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Urban Legends and Scary Stories

For Older Teens

The Headless Roommate and Other Tales of Terror
by Daniel Cohen
YA Fiction
Retelling of 19 tales and legends, some hundreds of years old, with modern settings.
Southern Fried Rat & Other Gruesome Tales
by Daniel Cohen
398.27 C678
A collection of twenty-one gruesome and very disgusting tales, including many creepy urban legends.
Haunted Ohio: Ghostly Tales from the Buckeye State
by Chris Woodyard
133.109771 W912 1991
A great mix of history and stories about all the haunted places in Ohio, including the author’s personal experiences with haunted locations.
Ghost Stories
808.838733 G427 1993
Includes illustrated versions of several famous scary tales, including “Monkey’s Paw” and the “Ghost Who was Afraid of Being Bagged”.
Cover of Don’t Read This! And Other Tales of the Unnatural
Don’t Read This! And Other Tales of the Unnatural
808.838733 D688 1998
A collection of ghost stories and spooky urban legends from famous authors like Susan Cooper and Roberto Piumini.
The Scary Story Reader
398.25 S287 1993
A collection of lots of creepy, well-known urban legends, including “Hook-Arm,” “The Call from the Downstairs Phone” and “Give Me Back My Guts.”
Cover of Short Circuits:  Thirteen Shocking Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults
Short Circuits: Thirteen Shocking Stories by Outstanding Writers for Young Adults
813.0873808 S559 1992
Read this creepy collection of spooky stories by well-known teen authors, like Joan Lowery Nixon and Robert Westall, at your own risk. Stories by Ellen Conford and Gary Blackwood add a little comic relief to this spooky collection.

For Younger Teens

Cover of That’s Ghosts for You:  13 Scary Stories
That’s Ghosts for You: 13 Scary Stories
808.838733 T367 2000
A collection of spine-tingling stories, including “The Man Who Sang to Ghosts” and “Bigger Than Death.”
Cover of Short & Shivery:  Thirty Chilling Tales
Short & Shivery: Thirty Chilling Tales
by Robert San Souci
398.25 S197
Short but very spooky tales based on folktales from all over the world.
A Terrifying Taste of Short and Shivery Tales: Thirty Creepy Tales
by Robert San Souci
398.25 S197t 1998
Features more classic scary tales from far away places, including Japan, Germany and India. Also includes a healthy dose of horror stories from the U.S.
Cover of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
by Alvin Schwartz
j398.25 S399s 1981
Don’t miss this classic collection of all your favorite urban legends and scary stories. Perfect for reading out loud with a group, or by yourself in a dark room. If you Like this, try the other books in the Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz.
A Whisper in the Night: Tales of Terror and Suspense
by Joan Aiken
YA Fiction
Thirteen creepy tales of suspense and terror, guaranteed to thrill fans of urban legends.

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