In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories (I Can Read! Reading 2) [Paperback]

Alvin Schwartz (Author), Dirk Zimmer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 1985 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Creak...
Crash...
BOO!

Shivering skeletons, ghostly pirates, chattering corpses, and haunted graveyards...all to chill your bones! Share these seven spine-tingling stories in a dark, dark room.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alvin Schwartz is known for his more than two dozen books of folklore for young readers that explore everything from wordplay and humor to tales and legends of all kinds. Don't miss his other Scary Stories collections, including More Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark and Scary Stories 3.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (October 2, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064440907
• ISBN-13: 978-0064440905
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Anthologies
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Literature > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Multicultural
  • #30 in Books > Children's Books > Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths > Multicultural

More About the Author

Alvin Schwartz is known for a body of work of more than two dozen books of folklore for young readers that explore everything from wordplay and humor to tales and legends of all kinds. His collections of scary stories -- Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, Scary Stories 3, and two I Can Read Books, In A Dark, Dark Room and Ghosts! -- are just one part of his matchless folklore collection.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I remember..., April 2, 2001

By 

CitiB "citiB" (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories (I Can Read! Reading 2) (Paperback)

okay, so maybe this isn't a very good book for four year olds to be reading (it does have decapitations after all). I seem to remember being about eight years old when I first read it, that seems mature enough. 13-15 year olds are probably (hopefully) beyond this reading level, so scratch that. I wouldn't buy it for my six year old nephew, but I wouldn't buy it for my thirteen year old cousin either.

Think about it though. Most kids who read stuff like this LIKE to be scared. I read it and it kept me up at night. And all night long I thought to myself "why on Earth did I read that." But then I'd get up the next day and read another story, or read a similar book. It's the thrill of being scared.

And this book was a nice introduction to horror. Oddly enough, the story of the beheaded girl didn't chill me, but the story TEETH did. It just really freaked me out, guys with ridiculously big teeth, now that's spooky. As for being concerned with a child talking to strangers, well this story illustrates the DANGERS of doing such. So I don't see any harm there.

Anyway, overall I'd say that this book is pretty solid for a second or third grader, but not a kindergartener. Basically it should be viewed on a case by case basis. If you think your kid can handle it, and they're a fan of this sort of thing, then by all means get it for them. And if they have a nightmare, be a parent and console them. That comes with the job.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Still sticks with me, even now, September 10, 2006

By 

kml - See all my reviews

This review is from: In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories (I Can Read! Reading 2) (Paperback)

I'm nineteen years old, and I still remember the day I found this book in my school library when I was six. I was enamoured, and checked it out numerous times before another student lost it. I was a bookworm as a child, having read hundreds of books in a matter of years, and this book still stands as one of the truly unforgettable books I read in my youth. I believe it is the powerful imagery of the book that has stuck with me all these years, and made it impossible for me to forget.

Granted, it is not for everyone, and some children might benefit from reading it at an older age. I remember being slightly perturbed by some of the ideas and nuances presented in the book. However, I doubt highly that it would truly disturb any child that was mature enough to approach the book thoughtfully.

An initial parental reading might be something to consider.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book., October 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories (I Can Read! Reading 2) (Paperback)

I remember when I got this book. It was near Halloween and I had to go to Burlington coat factory with my grandma. I saw this book and asked her if I could get it. She said okay. I was eight years old. I took it back to her house and read it that night. My favorite story was 'The Green Ribbon'. I took it to school with me the following Monday so that my teacher would read it to us and she got excited when she saw 'The Green Ribbon' because it was a story she was looking for that was told to her when she was a child. I love this book and I recommend it to you, but I do think that if you're a parent, you might want to see if your child can handle some of these stories. Aside from that, this is a fine bit of literature and will be cherished by many people for years to come.