Spiders in the Hairdo: Modern Urban Legends (Paperback)

by David Holt (Author), Bill Mooney (Author) "Have you ever heard stories like these?..." (more)
Key Phrases: contemporary legends, Mary Lou, Neiman Marcus, Mexican Hairless (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA-Teachers or librarians have only to read or tell one of these modern urban legends to a YA audience and the book will be in permanent circulation. All of the stories are brief and easy to read. They are funny, scary, or eerie-and-some are all of the above. Some of the selections are as familiar as "the Vanishing Hitchhiker," but most of them will be new to YAs. A delightful addition to folklore collections.
Judy Sokoll, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This modest collection of urban myths assembles 50 brief stories from modern oral tradition. Commonly attributed to FOAFs (friend of a friend), they are intriguing and often frightening tales passed along in casual conversation. These tales are the substance of modern folklore, an evolving treasury of evanescent narratives. From the famous Vanishing Hitchhiker to incredulous tales of alligators in the New York City sewer system, these stories are alive in the modern information dynamicnewspapers, hearsay, Internet exchanges, schlock movies. The authors have collaborated on three books, two audiotapes, and three two-man performances, and their work has appeared on PBS. Entries are grouped into such self-explanatory chapters as, Say What? Language Barriers and Scams and Conspiracy Theories. An amusing anthology of our collective imagination, fears, and humor, this is a book for all audiences: young, old, scholarly, and just curious.Richard K. Burns, MSLS, Hatboro, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 111 pages
• Publisher: August House (May 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874835259
• ISBN-13: 978-0874835250
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #577,268 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to Read Source for Urban Legends, June 2, 2002

By	K. Sean Buvala "Storyteller.net" (Avondale, AZ United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

All those fun stories that you grew up with as a kid are here in this book. The next time you complain about all these new legends on the Internet, remember we all told the one about the bloody hook attached to the car door. And you know that story about the roach eggs in the taco meat made your skin crawl, no pun intended. This book is too much fun and a good source for nostalgic reflection or for retelling to all those people who you just want to scare a little! ...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiders in the Hairdo was fantastic!, September 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Spiders in the Hairdo: Modern Urban Legends (Audio Cassette)

What can I say? Spiders in the Hairdo is the most entertaining and easy-to-read book related to modern folklore. From frighteners like, "The Belle of Biloxi" to laugh-inducers like "Attention K-Mart Shoppers", readers of this book will be entertained from the first word to the last word.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Told With a Twist of Lemon!, February 16, 2002

By A Customer

This book does not explore anything new in terms of presenting new Urban Legends. But, it does dramatize well known legends giving them a new flare. Very good book.