Picking and choosing what a child should be allowed to read can be complicated. Should children be free to read anything they want, or should parents and educators be more selective about what books their kids can get their hands on? This issue is particularly divisive if it involves children’s horror fiction, which is populated by scary, violent, and unsettling tales. This article discusses the different sides to this argument and it will also suggest a way of approaching scary books that can be both pedagogical and enjoyable for a young audience.
