It’s not
unusual for kids to try new things and see if they like something or not. In Alvin
Schwartz’s book series, the reader is introduced to a series of scary stories
and poems. Most parents don’t want their children reading this book series due
to the fact that it talks about death, or it might just scare them. I think
differently, I think that children
should be told about death and that it can happen , because its best to let
them learn this so they can be prepared in case of a death in the family. I also
feel that the children should have the choice of knowing if they’re ready to
read something or not, they should think about if they would get scared and try
to make wise independent decisions.
I think kids
should try to pick out what books are good for them because it can really teach
them responsibility. For a reader my age I personally think that this book is a
little corny and cheesy, but in a kids perspective I feel that this book would
be a little creepy. One poem in the book specifically talks about the slow
process of the body rotting inside of a coffin. Everyone’s different so I feel
that some kids might really enjoy reading scary things and some kids could be frightened
for a long period of time. in the article, “ In Defense of The Scary Stories to
Tell in The Dark”, by Eva Niessner she claims
that, “ there’s always that one hot-ticket book in the elementary
school library, the one everyone is ready to knock out another child’s teeth
over. When I was a kid, those were the “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark”
series”. This proves that a lot of kids do like this book and they all decided
on their own that they knew they wouldn’t be too scared after reading it. Eva
also states that, “Judging by the
controversy these books have caused and the number of places it’s been banned,
it’s probably easier to get drugs in a school library nowadays than “Scary
Stories to Tell in the Dark”. But they weren’t banned in my elementary school,
at least not back in the day”. This shows that its sad how people are more
concerned on banning books than more serious things like drug use, it’s just so
detestable. The last quote that shows us that kids should choose what they want
to read is, “Still, scary as they are, I don’t think they deserve to be banned.
They taught kids that some things were really scary, but you always had the
power to shut the book and turn the light on if it got too intense. If kids
don’t learn what’s too much for them in a controlled environment like the
library, maybe they won’t learn what’s too much for them later in life”. Kids need
to know what suits them and what’s too much for them, they need to test things
out and take some risks to learn more about what they like.
In some situations people think that parents should be the
ones choosing if they should read specific books or not. One quote from the
article states, “These books were absolutely terrifying. My parents can confirm
that I had several recurring nightmares related directly to various stories,
but the books also fascinated me”. I think that just because someone had a
nightmare doesn’t mean they should stop reading it, because they even said it
was fascinating. Eva then states, “On the other hand, how great was it to test
your bravery? Even better was testing the bravery of other people”. This shows
that kids were testing their bravery and trying to figure out if they enjoy
these types of books. Eva lastly stated, “Still, scary as they are, I don’t
think they deserve to be banned. They taught kids that some things were really
scary, but you always had the power to shut the book and turn the light on if
it got too intense. If kids don’t learn what’s too much for them in a
controlled environment like the library, maybe they won’t learn what’s too much
for them later in life”. I love everything Eva Niessner had to say because it’s
all the truth, sure things can get scary and harsh but that’s why we test
things out, to see if it’s the right choice for us. Everybody is different so
you have to see for yourself if something really suits you.
All in all the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by
Alvin Schwartz is a book every child should test out by reading it; they never
know what they like unless you try it. Eva Niessners article is a great way to
read about the pros and cons about the books. My very favorite quote of hers
is, “If kids don’t learn what’s too much for them in a controlled environment
like the library, maybe they won’t learn what’s too much for them later in life”.
It’s very true because it’s a part of growing up, you need to try new things
and learn new things. A part of growing up is really finding out what’s for you
and what isn't.
