Chicago, IL -- (ReleaseWire) -- 02/10/2016 --This upcoming documentary will explore the history and background of one of the most controversial works of modern children's literature: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. In many American libraries of the '80s and '90s these books developed a growing interest from boys and girls who was taken in by the gothic tales, the whimsical tone, and the ghostly illustrations. Now the Scary Stories book series is counted among some of the most talked-about children's books of the last 30 years and a testament to the power of something that is often taken for granted: a good scary story.

In this new age of iPads and YouTube and XBox where imagination is blunted by the tantalizing siren call of a screen, the books and illustrations that children grow up with are still often remembered as the most powerful. The Scary Stories books were a very potent fuel in firing up the imagination of young readers who asked themselves "What's next?" as they read every paragraph in every book in the series.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a 3-book anthology of folktales and urban legends by Alvin Schwartz and originally illustrated by Stephen Gammell. The Scary Stories book series is steeped in mythology that has been handed down for many years. The detailed appendices and source materials listed in the books invite us into a fascinating exploration involving some of the foundations of cultural storytelling. Fear, death, the unknown. And it also was the #1 most challenged children's book of the 1990's, arguably the most banned book of the last 30 years.

Producer Cody Meirick has lined up interviews with family members of the author, long since passed away, as well as a veritable who's who of authors and academics in the field of literature, most notable of which is Goosebumps author R.L. Stine. The Scary Stories documentary is a very serious endeavor that takes a deep dive in exploring the human mind and what engages the imagination, motivating readers to turn the pages of a book intended to frighten them.

This arrives hot off the heels of news that Pacific Rim and Hellboy Director Guillermo Del Toro has been hired by CBS Films to produce a separate film adaptation of the books.

The Official Scary Stories Indiegogo Project - http://bit.ly/1PrsUQF

The Official Scary Stories Website - http://www.scarystoriesdoc.com/

About Cody Meiric
With 6+ years managing for a nonprofit initiative aimed towards improving early education at Erikson Institute, Cody has gained a unique perspective on childhood development. He has years of experience developing media in the pursuit of understanding young children and how to best educate them.