It's October and it's almost time to celebrate one of my favorite holidays...HALLOWEEN! To get in the spirit of Halloween I have been reading some spooky short stories. Half-Minute Horrors is the perfect companion for any spooky stories to tell around the campfire, at sleepover or at a Halloween party. The stories are so short it will take you only about 30 seconds to read! The stories are pretty scary too. It covers a wide variety of fears we all face like creepy spiders, creatures in the shadows, and the dangers of babysitting!
Half-Minute Horrors features authors that you may be familiar with. Neil Gaiman, the author of Coraline and the Graveyard Book, writes a story about a boy and his dog meeting a Shadow under some unfortunate circumstances. You'll also find a short story written by R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps, Ghosts of Fear Street, and Fear Street Series. His story deals with the common fear of monsters living in the closet and has a surprising twist at the end.
One of my favorite stories in the collection is told by Lemony Snicket, author of the Series of Unfortunate Events. As a kid, one of my number one fears was what might me lurking under my bed. I would always count to ten before turning off my light. As soon as the light went off, I would run to my bed and leap about 2 feet in the air, landing in my bed, taking care to stay away from the edge of my bed. This was a nightly routine to prevent whatever might be underneath from dragging me underneath. This story captured the fear I so often felt before bed, and I could feel a tingle down my spine as I read the story.
With over 70 different stories and authors, and great illustrations, you definitely have plenty to chose from. Let me know your favorite story from the collection, and why it was your favorite by posting below. What did you think of the book as a whole? Would you recommend it to a friend or tell it at your next sleepover?
Activity: Have your own scary stories you'd like to share? Submit it to or read other entries at the Half-Minute Horrors Webpage. If you create a story,we would love to hear about it. Let us know if you submit a story so we can take a look or bring it in to the library!
If you enjoyed these sets of stories, I encourage you to check out Alan Schwartz classic collection, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in Tell Dark, And Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones. This was a series I made sure to read every Halloween. Some stories gave me goosebumps and I had to make sure all the lights were on in the house. Mr. Schwartz also made sure to include some silly stories as well that are sure to get a laugh from your friends. If you have not read this series already, I highly recommend you check it out.
The series was recently given a makeover. The new illustrations have been created by the famous illustrator Brett Helquist, so if your looking for it in the stores, make sure you take a look at the new illustrations. Don't worry, they're the same great stories, they just have different pictures. Check out the new covers and illustrations here:
If you crave more, check out these great collections of spooky stories:
- 13 Scary Ghost Stories by Marianne Carus
- Don't Open the Door After the Sun Goes Down by Al Carusone
- Horowitz Horror (series) by Anthony Horowitz
- The Dark Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural by Patricia McKissack
- The August House Book of Scary Stories: Spooky Tales for Telling Out Loud edited by Liz Smith Parkhurst
- Edgar Alan Poe's Tales of Mystery and Madness by Edgar Alan Poe
- Are You Scared Yet?: Haunted Houses (series) by San Souci
- Dare to Be Scared (series) by Robert San Souci
- A Terrifying Taste of Short & Shivery (series) by Robert D. San Souci
- The Scary States of America by Michael Teitelbaum
- Scary Stories for Sleepovers (series) Various Authors
- Chills Run Down My Spine by Jackie Vivelo
Have a favorite collection of scary stories, but don't see it on this list? Share it in a post!
- Miss Michelle
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