Creepy Urban Legends

by Tim O'Shei, Kelly Garvin (Contribution by)

Did you hear about the babysitter who received threatening phone calls from inside the house? What about the hitchhiker who vanished without a trace? For years, urban legends such as these have been passed on by word of mouth. They are told as if they really happened. But are these creepy tales true? Decide for yourself as you dig into some of the most horrifying urban legends ever told.

Genres: Nonfiction

32 pages, Library Binding

First published July 1, 2010

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're into really, really, really, really scary things, do what I did:

1. Turn the lights off.
2. Get into bed. Under the covers if you prefer, but it will be better without that protective cocoon.
3. Turn on a reading lamp.
4. Don't have doubts.

The last one is strange. But it's true. Most people watch scary things or read scary things with at attitude of, "I'm not gonna be scared, whatever you throw at me." But isn't the point of these creepy things to scare you? Give you that invisible finger crawling up your spine feeling? That's what I like. And that's what this book gave.

Don't except anything too scary, though. Judging from it's size, this is meant to be a little kid's book. Which is why you need to prepare yourself for being creeped out.

None of these stories were new to me, but they were told in a slightly different twist, or used some spine-tingly words. I dunno, but whatever it was, it worked. It's not the kinda thing that keeps you up at night. It's the kinda thing that you can think over and repeat the creepy parts again and again in your mind, each time having a new meaning to you. The kind of things that kids the age it's meant for wouldn't get, but you would.

And on just one last note: all but one of these stories have appeared in the CW's Supernatural. Epic show. Hook Man(though he never actually appeared in this book), Woman in White, even the bee hive but in a different light. The only one that hasn't was "When a Stranger Calls." Which was the one story that was really boring. [spoiler]I mean, the babysitter is alright and so are the kids. How is that creepy? Sure, he was close to the house. But who cares? The cops showed up and everything was all right.[/spoiler]

So if you're a hardcore horror fan and only want the best, this isn't for you. But if you like scary things and are open to new stuff, go ahead and read it! But don't except it to be too scary...

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book while doing inventory at the library. I thought it looked interesting. An urban legend, “is a surprising, often scary story that is told as if it were true.” These are usually spread by word of mouth or by e-mail and happened recently or not that long ago. They prey upon an individual’s common fears (babysitting at night, sleeping at night) and they usually teach people a lesson.

I guess I didn’t realize that an urban legend had all these traits associated with them. Inside this non-fiction children’s book, you will find examples of a few urban legends which are arranged into three sections, Scary, Very Scary and Freaky Scary. There is also a section titled Fact or Fiction? There is a Glossary that lists a few words and their definitions, another page which lists internet sites and books if you want more information on urban legends and finally, on the back page an index.

I found it interesting that each section wasn’t labeled. There is nothing to tell you what type of story you are read: Scary, Very Scary or Freaky Scary when you are on that page besides by going to the table of contents.

Did I think they were scary? A couple of them were pretty good. A couple of them I have heard before (a slightly different version) and two of them I didn’t find scary at all. All the stories have illustrations with them and sometimes a fear fact. The wording is not hard to read (perhaps 4th or 5th grade). The pictures are not gory but a few are mysterious. For children, I think this depends on the reader and whether the child can handle this material.

[Chi – cuddle.thereader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Đọc trong vài nốt nhạc đã hết rồi, quyển này đọc giữa buổi chiều trong công ty đông đúc thì thấy bình thường chứ đọc một mình buổi tối thì cũng rợn phết đấy

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

es una lectura que hice en myon pero en realidad fue entretenida y la disfrute

[Meg_thearcher13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sorprendentemente me gusto, nunca había leído un libro con leyendas urbanas y estas me gustaron bastante, fue lectura de la escuela

[Kara Rowley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cool and scary

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although these creepy stories COULD happen in real life, these Urban Legends, usually have no basis in fact. They seek to prey upon human's deepest, darkest fears...sleeping alone in the dark or babysitting at night in a unfamiliar house.

Things to be wary of:

BeeHive Hair-Dos
Dead College Roommates
Babysitters and Phones
Running Out of Gas at Night on a Date
Hitchkikers


Storytelling at its best? Creepy Urban Legends give you some tips to make your story seem real.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally AWESOME!!! Readers young and old will be captivated by this series. The story move from Creepy Urban Legends, Scary, Very Scary and Freaky Scary. This is a great book to read aloud and have some fun.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

good and creepy

[Kristy McRae · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter checked this one out! Fun bedtime reading....she's gonna be a Stephen King fan in the future, I just know it!

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a reading level of 3rd-4th grade, so it's good for elementary age students who like scary stories.

[Stephen Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some neat legends that I've never read about before. Nicely told.

Thank you for the loan Franklin Public Library.