What was the scariest/most chilling book you read as a child?

owl service

marianne dreams

SHUDDER

oh the the Hobbyas - little dog turpy

OK then psychobabble Tehanu- worthy addition or failed experiment?

Hoppa attempts to out-snob

I don't remember being alarmed by the Hattifatteners, Spacehoppa, perhaps I didn't have enough imagination!

But I was alarmed by Moominpappa's mid-life crisis in Moominpappa at Sea - he wasn't meant to behave like that. And Moomintroll's loneliness in Moominland Midwinter was almost tangible.

MM and M-and anyone else out there...did the hattifatners in Moomins (sp.) worry you at all. All that business with barometers and going around in odd numbers...creepy

Lucy was the orphan and Alice was the sinister child from the past, Freber. I'm lucky enough to have my original paperback so it's easier for me to check!

It was a great story and I can't think why it's out of print. Mind you, I can't think why a lot of good children's books are out of print.

Come Back Lucy was a chilling book about a foster child drawn into the past by a girl called Lucy who says she's her friend and then starts to be horrid in both times. It was made into an ITV production which was equally good. Would love a copy of the book but it now out of print.

You're right, Thumbwitch, it was Tammy - my excuse is that I've obviously tried to block the whole traumatic experience...

On a similar vein to Charlotte Sometimes, I found Come Back Lucy pretty scary. Grinny I don't really remember except that it was scary. For really scary psychological stuff Robert Cormier, especially I am the Cheese. There was another one about being kidnapped, but I can't remember what it ws called, just that it felt incredibly real and graphic (not in a violent way, just that you could really feel what the character was going through).

Struwelpeter - that's the one where the Giant Scissor man comes and cuts off your thumbs if you suck them, isn't it? I remember that one and being very scared of the Scissor Man (yes, I sucked my thumb)

Off topic a little, but the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang gave me nightmares too...

And YES to the trauma of Misty being conjoined (although I thought it was with Tammy?) The only good thing about it was that the first Christmas annual they did jointly had the whole Moonchild story in, and I'd missed a couple when it was serialised.

Loads of splendid ones here. I can't wait until DD is old enough for Owl Service and The Dark is Rising. Seem to remember being a bit spooked by one of the Jinny at Finmory pony books by Patricia Leitch as well - but seems a bit unlikely...

Girl in a Swing by Richard Adams is one of my favourite books ever - gets re-read every year, but definitely more of an adult book than his adventures with the bunnies...

Was anyone else traumatised when Misty Comic became Misty with Bunty (jolly hockeystick school high-jinks), and finally disappeared altogether? A disaster of gigantic proportions at the time.

And does anyone know what the series of children's horror books was called, and whether they are still in print? They set me up perfectly for Stephen King et al, and a lifetime of being scared of dolls...

Not sure if it was in Misty comic but I can remember a story about a girl who suddenly appeared in a family but she was actually from another planet or something - she was called Darla (think!) and everyone else acted like she had always been there except for the other little girl in the family who knew she was an alien... or something..
ok doesn't make a great deal of sense but I am sure about this one as I used to act in out with my brothers and scare them silly going 'Hi I'm Darla.. evil cackle' but used to end scaring myself just as much

Yes, Elainelr - Shock Headed Peter! I saw a fantastic play of it some years ago, with this bizarre and utterly brilliant band who sing incredibly rude songs. Fantastic story!

Kreecher lives upstairs I can't believe anyone else remembers Misty! There was a story serialised over what felt at the time like 3 years about these 13 spookily identical girls all gathered together over weeks and weeks and it looked like there was going to be a sacrifice and in the final week....
...I went on holiday and missed the magazine issue. And I have been wondering how it all ended since age 8!

Has anyone heard of Struwelpeter? It wasn't the story that gave me nightmares but the picture on the cover of the boy with very long finger nails and hair. It still makes me shudder just thinking about it!

I haven't read whole thread but...

.. I was given Lair by James Herbert on the school bus when I was 8. Now that was scarey

Ooh oh oh RavenAK! so I didn't dream it - you have no idea what the story is called do you - it must be the same one, I knew it was Enoch

One of the buried alive Poe stories is The Fall of the House of Usher. Chilling.

There was a picture book called 'The Taily-po' that my mom used to read to us every halloween. It was about a guy who went hunting and cut off some creature's tail and ate it. The creature comes looking for him and gets his tail (his taily-po, if you will) back in the most awful way imaginable. It colored my nightmares for years.

the wolves of willoughby chase - must have been about 9 - it was scary but a page turner!

Oh, noscat, thank you for the reminder about A Candle In Her Room. I couldn't remember the title or author, just that I once read something creepy about a wooden doll called Dido.

The Amazing Mr Blunden - which I loved - was originally published as The Ghosts and changed after the film so I'd hunt for it under that title too.

Oh this has reminded me of some great books from my childhood.

Anyone else recall being scared witless of 'The long-legged scissor man' tale by Hans Christian Anderson or someone of that ilk? He haunted me through infant school.

I remember that one noscat. I seem to remeber one with Candlemas in the title too or am I imagining that?

A Candle in Her Room about the seriously spooky wooden doll Dido. Most of Ruth M Arthur's books are out of print now, but well worth a read.