
October 9, 2018
It was a nice short read. Nothing that stuck with me to tell others though...
April 3, 2022
Wonderful compilation of short stories for all ages.
Any specific review would be a total spoiler. You'll have to read this one yourself.
Any specific review would be a total spoiler. You'll have to read this one yourself.
Want to read
January 7, 2008I borrowed this one too and I'm going to read it on the bus today!
March 23, 2021
This would be a great book for kids as the stories aren’t scary, but anyone other than that should probably skip.
Read
October 8, 2007Forgey, William M.D. PB
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews