By Tabitha Bozeman
Parents of children of a certain age will be familiar with what my daughter calls “fuh-naf,” or Five Nights at Freddy’s (FNAF). These books come in a variety of genres: chapter books, graphic novels, interactive novels, and even guidebooks for those who want to know every little detail about the characters and stories.
My 10-year-old has discovered FNAF. She is obsessed.
When I was a little girl, I gave myself nightmares by reading Nancy Drew. I could handle the Bobsey Twins, and the Boxcar Children, but Nancy’s shenanigans were too much. In fact, I could barely handle reading the Mandie series. So, when my youngest discovered Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Roald Dahl’s Ghost Stories, I was completely unprepared for the experience I had when she asked to read aloud to me at night. I was inordinately pleased that she’d finally found books she loved to read, though, so I suffered through. Thankfully, the stories were never quite as creepy as I’d worried they’d be.
That relief was short-lived, though. Last week, we visited Books a Million a couple of times and Olivia spotted the Five Nights at Freddy’s books. She’d asked about them before and I’d put her off. I have a nephew who loved the books when he was about her age, though, so after reviewing them online and flipping through them myself I finally gave in. Suddenly, the daughter I’d begun to despair of ever passing a love of reading to was obsessed with a book series. Was it the series I’d choose for her? Most certainly, without a doubt, not. But, did these books capture her imagination and get her so excited about following the characters’ adventures that she was suddenly discussing “foreshadowing” and “setting” with me? They sure did. In fact, she has even begun swapping books with friends at school as they fill in the series blanks with one another when the school library is missing a book or parents haven’t bought the next one in the series yet.
Welcome to the Bozeman house, FNAF.
I’d have been terrified of these books at her age. Not least because they are something right out of the early 1980’s pizza-and-skeeball-fueled nightmares of Showbiz Pizza and Chuck E. Cheese. I had my 5th birthday at the Chuck E. Cheese that was open briefly in Gadsden. If I remember correctly, I think it was in the old Gregerson’s/Apple-a-Day shopping center. There was nothing more enticing at that time than a pit of plastic balls, kid-sized hamster tunnels in the walls, and lighting that would make the rollerskating rink proud. However, I was always wary of the larger-than-life animatronic characters on the stage. This hodge podge group included a ginormous chicken, purple monster, creepy chef, and a singing dog, all friends with the gigantic mouse leader of the group, Chuck. E. Cheese. As a mom, all I can think about is the yuck-factor, but as a kid it was fun-creepy.
Today is Halloween, and through the years I have been careful about what and how much creepy I let my children experience, always erring on the side of little-to-none because I remember being easily scared. My kids, though, have not been scared or had nightmares like I did, and as they have gotten older we have enjoyed watching shows like Stranger Things and murder mysteries together. It turns out there are several reasons why kids might like scary and creepy stories and shows. Age-appropriate scary books and shows can be a safe space to explore fear, which is a very real part of life. They can also offer a social bonding experience like my daughter has had with other kids at school who are reading the same stories. A good jump scare offers a burst of adrenaline, too, and that is exciting for kids.
This Halloween, my youngest is dressing up as one of the characters from the FNAF books, and while that would have terrified me as a kid, I’m glad she feels safe and confident enough in her life and our family to enjoy these creepy stories. I hope she and the rest of the kids out tonight enjoy the jump scares and ghost stories they will get on their adventures. While she is out with her cousins and sisters trick-or-treating and having a hayride with her aunt and uncle, I’m grateful to happily putter around inside, making chili and handing out candy. There are far fewer jump scares involved with that side of things.
Tabitha Bozeman is an instructor at GSCC. Email at tabithabozeman@gmail.com.
