Beware!: R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories [Hardcover]

R.L. Stine (Author), Various (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Dim the lights. Lock the doors. Pull down the shades -- and BEWARE! It′s time to read R.L. Stine′s favorite scary stories, plus two new tales of his own!

R.L. Stine has gathered a selection of all things scary. Short stories, tales old and new, comics, and poems. It′s a spine-tingling collection of work by dozens of writers and artists who are famous for hair-raising fun.

Discover a ghastly secret in a retelling of the classic story "The Judge′s House," by Bram Stoker. Peek into a Christmas stocking that holds a shocking surprise in a Vault of Horror comic, "A Sock for Christmas." Meet an ice cream man who will chill your blood in "Mister Ice Cold" by Gahan Wilson.

But first, visit an evil carnival in "The Black Ferris," by Ray Bradbury. R.L. Stine says that this story changed his life! Find out why in his introduction. Be sure to read all the introductions -- because R.L. reveals why he picked these stories for you, why he finds them the creepiest ... the funniest ... the scariest!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The renowned horror author selects 19 nailbiting tales for Beware!: R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories, including "The Black Ferris" by Ray Bradbury, William Sleator's "The Elevator," a couple by Alvin Schwartz and a few by Stine himself. Each opens with a brief introduction by the Goosebumps author and includes bewitching b&w pictures by a number of illustrators. Ages 8-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-This collection of 23 stories and poems includes selections by Ray Bradbury, Patricia McKissack, Edward Gorey, Bram Stoker, William Sleator, Alvin Schwartz, Jack Prelutsky, Shel Silverstein, and others. Among the illustrators represented are Brian Pinkney, Quentin Blake, Gahan Wilson, and Peter Horvath. While all of the stories are available elsewhere, some of the best are found in more obscure sources. Having them in one volume, with each tale introduced by Stine, makes this a good choice for most collections. The selections read aloud well and are short enough to read in several minutes. The more terrifying selections are juxtaposed with those that are funny, providing some comic relief. Children who enjoyed Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981) and More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1984, both HarperCollins) will want to add this title to their reading lists. The pen-and-ink and charcoal illustrations visually clue readers as to how each tale ranks on the "scary barometer." The grizzly selections have very dark pictures while the more lighthearted ones have clean, clear strokes and more white space on the page. This is an obvious choice for children who love a good scare from time to time.
Molly S. Kinney, Office of Public Library Services, Atlanta, GA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (August 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066238420
• ISBN-13: 978-0066238425
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #659,051 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wickedly Delicious Brew, October 24, 2002

By 

Lisa Mallen (Naperville, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beware!: R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories (Hardcover)

On the threshold of R.L. Stine's favorite holiday, Halloween, he's come out with a wonderful new book that is like a witches brew with multiple ingredients. The main ingredient in BEWARE is 'scary'. Added to the mix of scary stories, are some funny ones, tantalizing poems, a horror-comic, spooky illustrations, and like a cherry-on-top of an ice cream sundae, are R.L. Stine's intriguing introductions. I really liked reading an assortment of thrilling stories, R.L. Stine's favorites by different authors,the two he wrote himself, and two he retold. The scary ones definitely gave me chills. I now have a new appreciation for rats, ferris wheels, halloween costumes, elevators, witches, ghosts, and all kinds of creatures that can surface from one's imagination. Everyone will have their own favorites...Another cool thing are the spiders and cobwebs that trickle down each page while you read...This is a great book for both children and adults who like twists and thrills.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully Scary!, April 6, 2007

By 

Margaret (CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beware!: R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories (Hardcover)

The perfect collection of scary stories. My grandson and I cuddle in a large chair with the lights turned down. I read each story with character voices which he loves. There's not a boring story in the bunch. We have a wonderful time.

I would also recommend Scary Stories: The complete 3-Book Collection by Alvin Schwartz.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REALLY GOOD BOOK, September 22, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Beware!: R.L. Stine Picks His Favorite Scary Stories (Hardcover)

This is a really good book. It gives you a full picture in your head about what each author is talking about. I recommend this book for you.