What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Read in the early-mid 2000s. I'm pretty sure I got it from a Scholastic Book Fair or similar event. It was a hardcover with no dustjacket, and I remember that the book was kept shut with a plastic hand attached to the back cover. I think each story had a small illustration at the beginning, but I don't remember any full-page illustrations.

I only remember plot details from one of the stories. In that one, a parent and child are driving when they see a young girl by the side of the road. They pull over to try to help her, and she says that she and her dad crashed off the road and her dad is stuck in the car. They go without the girl to a gas station nearby to call for help, but (view spoiler)[when they tell the attendant the details, he says to not bother calling because that accident happened years ago, both the girl and her dad died, and this happens every so often but if they go back to the spot she won't be there (hide spoiler)].

sounds like a story from "scary stories to tell in the dark" by alvin schwartz, which also has scary illustrations and fits the time period!

ali ✨ wrote: "sounds like a story from "scary stories to tell in the dark" by alvin schwartz, which also has scary illustrations and fits the time period!"

I don't think so - each of those books has a lot more than 5 stories, and I've looked through synopses of the stories without finding anything that sounds familiar. Thanks, though!

The Ribbajack: and Other Haunting Tales by Brian Jacques?

Gillian wrote: "The Ribbajack: and Other Haunting Tales by Brian Jacques?"

No, none of those stories sounds like the one I remember.

I think I found it - Scary Stories. I can't find any details about story plots online, so I'm not 100% sure, but it has the hand lock and a story called "The Girl Who Came Out Of The Fog" that could be the one I remember.

That sure looks like it!!

Do you want us to move this to the Solved folder?

This example of Scary Stories by Don Roff on eBay shows images of the plastic hand lock and inner pages: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284251559867
Here's a different version of the hand lock: https://www.ebay.com/itm/385143148598

Table of Contents [5 stories]:
- The Watcher in the Snow
- The House in Dead Horse Canyon
- Frankenplane
- Where's Everyone Gone?
- Mirror, Mirror

Includes a lined page labeled "Write Your Own."

Rainbowheart wrote: "That sure looks like it!!

Do you want us to move this to the Solved folder?"

Yes! I found a copy of the story online and it's definitely the one I'm thinking of.

Kris wrote: "This example of Scary Stories by Don Roff on eBay shows images of the plastic hand lock and inner pages: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284251559867
Here's a different vers..."

I think that table of contents is from a similar collection by the same author. I got the story title/table of contents from here: https://www.risingshadow.net/library/...