Should Kids Read Scary Stories?
By Joe Ballarini
Ah, Halloween! The air is crisp! The leaves are turning! Witches are brewing frog stew. Pumpkins are going under the knife. Vampires are sharpening their fangs. All for the Big Night. It can be a child’s greatest night or their worst nightmare. For me, it was both.
Halloween always brought an electrical excitement for me as a kid — and as a grown up. It was a chance for me to scare the world which so often scared me. I could not watch the Incredible Hulk (the Lou Ferrigno version) without covering my eyes. The Thriller music video sent me running into the next room. A Klingon at a birthday party made me cry. Even shadows on the stairs were terrifying. So, as a kid, there was a certain empowerment to frightening other people. And, turns out, it’s really fun.
For example, I begged my parents for a real boa constrictor. Instead, and wisely, they bought me a six-foot rubber snake. I made sure to put that rubber snake in strategic places all around the house for maximum reaction — the best location I found was the ironing board cabinet or under my covers. I would then wait around the corner for my mom to discover it and giggle at her screams. It sounds twisted but it was a total blast.
Jump ahead to me being a grown up (questionable) and I convinced my wife to dress up in a yellow hazmat suit and a gas mask and stop large groups of trick-or-treaters outside of our house because “there had been a chemical outbreak down the road.” At this point, I burst out from a small wooden hut in our front yard, in full zombie make up. And as the kids were retreating from me, our neighbors burst out of their house dressed as zombies as well! I planned it so the kids would be encircled by zombies with nowhere to run as we slogged toward them. The kids loved it. One kid cried and I quickly broke character and apologized and gave her loads of candy.
Now, the neighbors walk a little faster past our house, but I promise you, that was a Halloween they will never forget. Because really, it’s not just about getting a free sugar rush, wearing a cute costume, and skipping merrily along. Each season exists for a reason and Halloween is there to remind us that monsters lurk the shadows and sometimes when you knock on your neighbor’s door, you might be greeted by one.
That’s why I think kids like scary stories and why they need them. It’s a chance to face their fears. Because, it’s a scary world out there, especially for children. They see stuff we never see. And I think scary stories help them understand that it’s okay to be afraid of the dark as long as they are brave enough to turn on the lights. I want to empower kids to conquer those fears and be prepared for the real deal. There is a thrill and a rush to it which explains rollercoasters and the enormous lines waiting to get into haunted houses, but there is also a desire for us to feel brave in the face of danger that allows us to fight back and not cower helplessly in the corner when the Boogeyman comes knocking. And, all that free candy is deeeeelicious!
Joe Ballarini is a screenwriter who has worked on numerous feature films, including the zombie comedy cult classic Dance of the Dead. He has written family films, horror films, silly comedies, and sweeping adventures. Joe is a graduate of the production program of the USC School of Cinematic Arts with a minor in Creative Writing. He lives with his wife and their two rescue dogs in Los Angeles, California. He is also left-handed. A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting is his first book.