The August House Book of Scary Stories is a thrilling collection of spooky tales designed specifically for oral storytelling and middle-grade readers.

Have you ever heard the silly story about the woman whose beehive hairdo was sprayed so stiff that tiny creatures decided it would make a perfect home? Everyone seems to know someone who knows someone it happened to—though the details always get a little mixed up. That’s the magic of urban legends. They’re modern folktales, passed along as “totally true,” even though they always happened to a “friend of a friend.”

The author—famous for telling some of the spookiest stories around—have gathered a whole collection of chills and thrills in this book. The tales are grouped into fun themes so kids can pick exactly the kind of scare they’re in the mood for. This collection is packed with scares, laughs, and unforgettable moments—just right for kids who love stories that make their hearts race and their imaginations soar.

Some stories are hard to tell because they talk about things that are sad, scary, or confusing. These kinds of stories can be tough for the person telling them and for the person listening. But when they’re shared with kindness and care, they can help people understand each other and even feel braver.

Kids love a good scare—and these stories, gathered from children themselves, are some of their all‑time favorites. These are the classic spooky tales kids ask for again and again. They’ll lean in to hear how Wylie outsmarted the dreadful Hairy Man, or how Skunnee Wundee and an unlikely friend managed to defeat the mighty Stone Giant.