I Read Your Scary & Questionable Childhood Books! | Reading Vlog

[@kairitetra]

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright and Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn both freaked me out as a kid.

[@cathyenfield]

This video is the exact vibe I needed for my Halloween evening, thank you 😍

[@jessethereader]

Ah! I'm glad I could bring on some halloween vibes for you!

[@TextualChemistry1375]

Skeleton creek by Patrick carman scared the crap out of me in 6th grade. It’s an interactive book so you read it and watch the videos that go along with where you’re at. Super creepy, I was scared out of my mind lol 😂

[@CassBeaz]

Bunnicula was absolutely horrifying to my little 8 year old brain. 😂

[@irisamelia9787]

Mary Downing Hahn was my go to for anything spooky. Deep and Dark and Dangerous was one of my favorites. Her stories usually involve that closure theme you were talking about. What a good book. ❤

[@Ms.SpookyNerd]

I love Bunnicula, and Scary stories to tell in the dark, and was obsessed with goosebumps as a kid when they first came out in the 90s. Even the TV show.

[@carolineknightley6405]

I used to read Nancy Drew as a kid (only read the first 18 books). Only book 4: The Mystery at Lilac Inn terrified me and was the scariest book I read as a child. After watching your video (great job as always Jesse!), I wonder if it will scare me at all as an adult the way it did as a child

[@jessethereader]

I wish I would've read some of the nancy drew books as a kid! I did read some hardy boys here and there which has a similar vibe.

[@Gabbysreadingwell]

Stooooop Bunnicula, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and the kid's version of Sleepy Hollow with the illustrations in it were my JAM as a kid! I'm so shocked and delighted you read Bunnicula in particular since that feels like a random one that not many people knew about 😂

[@jenniferclark677]

Bunnicula! I read that for class in 2nd grade and loved it! Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark was TERRIFYING to me! For adult horror, Grady Hendricks books!

[@momosquad23]

I only had scary stories to tell in the dark from this video. I had 'wait til helen comes'by the same author of the book you have with the doll head and ' the last apprentice' series. I was addicted to that series. My cousin even picked it up and we both had nightmares from the first book xD the hardback even give a pg number for a moment they recommend not reading at night. I'm glad you enjoyed these. It's such a fun idea

[@gabriellabatel]

Bunnicula freaked me out, but I was also seven years old😂

[@bekahyoung3705]

The haunted museum series scared me as a kid. Specifically, the pearl earring!

[@BrandontheBeldam2993]

Hey great video Jesse! First off that pumpkin house looks outstanding 🎃whether that was a attraction or someone just decorated their home like that for Halloween, it looks amazing. The horror genre is very versitle with its writings so you can totally read whatever subgenre works for you and find enjoyment in it. Im personally seeking out more psychological murder/crime novels after reading The Devil Aspect and The Chestnut man a few years ago. Give it a try! Best of luck Jesse and I hope you make more of these childhood revisit videos.

[@Darrkness]

Happy Halloween! 🎃 I loved Buniculla and Howliday Inn as a kid. Kids still Trick or Treat in my area. Its also my Anniversary so me my wife always try to do something spooky and fun!

[@haleyolson396]

If you want to dive into the horror genre, even if it's not middle grade, The Shining by Stephen King is one of my all time favorite books.

[@BuntinCozymysterylover]

What a wonderful Halloweenish reading! Thanks for sharing your lovely spooky season days with us! 🎃💚

[@mackenziemc]

The scariest book I read(/listened to) was Harry Potter bc my imagination was insane as a kid and I terrified myself by the image my own mind created of Voldemort. I’m not that into scary books now. More mystery, it the only author in that genre I read is Natalie D. Richards

[@bumblemee5661]

i never read anything close to creepy as a child bc i was so easily scared, but i recently read ghost knight by cornelia funke, which would've freaked me out a lot as a child. so i guess that would be my recommendation for anyone searching for a spooky childrens book

[@irisamelia9787]

I loved that! She's such a good writer.

[@giovannabatalhaoliveira6902]

I don't remember if had many horror options as a kid (in Brazil), i think the most close to it was Descanse em paz meu amor (Rest in peace my love), about a group of teens, who got stuck inside a abadon house during a storm and then start telling ghost stories.

[@LambBrooke]

This was such a fun and nostalgic video idea!

[@ashleytunny]

Such a fun video!

[@harleymurff9521]

Next time you read one of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books you need to read it in the dark with a flashlight to get the full experience. That’s how we did it as children reading them to each other like we were telling ghost stories over a campfire

[@wendypridmore2005]

I once read a book of short horror stories and one of the stories scared me. It was called The Woodseavers Ghosts. I was in grade 7

[@Kronkgirl]

I am a big fan of Scary Stories to tell in the dark. My 4th grade teacher used to read us a story or 2 after we came back from lunch. I really liked the movie.

[@daniellewilliams1459]

Jessie, I’m so happy you saw Trick Or Treat that’s my favorite horror movie, and I would actually have to say As Above, So Below is my second favorite ❤️ I’m happy you were watching Ghost Adventures that’s my favorite show and Zak Bagans has been my inspiration for a long time he’s someone I deeply admire he has helped me through a lot of dark times in my life one of them including bullying ❤ have a wonderful day to everyone in the comments ❤

[@wickerlibrary]

i loved the spiderwick chronicles as a kid and i remember one of the books had an illustration that made me cry out of fear and i had my mom cover up the page as she read the story to me 😂 can’t remember which book or drawing it was sadly

[@amarvelousgeek222]

For the future, if you want a good YA horror series, check out the Monstrumologist series by Rick Yancey

[@linamekawatches214]

The book that scared me as a kid, though I was a scardey cat lol, was The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder!

[@emmawagner8915]

I totally forgot about deep and dark and dangerous. That cover is definitely not the one I had though lol

[@alexandradavies6669]

Omg, I loved Bunnicula as a kid. Definitely more comedy than horror, which was why I liked it. Though I think some of the later books are more creepy, the ones that don't focus on Bunnicula himself. A vampire rabbit just isn't that scary! For me, hands down the scariest books I read were the Deptford Mice trilogy by Robin Jarvis. Very freaky, cannibalism, possessed scarecrows, eldritch gods etc. Also the Animals of Farthing Wood prequel (The Adventure Begins) gets a bit slasher-like in the second half, which I found deeply put-it-in-the-freezer disturbing as a child. But definitely check out Robin Jarvis for kids horror!

[@catcarstairs8179]

Doll Bones by Holly Black was super scary to me when I read it back in 6th grade, but I reread it a few years later and found it to be pretty mild. Still a great book though!

[@paperbacksandponytails]

The one book that I could not finish as a kid because it scared me was The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis, there's this one scene where the witch comes out of the pool of water and grabs the girl by the hair and starts pulling her back in...that was a big nope for me as a child😂. Nowadays being in my 30s I'm fine.

[@hanthespookydisneyqueen1997]

Trick r Treat and Sleepy Hallow are amazing and definitely favorites of mine. I used to read the Scary Stories books and loved them, I also didn't like the movie as much as the books.

[@nicolefz92]

🎃Happy Halloween and Book for Treat day everyone ✨

[@ghostlygirl713]

I love your sweater so much!

[@jessethereader]

ty! 🫶

[@jenniferrux7722]

I love the movie of Trick r Treat. I will be watching it tonight.

[@jessethereader]

It’s definitely a new favorite for me!!

[@BrandontheBeldam2993]

I love Trick r treat so much❤ I’m so happy you watched it for your first time and enjoyed it. It’s a masterpiece imo

[@morganmeadowes6861]

The scariest book of my childhood is the Struwwelpeter. It still terrifies me but for different reasons. Ss a Child it scared me because terrible things happened for ridiculous reasons. As an adult it scares me because of the blatant racism and they way it tries to teach children blind obedience by threatening them. I can’t believe that children still read this/are read this during their childhood. I guess that’s part of where the German stereotype comes from.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Happy Halloween-ish! 🎃 👻 Reading the original Grimms Fairy Tales was quite the horror experience.

[@jessethereader]

I just bought the grimm fairy tales recently!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

@@jessethereader It’s good, don’t get me wrong but I was just not ready lol

[@emmal7510]

As an animal loving seven year-old, I accidentally read The Black Cat, by Poe. I think I was more confused than scared by it though. The thing that scared me as a kid was the Barrow Wight scene in The Lord of the Rings. I can't say Bunnicula scared me as a kid, but I think I was on the older side when I read the first three. (I think the rest of the series came out much later.) I'm still disappointed by the lack of vampire bunny in the second book.

[@EHogrefe]

Down a Dark Hall sounds like a great book for me to try out! I want to read some creepier books, but not sure I’m ready to commit yet. 😂

[@jessethereader]

understandable!! i def would give it a go and see how you feel about it ☺️

[@KittyxKult]

“I can’t pass as a high schooler anymore” Sir you look 16

[@livslibrary]

Happy Halloween my friend! 👻🎃🧡

[@jessethereader]

Happy Halloween lovely!!

[@dianaisme]

So interesting! And creepy

[@jessethereader]

👻

[@dianaisme]

@@jessethereader 👻👻👻

[@ingvildkvakestad]

I am watching this winding down from writing exams. Library studies. The movie brothers lionheart scared me for three years

[@jessethereader]

ahh! good luck with your studies!

[@semblance3995]

Great video! I was wondering if I could contact you somewhere to ask to buy something from you.

[@fortheloveofnerd8561]

Dude, let me know when you’re ready to break into adult horror! That’s my jam and I’d definitely have some recommendations for you

[@BrebearMckae]

As a prek teacher… three year olds can’t read… and are not ready for chapter books to be read to them. So big nope on that age range even if the content wasn’t problematic for that age. Lol

[@ghostlygirl713]

I play Dead by Daylight every Thursday with my sister, brother in law and best friend. Sometimes also my 7 year old niece. She loves to be the killer. Her favorite is Ghostface.

[@jessethereader]

It’s such a fun game!! Honestly not even a scary game at this point haha

[@rileycrawford1766]

Night of the Living Dummy terrified me as a kid

[@jessethereader]

goosebumps always came through with the creeps!

[@colleensnyder8943]

🎃 Happy Halloween 😈

[@jessethereader]

happy Halloween!

[@kelviannaepperson3677]

I got the shining board game

[@jessethereader]

ooh nice! I didn’t realize it had a board game!

[@SierraKoester]

LANA DEL REY MENTIONED

[@jessethereader]

indeed!

[@JayGTheAwkwardBookworm]

I loved scary stories to tell in the dark 🥹 NOSTALGIA