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Children's books

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Original poster

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

208 replies

VintageGardenia · 08/09/2009 19:42

And did you love it or hate it?

My ds is 11 and doesn't like reading scary books one bit - I hated them too when I was a child, I still do really. But the book that scared me most as a child was called Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr, I can remember every bit of it and it still gives me the creeps to pass a tall boulder.

Just wondering what other chilling books there were.

OP posts:
Original poster
VintageGardenia · 08/09/2009 19:53

I couldn't do buried alive splinters under the nails etc nope nope nope.

I googled Marianne Dreams and there is a sequel I never knew about but I won't be able to read it.

OP posts:
janeite · 08/09/2009 19:53

Oh yes the Poe one. Is it called 'Premuture Burial' or something? It's horrible!

EccentricaGallumbits · 08/09/2009 19:49

some ancient story about a man buried alive. I think perhaps by edgar allen poe.
moved on to clive barker by early teens.
now i'm old and a wuss.

Original poster
VintageGardenia · 08/09/2009 19:47

Oh God I think Pet Semetary or however it was spelt was the second scariest.

OP posts:
CybilLiberty · 08/09/2009 19:47

The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively is a fabulously scary book for older readers, about a boy who moves into a house with a poltergeist in it.

janeite · 08/09/2009 19:47

Charlotte Sometimes is about a girl at boarding school who keeps switching in time with a girl who was at the school in the past. It's brilliant but quite haunting.

janeite · 08/09/2009 19:46

I first read Marianne Dreams after a rec on here and thought it was fantastic but very creepy.

I read a Pan Children's Horror book about a doll that absolutely terrified me. Can't remember what happened though but can still see the horrible front cover picture if I think about it.

But then I moved happily onto Steven King as a young teenager!

mollymawk · 08/09/2009 19:45

I was scared by a book called (I think) Charlotte Sometimes. Can't really remember why, or what it was about though! And was terrifed by the Iron Man (Ted Hughes?). Didn't like being scared at all!

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