The Brood of Frankenstein
Great literature? Maybe not, but teens love horror
By Amy Luedtke, Sarajo Wentling, and Jody Wurl -- School Library Journal, 7/1/2006
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Also in this article: More Shock, Less Shlock  Reach Out and Scare Someone Thrills and Chills |
Young adults have an insatiable thirst for blood, violence, and the supernatural. They love to be scared, and if something grosses them out, so much the better. That's why horror stories—tales that spark powerful feelings of dread, aversion, guilt, anger, and other deliciously dark emotions—are such a hit at our library. Of course, it also doesn't hurt that horror is rarely boring. And as an added bonus, adults often disapprove of the genre, which makes it even more appealing to the MySpace set.
Horror has come a long way since Mary Shelley's Frankenstein began terrorizing the countryside nearly 200 years ago. What spooky things lurk within today's page-turners? For starters, there's a lot of variety (everything from dark fantasy to scary science) and a whopping cast of characters, including ghosts, monsters, mad slashers, elves and fairies (definitely not Disney-like), witches, warlocks, and psychics (thanks, Mr. King). Who's the baddest of them all? Vampires remain a perennial favorite with teens, perhaps because they see them as sexy and romantic. And don't underestimate the primordial appeal of werewolves and other shape-shifters, which offer adolescents a powerful metaphor for the terrifying physical and psychological transformations they're going through.
If you want to beef up your horror collection, remember, it's just as important to weed as it is to acquire. When teens select books, they head for those with cool covers (for some noteworthy examples, check out It Begins by Richie Tankersley Cusick and Wounded by Stephen Cole). If a book looks old or worn, chances are they won't check it out. So go for quality, not quantity.
If you're planning to purchase some new titles, the magazine VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) features an annual review of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in its April issue, and School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other respected journals review scary stuff year-round. You can also get some great recommendations from the Young Adult Library Services Association's (YALSA) Book Discussions (lists.ala.org/wws/subrequest/yalsa-bk), especially if you post a question. Another terrific online destination is the Horror Writers Association Web site (www.horror.org), which features a special section for librarians and offers many helpful resources, including a monthly electronic newsletter called “Dark Whispers” and a comprehensive listing of Bram Stoker Award winners (while you're there, don't miss the “Works for Young Readers” section).
Short story collections are perfect for busy teens (and librarians) who are looking for a broad selection of quick, well-written reads. Some of the best anthologies are The Year's Best Science Fiction and Fantasy for Teens: First Annual Collection (Tor Teen, 2005), a new series edited by Jane Yolen and Patrick Nielsen Hayden; The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2006: 19th Annual Collection (Griffin) edited by Ellen Datlow, Gavin Grant, and Kelly Link; and The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 16 (Carroll & Graf, 2005) by Stephen Jones.
Last, but by no means least, there are some fabulous reference books about horror for teens. Among the most indispensable guides are Teen Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests, Second Edition (2003) and Genreflecting: A Guide to Popular Reading Interests, Sixth Edition (2005) by Diana Tixier Herald; Hooked on Horror: A Guide to Reading Interests in Horror Fiction (2003, all Libraries Unlimited) by Anthony J. Fonseca and June Michele Pulliam; and The Horror Readers' Advisory: The Librarian's Guide to Vampires, Killer Tomatoes, and Haunted Houses (ALA, 2004) by Becky Siegel Spratford and Tammy Hennigh Clausen.
How can you take advantage of teens' love of horror? You may gain some street cred by being the first to share the latest hot horror titles, and you'll definitely earn some “cool points” by offering kids a first-rate horror collection. (For a list of recommendations, see “Thrills & Chills” below.) Try slipping some scary titles into your booktalking routine. We've found that novels like Stephenie Meyer's Twilight and Scott Westerfeld's Peeps work especially well with young adult audiences.
If students request a scary story, find out what they mean by scary. Remember, horror is a subjective term—what sends shivers down one person's spine may not make another even blink. Kids enjoy different degrees and types of “scary,” and you'll want to make sure you recommend books that match their interests and expectations.
Think about creating a display to highlight your horror collection. Depending on your space and artistic skills, they can be as small or large, or as simple or creative, as you need them. Our teen volunteers painted an image of a dungeon on a large sheet of butcher-block paper. We added fake spider webs (complete with ersatz spiders!), rubber rats, and a terrific selection of scary titles—and watched as our horror books began to fly off the shelves.
Lure teens by coming up with special programs to promote your horror collection. Show a scary movie (we've had great turnouts for Poltergeist and Darkness Falls) or find a local makeup or special effects artist to present a monster workshop. Tell ghost stories in a dark room with a flashlight; sponsor a writing contest with a horror theme; create a creepy quiz; or set up a graffiti wall where kids can record the name of their favorite horror books or films. And don't forget Halloween, it's a perfect time for staging all sorts of blood-curdling events. Above all, have fun with horror. Your teens will thank you—from the bottom of their terrified, tragically mutilated, dreadfully disturbed hearts.
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| Author Information |
| When they're not at home reading horror, librarians Amy Luedtke, Sarajo Wentling, and Jody Wurl are terrifying teens at the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota. |
