Arts: The Most Terrifying Books We?ve Ever Read

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Brow Beat Happy All Hallow's Read: The Most Terrifying Books We've Ever Read By Katy Waldman Posted Wednesday, Oct 31, 2012, at 04:55 PM ET Two roads diverged in a haunted wood: trick or treat. And the one most traveled by, for the majority of kids on Halloween, is definitely treat. That's not a bad thing: In retrospect I'm grateful that the biggest fright I was likely to encounter, come October 31, was a box of raisins instead of a Kit-Kat. But the author and comic book artist Neil Gaiman has slightly darker plans for the Festival of Souls. He's dreamed up a way to reconcile tricks and treats via a newly-minted holiday, All Hallows Read, which encourages you to give scary books to your friends and loved ones along with the candy. Now you can spook and delight people, trick and treat them, all at the same time! In the video below, Gaiman explains his brainchild: To help you plot, Slate staffers have transformed themselves into dastardly, sadistic librarians and dug up the stories that gave (okay, still give) them nightmares. Cue the organ! We present our picks for The Scariest Books Ever. Dan Kois, senior editor in culture: Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe A chilling tale of warning signs ignored and pleas unlistened to, as Chester the cat desperately tries to alert his human family and Harold the dog to the danger posed by the vampire rabbit in their midst. Are the white vegetables in the kitchen, all their nutrients sucked out, not a clear sign of evil afoot? A crucial text for every child who has not yet ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Change Newspapers Can Believe In The Case for Price Gouging The "Voter Report Card" MoveOn Hopes Will Shame Slackers	Advertisement
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