Saugatuck Storyfest and Retro Reads

Since I haven't posted since the summer and we are now in my FAVORITE SEASON and my FAVORITE MONTH, I thought I'd do a double whammy tonight. 

On Saturday I went to the second annual Saugatuck Storyfest in Westport, CT, which is the town where I teach. The literary festival is run by two librarians and two teachers, and I'm OBSESSED. Seriously, I've paid money to go to BookCon, and this event was free and SO much more enjoyable in every sense of the word.

The keynote speaker was the one and only RL Stine, who wrote all of the Fear Street books that I worshiped as a kid. In honor of his speech, I'm counting down my top 5 retro reads!

​1. The Secret Bedroom. This was the first RL Stine book that I ever read. I remember I was in 4th grade at the time, and I read it in one night, and then I didn't sleep for seven! I re-read it over the summer, and the scares hold up all of these years later.  

2. Also by Stine, The Hitchhiker. One word: Piranhas! 

3. Wait Till Helen Comes. This classic ghost story by Mary Downing Hahn is one that I still see students reading (and LOVING) in my classroom. 

4. You can't have a spooky retro reads list without: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. This collection sparked my fascination with folklore and urban legends, and to this day I'm still haunted by the illustrations. 

5. Just like you can't have a list without Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, you can't have a list without Stephen King. Carrie was the first King book I ever read, and it's one that I immediately had re-read again, and again, and again. 

So what are YOUR favorite spooky reads??