If you’re someone who loves ghouls and goblins, but prefer to keep the fun a little more Hocus Pocus (1993) and a little less Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), we’ve got just the thing: The Scholastic FunFact Book of Ghosts: Demons and spirits from the world beyond.
The 1977 book, which you can see in all its glory on the blog Euclid Boo, is a 32-page manual on all things phantom. It covers everything from “What is a ghost?” to types of ghosts, ghost duties, how to spot one, historical ghosts, “Unlikely ghosts,” “Ghosts around the world,” and of course, haunted houses. Perhaps most useful for the amateur paranormal enthusiast is a spread on ghost hunting, which includes a rundown of necessary equipment (a camera, graph paper, and thermometer to detect a ghost-revealing temperature drop) and info on how animals can help sniff out a spectre. There’s also a section on famous ghost faking techniques employed by mortals, and a “dictionary of ghostlore” to ensure that young readers are well-versed in the language of the supernatural. (There’s even a definition for soul if you want to get really deep.)
Head on over to Euclid Boo to see the amazing illustrations that accompany the guide, and if you’re interested in procuring the book for your own personal collection, copies of the throwback are available on Amazon starting at $60.
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October 15, 2016 – 2:00pm