Scary Tales!

Halloween is the season for scary tales. Watertown Free Public Librarians have selected some favorite seasonal reading for all ages. Three movies also make list and are perfect for family viewing Oct. 31, after all the trick or treaters leave.

For Kids

Short & Shivery Tales, Even More Short & Shivery Tales, and A Terrifying Taste of Short & Shivery are three collections of spooky folktales from many countries, retold by Robert San Souci. These prove that ghost stories have appeal the world over.

The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz tells the tale of a lonely, oddly-shaped pumpkin, sad that no one chose him for Halloween. By Thanksgiving, however, he has discovered where he belongs. A picture book in rhyme.

For Teens

Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan is a teen favorite. A young boy visits a strange freak show and ends up in a world of vampires and grotesque creatures that chill and thrill the reader.

Gothic!, short stories by ten well known authors, combine fairytale and dark fantasy, horror and humor in these tales of the supernatural and surreal.

For Adults

In a Discovery of Witches, author Deborah Harkness lets Witches, vampires, and demons outnumber humans at Oxford's Bodleian Library. There witch and Yale historian Diana Bishop discovers an enchanted manuscript, attracting the attention of 1,500-year-old vampire Matthew Clairmont.

Films For the Whole Family

Gremlins
When a young bank teller inadvertently breaks the rules of Mogwai care, his new pet Gizmo becomes a bevy of mischievous brothers, who soon turn into malevolent scaly creatures. A Steven Spielberg film.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Johnny Depp’s performance and Tim Burton’s special effects make this literary classic a memorable movie in which the “Headless Horseman” rides again.

Night at the Museum
Ben Stiller is hired as the night watchman in a museum where all the exhibits come to life.  More hilarious than scary.