Revisiting Old Haunts

Last night I came across some old books that I had read when I was in elementary /middle school. Leafing through them brought back both pleasant memories and also a confirmation that I was glad that I grew up then. A few years ago, I looked up and purchased copies of the "Monsters" and "Movie Monsters" series from Crestwood House, and Thomas G. Aylesworth's "The Story of..." series. These particular books sparked my interest in horror movies and things that go bump in the night. I can remember checking these out repeatedly from both the school and public libraries while growing up. Looking back at them now, the text is  basic to an adult's eyes, but the joy of seeing the tantalizing covers still make me smile. I still have two books about ghosts that I purchased when I was in the fifth grade. I distinctly recall getting the "Weekly Reader" book lists in class and ordering "Beware, This House is Haunted" by Henry Dreher, and "Haunted Houses" by Larry Kettlekamp. Another one I got at the same time is "Movie Monsters" by Alan Ormsby, which I treasure because it not only has great movie stills, but also a do-it-yourself makeup section in which the author teaches the reader how to turn oneself into Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula, etc. There is one common denominator with these authors, and that is to write about interesting subjects but also to encourage reading. I think their strategy worked, since it has inspired in me a life-long love of books and reading.