<Tr> <Th> Published </Th> <Td> 1981--1991 </Td> </Tr> <P> Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a series of three children's books written by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Stephen Gammell . The books were read at sleepovers and the titles of the books are Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1981), More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (1984), and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones (1981). </P> <P> Schwartz drew heavily from folklore and urban legends as the topic of his stories, researching extensively and spending more than a year on writing each book . The first volume was published in 1981, and the books have subsequently been collected in both a box set and a single volume . There is also an audiobook version of each book, read by George S. Irving . The audiobooks are presented in unabridged format with the exception of a handful of missing stories from the first book . </P> <P> This series is listed as being the most challenged series of books from 1990--1999 and seventh most challenged from 2000--2009 by the American Library Association for its violence . The surreal, nightmarish illustrations contained within are also a frequently challenged component of the original books . </P>

Scary stories to tell in the dark book 1