Kids who grew up in the 80s were both mesmerized and terrorized by the Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark trilogy, because they were the kind of books that made kids leave their lights on at night.
There were many scary story books made for kids, all of which were fully illustrated, but none of them had stories as terrifying, or illustrations as haunting and gruesome, as Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories series.
Kids who discovered the Scary Stories series lurking around their public library were treated to grim tales drawn from folklore, and parents found the amount of death and lack of morals troubling.
Which is why the trilogy has been on the ALA's Most Challenged list for two decades, coming in at number 7 from 2000-2009.
Parents and religious groups want the books banned, and yet schools and libraries keep stocking the series on their shelves, in case a brave young soul goes looking for a fresh batch of folklore inspired nightmares.
Read 14 Terrifying Facts About "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark" at mental_floss