The Young Oxford Book of Ghost Stories

by Dennis Pepper (editor)

Ghost stories around the campfire or under the covers are a favorite pastime of children all over the world. Dennis Pepper has collected classic and contemporary legends, folktales, short stories, and poems from many lands and cultures that feature a wide assortment of ghosts. Some are
chillingly spooky, others merely silly and strange. All are good and scary and guaranteed to curl your toes and rattle your bones. Some of the best writers and artists for children take great pleasure in sending a chill up your spine in the tale of "The Haunted Mill," the eerie "Spook House," the
macabre "Rats," and 35 other frightful stories. This is a great book to read aloud or even by yourself--if you dare!

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Horror, Supernatural, Paranormal

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Annie Donette · Rating 5 out of 5]

My auntie and uncle got this for me for Christmas when I was a kid in the 90s. I read it over and over. I loved the haunting, misty feeling it gave me, and I think it really influenced my love of horror. A childhood favourite.

[Rosie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love ghost stories, and these are some of the most charming I've ever read. One or two are even the scariest.

[Karen M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great mix of ghost stories - perhaps a few themes are a tad similar but I suppose that’s to be expected as there is a limit to the ways you can introduce a ghost.
My favourite was ‘ The Little Yellow Dog ‘ about a man and his dog and a boy with a pivotal role in reuniting them - who’s the ghost? That’s for you to find out! It was a particularly satisfying read as the current year draws to an end.
UKS2 / KS3 readers would enjoy dipping into the collection- some ( MR James for example) are challenging so best to skim through and make some suggestions. A good introduction to the genre.

[HelenaJohnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was 11 or 12, this book attracted me by its straight forward and eye catching title,I was really into it and spent several hours on it and had night mares that night . Most of the stories were really good, i read other ghost stories collections as well, but I could rarely find one this good, it is well selected and has a good combination .

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very good stories, funny ones as well as the more ambient and the poignant.

I particularly liked the last two stories in this collection - The Call by Robert Westall and The Little Yellow Dog by Mary Williams.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of chilling, creepy and sometimes funny stories, perfect for young readers who have outgrown the Goodbumps series.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is more for children than adult readers