Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark — Halloween Spooktacular ft. Liz Gotauco | Banned Books Podcast

It’s our third annual Halloween special, and this year we invited librarian, author, and cosbrarian extraordinaire Liz Gotauco to read two classics from Alvin Schwartz’s notorious collection. Liz gives “The Hook” a modern twist, then serves up “Just Delicious,” a grim little tale with perfect spooky-season karma.

Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter… and sometimes, on holidays, banned kids’ books that scared whole generations. 

Things To Listen For:

• Liz’s updated campfire retelling of “The Hook” and why the lesson still lands
• “Just Delicious” and the very satisfying definition of “poetic justice”
• Why horror helps us process anxiety, culture wars, and, yes, book bans
• A quick tour of folklore’s… weirder side, from double princes to ghost weddings
• Real talk from a working librarian about displays, complaints, and pushback

Why was Scary Stories banned?
Schwartz’s collections got challenged for graphic scares, nightmare fuel illustrations, and “unsuitable” themes for kids. That mix of folklore, morality tales, and gallows humor made adults nervous… and young readers feel deliciously brave.

Guest Book Plug: Liz Gotauco — F*cked Up Fairy Tales: Sinful Cinderellas, Prince Alarmings, and Other Timeless Classics
If you loved Liz’s spooky reads, grab her new collection of adult-forward folklore retellings. It’s smart, bawdy, and deeply rooted in the original weirdness of global fairy tales.
• Book: Bookshop — Fcked Up Fairy Tales* (supports indies)
Bookshop
• Audiobook: Audible — narrated by Liz with a killer cast
Audible.com

Banworthy to Bingeworthy
We’re sharing the love with a few shows our listeners will vibe with:

• It’s Been a Minute (NPR): The trends you can’t escape, plus who’s pulling the strings behind them. Smart, timely, and quietly subversive.
• The Blueprint with Jen Psaki (MSNBC): Weekly conversations with Democratic strategists and change-makers on how to win again, with real policy and organizing talk.
• The Last Appeal (Dateline): Life-and-death stakes meet meticulous reporting in a wrongful-conviction case you won’t forget.

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Disclaimer
Banned Camp features readings and discussions of Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines. In this Halloween special we reference and perform portions of “The Hook” and “Just Delicious,” with credit to the original author and the folklore sources he compiled. The original works remain fully owned by their copyright holders. If you’d like to experience the full collections, we encourage you to purchase them from your favorite bookseller.

Topics Covered:
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Alvin Schwartz, Halloween Special, The Hook, Just Delicious, urban legends, ghost stories, folklore, librarians, book banning, censorship, banned books, literary analysis, comedy podcast, horror, campfire stories, final girl, poetic justice, Moms for Liberty