Scary stories for Young Readers (and for the Young at Heart) by Amy Bearce #Halloween #mustread #YoungReaders @AmyBearce
Scary stories for Young Readers (and for the Young at Heart) By Amy Bearce
It’s dark outside. Thunder rumbles, then rain begins to beat on the windows. You’re alone in the house.You snuggle under the covers and open your favorite scary book.Ghosts.Hauntings.Monsters.You smile, and keep reading. A few minutes later, you pause. Wait. What’s that sound? You listen harder. Is someone in the house with you?Your heart races. Your palms sweat.You turn on the overhead light, and check.It’s just you.No one’s there. Your fears poof into nothingness.The book had just scared you. A little.
So you snuggle down…and open the book up again.
What puts the oooh in spooky books? Why do some of us like to scare ourselves by reading stories of ghosts and monsters?
Part of the answer seems to lie in our brains.
When we know we are in a safe environment, the fight or flight response triggered in a haunted house or while reading a scary book provides a wash of chemicals in the brain. Some of us respond differently…
It’s dark outside. Thunder rumbles, then rain begins to beat on the windows. You’re alone in the house.You snuggle under the covers and open your favorite scary book.Ghosts.Hauntings.Monsters.You smile, and keep reading. A few minutes later, you pause. Wait. What’s that sound? You listen harder. Is someone in the house with you?Your heart races. Your palms sweat.You turn on the overhead light, and check.It’s just you.No one’s there. Your fears poof into nothingness.The book had just scared you. A little.
So you snuggle down…and open the book up again.
What puts the oooh in spooky books? Why do some of us like to scare ourselves by reading stories of ghosts and monsters?
Part of the answer seems to lie in our brains.
When we know we are in a safe environment, the fight or flight response triggered in a haunted house or while reading a scary book provides a wash of chemicals in the brain. Some of us respond differently…