Tuesday 25 October 2011

Six spooky stories to scare you silly!

A spooktacular selection of scary books!


Sir Marmaduke Baldwin is not a very good ghost and, when he suddenly appears in the middle of a wood, Bobby Brewster thinks he looks far too jolly to be frightening. But a large white sheet, a spell that doesn't quite work, and two terrified criminals prove Bobby quite wrong!
The silly silly ghost; Story told by H. E. Todd illustrations by Val Biro. Published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1990.




A young boy is spooked right out of his skin when the old woman with the black cat catches him spying on her. She takes him into her home and demands that he help with the household chores. Her house is so full of creepy treasures that the boy starts imagining midnight gatherings of witches and spooks. Beautifully illustrated picture book with the story told in rhyme. 
Witch Watch; Story told by Paul Coltman illustrations by Gillian McClure. Published by Farrar Straus & Giroux in 1989.
Our copy is signed by both the author and the illustrator.
Witch Watch is now sold thank you for your interest.


Two cousins spending the night in a tent in the garden decide to play the ‘scare yourself to sleep’ game. They take turns telling the scariest stories – from flying cats, to dustbin goblins and invisible men.  It all ends happily with one little girl falling fast asleep and the other little girl enjoying a midnight feast with her brother. 
Scare yourself to sleep; Story told by Rose Impey illustrations by Moira Kemp. Published by Ragged Bears in 1988.





Wizzil the witch is bored so she turns herself into a housefly and sets off to Frimp Farm to cause a little trouble. Wizzil; Story told by William Steig with illustrations by Quentin Blake. Published by Bloomsbury in 2000.
The worst witch, the worst witch strikes again and a bad spell for the worst witch - three stories in one book. Adventures of the worst witch; Story told and illustrated by Jill Murphy. Published by Viking in 1994. Wizzil and The adventures of the worst witch are now sold thank you for your interest.



Last but certainly not least a poem relating the events of a frightening evening when Granny, as a young girl, was chased by Tog the Ribber's vengeful ghost. Each picture shows a new stage in the child's panic, only partly relieved when she crosses the Fozzle ditch and frees herself from her pursuer.
Tog the ribber; Poem by Paul Coltman illustrated by Gillian McClure. Published by Andre Deutsch in 1985.
This copy of Tog the ribber is now sold, but we do have a second copy in stock - full details here

These are six of my scary favourites – do you have a favourite? 

8 comments:

  1. Yay, you're back! I'd read all, but the ones that catch me the most would have to be WITCH WATCH and TOG THE RIBBER. (Could be because I'm intrigued by this illustration style.)

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  2. These look like great books. I remember my daughter reading and loving The Adventures of the Worst Witch and watching the TV show based on the name (which I think was a Canadian program)

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  3. I love 'em! Fun for this time of year. I love the name Wizzel. How creative.

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  4. I am (back that is!) Tog the Ribber is a weird and wonderful tale told in rhyme - this from the introduction - Long ago a little girl, now a granny, passed the spot in the woods where Tog the Ribber hung. His skeleton, dangling eerily among the branches, seemed to reach out after her and, even when she turned tail and hurtled, terrified through the undergrowth, she could feel the presence of Tog's ghost in hot pursuit. Scary stuff!

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  5. I can remember the programme being on TV in the UK too but I didn’t really watch it as my son was grown up then.

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  6. I love the fact that Wizzil turns herself into a housefly - I think I might have chosen something a little different if I was her!

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  7. What fantastic looking books - its great to see literature for the young generation is still alive and well. They look tempting enough for me to read myself!

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  8. Hello Sharon
    They are all worth reading – some are scary and some are just good fun

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Barbara xx