<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 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 (1991). </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> <P> To celebrate the books' 30th anniversary in 2011, Harper Collins re-released the books with new illustrations from Brett Helquist, the illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events . This has come under severe criticism from fans of Gammell's illustrations, citing that they are not as effective or as scary as the originals . </P>

List of stories in scary stories to tell in the dark