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Alvin Schwartz (children's author)
Encyclopedia
Alvin Schwartz was the author of more than fifty books dedicated to and dealing with topics such as folklore
and word play
, many of which were intended for young readers. He is often confused with another Alvin Schwartz, who wrote Superman and Batman daily comics strips and a novel titled The Blowtop.
Biography =
After a stint in the navy, Schwartz became interested in writing. He got his bachelors degrees from Colby College
and a masters in journalism from Northwestern University
. He reported for The Binghamton Press from 1951 to 1955. During his professional writing career his work had been published by a variety of firms, including Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Bantam Books
, and Harper Collins.
A series of his books on folklore for children were illustrated by Glen Rounds and each featured a type of folklore: the first, A Twister of Twists, a Tangler of Tongues, was published in 1972. Others in this series included Tomfoolery, which featured wordplay; Witcracks which was about smart-aleck riddles and jokes; and Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, about superstitions.
He is best known for the "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" series, which featured gruesome, nightmarish illustrations by Stephen Gammell
. The series was America's most frequently challenged book (or book series) for library
inclusion of 1990-1999.
Some of his other books, such as When I Grew Up Long Ago, were aimed at an older audience, and presented glimpses of life in the United States
during the late 18th century and the early 19th century.
At the time of his death in Princeton, New Jersey, where he lived, Schwartz was survived by his wife and four children.
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
, many of which were intended for young readers. He is often confused with another Alvin Schwartz, who wrote Superman and Batman daily comics strips and a novel titled The Blowtop.
Biography =
After a stint in the navy, Schwartz became interested in writing. He got his bachelors degrees from Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
and a masters in journalism from Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. He reported for The Binghamton Press from 1951 to 1955. During his professional writing career his work had been published by a variety of firms, including Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Bantam Books
Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by Random House, the German media corporation subsidiary of Bertelsmann; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. Kramer, and Ian and Betty Ballantine...
, and Harper Collins.
A series of his books on folklore for children were illustrated by Glen Rounds and each featured a type of folklore: the first, A Twister of Twists, a Tangler of Tongues, was published in 1972. Others in this series included Tomfoolery, which featured wordplay; Witcracks which was about smart-aleck riddles and jokes; and Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, about superstitions.
He is best known for the "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" series, which featured gruesome, nightmarish illustrations by Stephen Gammell
Stephen Gammell
Stephen Gammell is an American illustrator of children's books. His awards include the Caldecott Medal.Stephen Gammell grew up in Iowa. His father, an art editor for a major magazine, brought home periodicals that gave Stephen early artistic inspiration. His parents also supplied him with lots...
. The series was America's most frequently challenged book (or book series) for library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
inclusion of 1990-1999.
Some of his other books, such as When I Grew Up Long Ago, were aimed at an older audience, and presented glimpses of life in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the late 18th century and the early 19th century.
At the time of his death in Princeton, New Jersey, where he lived, Schwartz was survived by his wife and four children.
The Scary Stories Series
- [Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark]
- [More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark]
- [Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones]
Other books
- In A Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary StoriesIn A Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary StoriesIn a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories is a collection of horror stories retold for children by Alvin Schwartz. It was published as part of the I Can Read! series in 1984.- Table of Contents :Foreword1. The Teeth2. In the Graveyard...
- Ghosts!: Ghostly Tales from Folklore
- Stories to Tell a Cat
- And the Green Grass Grew All aroundAnd The Green Grass Grew All AroundAnd The Green Grass Grows All Around, also known as The Green Grass Grew All Around is a song that was first published in 1912, with words by William Jerome and melody by Harry Von Tilzer. Today it is a popular children's song, and a good example of a cumulative song.There are many variations of...
: Folk Poetry from Everyone - Gold and Silver, Silver and Gold: Tales of Hidden Treasure
- I Saw You in the Bathtub and Other Folk Rhymes
- Telling Fortunes: Love Magic, Dream Signs, and Other Ways to Learn the Future
- Love Magic: Dream Signs and Other Ways to Learn the Future
- Tales of Trickery from the Land of Spoof
- All of Our Noses Are Here and Other Noodle Tales
- Cat's Elbow and Other Secret Languages
- Ten Copycats in a Boat and Other Riddles
- Fat Man in a Fur Coat: And Other Bear Stories
- Unriddling: All Sorts of Riddles to Puzzle Your Guessary
- Busy Buzzing Bumblebees and Other Tongue Twisters
- There Is a Carrot in My Ear and Other Noodle Tales
- Flapdoodle: Pure Nonsense from American Folklore
- Chin Music: Tall Talk and Other Talk
- When I Grew Up Long Ago
- Kickle Sniffers and Other Fearsome Critters
- Witcracks: Jokes and Jests from American Folklore
- Whoppers: Tall Tales and Other Lies Collected from American Folklore
- Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat: Superstitions and Other Beliefs