Where Are the Scary Books?

This essay closes the study of children’s horror from the perspective of a children’s librarian (albeit one who runs the website Monster Librarian). Kowalewski considers how “Librarians able to navigate the resources that fall into the category of scary books can be guides and partners for children interested in further exploration and extension of their knowledge.” Noting that it can be rather difficult to find an appropriate title for a child who comes in asking for a “scary book” because of the methods by which frightening fictions are shelved in the children’s collection, Kowalewski serves here as a guide, offering practical advice to librarians, educators, and parents who seek to point children in the right direction. Kowalewski argues that librarians’ awareness of such titles is a matter of civic importance, noting that “aliterate,” or disengaged readers, are less inclined to become involved citizens, educationally, politically, and professionally. As Kowalewski notes, titles in the gothic horror genre can serve as an enticement to young readers, luring them into the children’s library. Kowalewski’s essay serves as a thorough practical introduction to “scary books for kids,” an excellent conclusion to our volume that makes its end, in actuality, a beginning, an entry point for those interested in promoting the horror genre among young readers.