The Scary Story series really appealed to me when I was younger. The tiny little snippets of fright were wonderful for reading aloud at slumber parties and camping trips - when I could get others to listen that is. I was really the only one of my friends who enjoyed being scared. I think they are well written for a younger audience and have just the right mix of freaky, scary, and funny.

As an adult, reading them is a bit different. Most of the stories are adaptations of tales I've heard before, so they've lost their surprise factor for me by now. Also, the stories are really, really short, some not even one page long. As an adult reader, I need a bit more lead-up, a bit more suspense. Still the scarecrow stretching skin, dog-cum-rat, and the implanting-egg-in-face spider are enough to creep me out. ( )

Fun fact: for years, I could not bring myself to look at the pages containing the story "The Red Spot." It was just too disturbing to my fragile young mind. ( )

My opinion of Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones is about the same as the second (and first for that matter). The pictures remain the most disturbing aspect of the book…the rest makes a fine initiation for young readers into creepy, scary, spine-tingling urban legends, tales of terror, ect… I’m glad to be done with the series and while Girl isn’t ready for these yet (she’s basing not wanting to read it on the pictures alone), I’ll happily check them out for her (or buy a boxed set) when the time comes (and I’m sure it will). I think once she gets past the pictures, she’ll have no problem with the text, there’s nothing she hasn’t really encountered in one for more another in her reading or TV watching over the last 9 years…and since we frequently watch shows about urban legends and ghosts, I doubt much here will shock or upset her. Three stars for this one too. ( )