Alvin Schwartz (children's author) facts for kids
Alvin Schwartz (born April 25, 1927 – died March 14, 1992) was an American writer and journalist. He wrote over fifty books, many of them for young readers. He was famous for his books about folklore, word games, and especially his scary stories.
Quick facts for kids
Alvin Schwartz
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| Born | April 25, 1927 Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 1992 (aged 64) Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Contents
Alvin Schwartz's Life and Writing Journey
Alvin Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, New York City. His father was a taxi driver. After serving in the navy, Alvin became very interested in writing. He went to Colby College and then to Northwestern University for a master's degree in journalism. From 1951 to 1955, he worked as a reporter for The Binghamton Press newspaper.
Books About Folklore and Wordplay
During his career, many different publishers printed Alvin Schwartz's books. He wrote a popular series of books about folklore for children. These books were illustrated by Glen Rounds. The first book in this series was A Twister of Twists, a Tangler of Tongues, published in 1972.
Other books in this series included Tomfoolery, which was full of fun word games. Witcracks shared smart riddles and jokes. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat was all about interesting superstitions.
The Famous Scary Stories Series
Alvin Schwartz is most famous for his Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. These books had very spooky and sometimes nightmare-like drawings by Stephen Gammell. The scary pictures made the books very popular.
Because the illustrations were so intense, some people felt the books were too scary for libraries. This led to many discussions about whether the books should be available in school and public libraries during the 1990s.
Other Works and Later Life
Some of Alvin Schwartz's other books, like When I Grew Up Long Ago, were for older readers. These books gave a look into what life was like in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Alvin Schwartz passed away on March 14, 1992, in Princeton, New Jersey. He was almost 65 years old. He 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 by Alvin Schwartz
Alvin Schwartz wrote many other books for young readers, exploring different types of stories and folklore.
- In A Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories
- Ghosts!: Ghostly Tales from Folklore
- Stories to Tell a Cat
- And the Green Grass Grew All around: 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
- 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
- "A Twister of Twists, A Tangler of Tongues"
- "More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark"
Compilations
- Scary Stories to Read When It's Dark (Reading Rainbow Readers series)
See also
In Spanish: Alvin Schwartz para niños
