Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} How I Broke Up With Ernie by R.L. Stine R. L. Stine - Biography. Robert Lawrence Stine (born October 8, 1943), known as R. L. Stine , and Jovial Bob Stine , is an American writer. Stine, who is called the "Stephen King of children's literature," is the author of hundreds of horror fiction novels, including the books in the Fear Street , Goosebumps , Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, and The Nightmare Room series. Some of his other works include a Space Cadets trilogy, two Hark gamebooks, and dozens of joke books. R. L. Stine's books have sold over 400 million copies as of 2008. Contents. Biography. Stine was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 8, 1943 to Anne Stine, a homemaker and Lewis Stine, a shipping clerk. He began writing at age 9 when he found a typewriter in his attic, subsequently beginning to type stories and joke books. He graduated from The Ohio State University (OSU) in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. While at OSU, R. L. Stine edited the OSU humor magazine, The Sundial , for three out of his four years there. He later moved to New York City to pursue his career as a writer. He wrote dozens of humor books for kids under the pen name Jovial Bob Stine and created the humor magazine Bananas . In 1986, Stine wrote his first horror novel, called Blind Date . He followed with many other novels, including The Babysitter , Beach House , Hit and Run , and The Girlfriend . He was also the co-creator and head writer for the Nickelodeon Network children's television show Eureeka's Castle , original episodes of which aired as part of the Nick Jr. programming block during the 1989 to 1995 seasons. In 1989, Stine started writing Fear Street books. Before launching the Goosebumps series, Stine authored three humorous science fiction books in the Space Cadets series titled Jerks in Training , Bozos on Patrol , and Losers in Space . In 1992, Stine and Parachute went on to launch Goosebumps . According to Forbes List of the 40 best-paid Entertainers of 1996-97, Stine placed 36th with an income of $41 million for the fiscal year. His books have sold over 400 million copies worldwide as of 2008, landing on many bestseller lists. In three consecutive years during the 1990s, USA Today named Stine as America's number one best-selling author. Among the awards he has received are the 2002 Champion of Reading Award from the Free Public Library of Philadelphia (that award's first year), the Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Award for Best Book- Mystery/Horror (three-time recipient) and the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also received three times). During the 1990s, Stine was listed on People Weekly's "Most Intriguing People" list, and in 2003, the Guinness Book of World Records named Stine as the best-selling children's book series author of all time. He won the Thriller Writers of America Silver Bullet Award in 2007. His stories have even inspired R. L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse , 4D movie-based attractions at SeaWorld San Diego and Busch Gardens Europe. Also produced was a Goosebumps TV series that ran for four seasons from 1995–1998 and three video games; Escape from HorrorLand , Attack of the Mutant and Goosebumps HorrorLand . In 1995, Stine's first novel targeted at adults, called Superstitious , was published. He has since published two other adult-oriented novels; The Sitter and Eye Candy . In the first decade of the 21st century, Stine has worked on installments of five different book series, Mostly Ghostly , Rotten School , Fear Street , The Nightmare Room , Goosebumps Horrorland and the stand-alone novels Dangerous Girls (2003) and The Taste of Night (2004). Also, a direct-to-DVD movie The Haunting Hour Volume One: Don't Think About It, starring Emily Osment was released by Universal Home Entertainment on September 4, 2007. Personal life. On June 22, 1969, Stine married Jane Waldhorn, who became an editor and writer and formed Parachute Press with Joan Waricha on April 1, 1983. Their only child, Matthew, was born on June 7, 1980 and works in the music industry. How I Broke Up With Ernie. How I Broke Up With Ernie is a comedy book by R.L. Stine. Synopsis. After a year of going steady, Amy knew that breaking up with Ernie would be hard-but she never expected this! Ernie doesn't yell, he doesn't protest, he doesn't even ask what happened. But then he doesn't stop coming around either. Suddenly Ernie is like a bad case of hiccups [or herpes]. Amy just can't get rid of him! Amy is afraid she'll never get to know Colin, the new guy in her life, with Ernie tagging along on every date. To make matters even worse, her parents seem to be on Ernie's side! She realizes that breaking up with someone is supposed to be painful. But it shouldn't be impossible, should it? When Amy finally does break up with Ernie, you'll break up, too-with laughter! How I Broke Up With Ernie by R.L. Stine. R.L. Stine was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1943. His books are read all over the world. So far, he has sold over 350 million books, making him one of the best-selling children's authors in history. You can find R.L. Stine signed books for sale below this author biography. After graduating from Ohio State University in 1965, Stine headed to New York City to become a writer. He wrote dozens of joke books and humor books for kids. And he created Bananas, a zany humor magazine which he did for ten years. In those days, he wrote under the name Jovial Bob Stine. He married Jane Waldhorn in 1969. Jane became an editor and writer, and they worked together on several children's books. Later, Jane and her partner formed their own publishing company, Parachute Press, and helped create all of R.L.'s most popular book series. In 1986, R.L. turned scary! He wrote his first teen horror novel, Blind Date, which became an instant best-seller. Many scary novels followed, including Beach House, Hit And Run, The Babysitter, and The Girlfriend. In 1989 he created the Fear Street series, the best-selling young adult book series in history. He has written about 100 Fear Street books about teens facing all kinds of terror. How I Broke Up With Ernie by R.L. Stine. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.” IT BEGAN IN FIRE … … the fire that burned innocent Susannah Goode at the stake. But the Goodes had their revenge. They cursed the Fiers forever. The curse brought death and destruction to generations of Fiers—until Simon came along. Simon thinks he’s beaten the curse. He’s changed his family name to Fear. He has the powerful amulet his ancestors wore. He’s gone to New Orleans to start a new life. Nothing’s going to stop him. That’s what Simon thinks. No one escapes from the curse. It began in fire … and now it ends with The Burning. Books by R.L. Stine. THE BEST FRIEND. THE BEST FRIEND 2: SPECIAL EDITION. THE BOY NEXTDOOR. THE MIND READER. ONE EVIL SUMMER. THE PERFECT DATE. THE SECRET BEDROOM. THE STEPSISTER 2. THE SURPRISE PARTY. THE THRILL CLUB. WHAT HOLLY HEARD. WHO KILLED THE HOMECOMING QUEEN? THE WRONG NUMBER WRONG NUMBER 2. THE FIRST SCREAM. THE LOUDEST SCREAM. THE LAST SCREAM. Fear Street Cheerleaders. THE SECOND EVIL. CHEERLEADERS: THE EVIL LIVES! (A Fear Street Super-chiller) Fear Street Duet. FEAR HALL: THE BEGINNING. FEAR HALL: THE CONCLUSION. Fear Street Trilogies. The Cataluna Chronicles. THE EVIL MOON #1. THE DARK SECRET #2. THE DEADLY FIRE #3. 99 Fear Street: The House of Evil. THE FIRST HORROR. THE SECOND HORROR. THE THIRD HORROR. Fear Street Saga. THE AWAKENING EVIL. CHILDREN OF FEAR. DAUGHTERS OF SILENCE. HEART OF THE HUNTER. THE HIDDEN EVIL. HOUSE OF WHISPERS. THE SIGN OF FEAR. Fear Street Super Chillers. THE DEAD LIFEGUARD. GOODNIGHT KISS 2. THE NEW YEAR’S PARTY. HOW I BROKE UP WITH ERNIE. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.” New York London Toronto Sydney Singapore. This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. First Simon Pulse edition October 2002. Text copyright © 1993 by Parachute Press, Inc. Originally published as an Archway Paperback in October 1993. SIMON PULSE An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11. ISBN 13: 978-0-671-86833-8. FEAR STREET is a registered trademark of Parachute Press, Inc. THE FIER FAMILY TREE. Village of Shadyside1900. The candle flickered low. Candle wax puddled on the narrow wooden tabletop. Nora Goode set down her pen and stretched. Her shoulders ached. She rubbed her tired eyes. Shadows cast by the single candle danced around the small room. Nora raised her eyes to the small window. Pale gray light seeped in between the bars. The first light of morning, Nora thought. She felt a stab of panic in her chest. The first light of morning, and I still have so much to write. She flexed her aching fingers, then picked up the pen. “I must finish my story before they come for me,” she murmured. The story of the two families—the Fears and the Goodes. The story of the evil curse that followed them through time. So much to tell. She had been writing all night, but she knew she had to continue. Nora swept her dark hair back over her shoulders. Then gave a start. What was that darting shadow against the wall? Nora turned to see a scrawny rat scamper across the bare floorboards toward her feet. Ignore it, she told herself. Do not be distracted, Nora. This story is too important. It must be told. It must be written. If I do not finish the story of the Fears, no one will know how to stop the evil. Then the horrors will continue forever. Nora hunched over the table and started to write again. I must now tell the story of Simon Fear, she decided. To try to avoid the family curse, Simon changed his name from Fier to Fear. As a young man of twenty-one, he moved to New Orleans to seek his fortune. Nora shook her head bitterly. Did Simon really believe he could leave two hundred years of evil behind him? Ignoring the scratching of the rat, ignoring the sputtering of the dying candle, Nora dipped her pen in the inkwell and continued to write…. PART ONE New Orleans, Louisiana1845. Simon Fear stopped in front of the white picket fence that stretched the length of the sprawling white mansion. Through the enormous front window he could see the partygoers in fancy dress. It was brighter than day inside the ballroom. The light from the window swept over the front lawn. Horse -drawn carriages waited in line by the entrance to let off their passengers. A row of servants in uniform stood ready to assist them. Simon hesitated. He pulled at the cuffs of his jacket. The sleeves were too short. His shirt cuffs were frayed. He had no ruffles on his shirtfront. These are the wealthiest society people in New Orleans, he told himself, watching a woman in a full, three-tiered pink ball gown enter the white- columned mansion. Do I really have the nerve to enter this party without an invitation? The answer, of course, was yes. Before dressing for the party, Simon had made a mental list of his assets: I am good-looking. I can be very charming and witty if I desire to be. I am as smart as anyone in New Orleans. I am determined to do anything it takes to be a success. Taking a deep breath, Simon straightened his black cape with the purple satin lining and strode up to the gate, his eyes on the entrance. I am sure that Mr. Henry Pierce and his charming daughter, Angelica, would have invited me to their debutante ball if they had known me, Simon told himself. Well, tonight I will give them a chance to get to know me. And I will take this opportunity to introduce myself to as many wealthy young ladies as I can. After tonight I will not have to sneak into parties. The invitations will pour in. Simon stopped at the gate. From inside the open double doors he could hear laughter, the clink of glasses, and the soft music of a string quartet. These sounds were being repeated all over the town. It was Mardi Gras, and all of New Orleans was celebrating with masked balls, debutante parties, and wild, noisy street parades. The fancy-dress ball Henry Pierce was throwing for his daughter, Angelica, was the most exclusive party of them all, which was why Simon had selected it. But now, gazing at the line of servants that blocked his way to the entrance, Simon began to lose confidence. Can I really get past them? he wondered, pulling nervously at his jacket cuffs. Have I come this far only to be turned away? No. I cannot deprive the beautiful and wealthy young women of my company. Without any further hesitation Simon swept his cape behind him and moved through the gate and up the wide stairs. “I beg your pardon, sir.” A white-haired servant wearing a tailcoat over old-fashioned knee breeches and a red satin waistcoat stepped forward, his hand outstretched. “May I see your invitation?” “My invitation?” Simon smiled at the servant, his dark eyes flashing in the bright gaslight. “Why, yes, of course,” he said, stalling for time. Reaching into his coat pocket, Simon dipped his head and deliberately caused his black top hat to fall off. The hat bounced onto the wide porch. Pretending to reach for it, Simon kicked it toward the door. “Allow me to get that for you, sir,” the servant said, moving quickly toward the hat. But Simon was quicker. He scooped up the hat by its brim, then threw his arm around the shoulders of a smartly dressed gentleman just entering the house. “Why, George, old fellow! How good to see you again!” Simon declared loudly, keeping his arm around the man’s shoulders and entering the house with him. “Do I know you?” the startled man cried. “So sorry. My mistake,” Simon replied with a curt bow. The servant stepped into the doorway to search for Simon. But he had already lost himself in the crowd. He was breathing hard, excited by his daring entrance. His smile remained confident as he handed his cape and hat to a servant and moved into the ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hung low from the ceiling, sending a blaze of yellow gaslight over the crowded room. The vast floor was an intricate pattern of dark and light inlaid wood. The walls were covered in brocade. Simon studied the young women, such beautiful young women, with sausage curls framing the sides of their glowing faces. Their long hooped ball gowns swept across the shiny floor. Their voices chimed brightly. Their laughter tinkled like the clink of champagne glasses. The men strutted about in their dark tailcoats and taper-legged trousers. Simon scoffed at their flowing white cravats and ruffled white shirts, scoffed and envied them at the same time. It takes more than a ruffled shirt to make a gentleman, he reminded himself. I am as much a gentleman as any of these peacocks. And some day I will have a wardrobe full of ruffled shirts, shirts to put all of these dandies to shame. In the far corner a string quartet played Haydn. Simon started to make his way toward the center of the room, but a servant lowered a silver tray in front of him. “Champagne, sir? It arrived from France only this morning.” “No, thank you.” Simon stepped past the servant, his eyes on two young women in silk ball gowns against the wall. I have more serious business here than drinking champagne, he told himself. Turning on his most charming smile, he slicked back his dark hair, tugged at his coat cuffs, and made his way to introduce himself to the two young women. “Good evening,” he said with a polite nod of his head. The two young women, pale and blond with sparkling blue eyes, turned briefly to stare at him. Then, without replying, they returned to their conversation. “Wonderful party,” Simon offered, standing his ground, continuing to smile. They ignored him. “Allow me to introduce myself,” he said, refusing to give up. They walked away without another glance at him. Such snobs! Simon sneered. There are so few wealthy people in this town that they all know one another. They stick together and do not allow any newcomers in. Especially newcomers with a northern accent. The Haydn piece ended. After a brief pause the quartet began to play a reel. The room erupted excitedly as the young men and women quickly formed two long lines across the floor and began to dance. Simon stepped into the line. He didn’t know how to do this reel. But he was confident he could pick it up. Confidence. That was the key, Simon knew. That was the key to being accepted by these wealthy New Orleans snobs. As he picked up the rhythm of the dance, Simon attempted to catch the attention of the dark-haired girl across from him. She glanced at him briefly, then deliberately avoided him, keeping her eyes to the floor until the dance had ended. I will triumph here eventually, Simon reminded himself. Young women will be begging me for a dance! He made his way across the crowded, noisy room toward the central hall—and then stopped short in the doorway. A wide stairway, its banister festooned with yellow and white daisies, stretched up to his right. And standing on the bottom step, facing him as she leaned over the flowers, was the most beautiful girl Simon had ever seen. She had black hair, lustrous in the gaslight from the chandelier above her head. Curls tumbled beside her face with clusters of flowers holding them in place. Simon could see her flashing green eyes, catlike eyes above a perfect, slender nose, dark full lips, high, aristocratic cheekbones, and the creamy white skin of her shoulders revealed above the lace-edged top of her blue ball gown. A blue ball gown. Most of the other young women had selected pink and white and yellow. This one stood out boldly in satiny blue. Simon moved closer, staring intently at this striking vision. He suddenly realized that his mouth was dry, his knees weak. Is this what the poets call love at first sight? he wondered. It was a feeling Simon had never experienced. The young woman was still leaning against the banister, talking to another young woman, tall and frail looking in a gown of pink satin. Look up. Look up. Please … look toward me, Simon urged silently. But the two kept chattering, seemingly unaware of Simon’s existence. I must speak to her, Simon decided. “What is her name?” H e was so smitten, so stunned by the feelings sweeping over him, that Simon didn’t realize he had spoken the question aloud. “That is Henry Pierce’s daughter, Angelica,” an elderly man with a white mustache replied, eyeing Simon suspiciously. “Are you unfamiliar with our host and his family?” “Angelica Pierce,” Simon muttered, ignoring the man’s question. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” Angelica Pierce, you do not know me, Simon thought, dizzy with excitement, a kind of excitement he had never felt before. But you shall. You and I are meant for each other. I shall introduce myself now, Simon decided, his heart pounding. He straightened his tailcoat and cleared his throat. Continuing to stare intently at Angelica Pierce, he took two steps toward the staircase. But he was stopped by firm hands on his shoulders. Two grim-faced young servants had blocked Simon’s path. “I am sorry, sir,” one of them said coldly, a sneer contradicting his polite words. “But if you haven’t an invitation, we must ask you to leave.” “President Polk? He isn’t here tonight—is he? You are teasing me, are you not, Angelica?” Liza Dupree gaped open-mouthed at her cousin. Angelica laughed. “You are so gullible, Cousin Liza. What if I told you that the King of France were here? Would you believe that, too?” Liza’s cheeks reddened. “You are always teasing me, Angelica. You have such a cruel sense of humor.” “I do, don’t I!” Angelica exclaimed, toying with a shiny black curl. “You should have known President Polk wasn’t here,” Angelica told her cousin. “This party is much too exclusive. He would never get through the door!” Both girls laughed. “Did you see the gown Amanda Barton is wearing?” Angelica asked cattily. “No. Is it charming and wonderful?” Liza asked. “About as charming and wonderful as our window draperies,” Angelica said with a sneer. “In fact, I believe it is made of the same fabric!” Both girls laughed again. “I think this is the most wonderful party,” Liza gushed. “I just adore—” She stopped when she saw she didn’t have Angelica’s attention. Angelica’s gaze had flitted away for a second. R.L. Stine. Robert Lawrence Stine (born October 8, 1943), known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine , is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called "the Stephen King of children's literature," is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas. Stine's books are read all over the world. So far, he has sold over 400 million books, making him one of the best-selling children's authors in history. Contents. Personal life. R.L. Stine was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1943. He was the son of Anne and Lewis Stine. He would eventually have a younger brother and sister, respectively Harlan Williams Stine (also known as Bill) and Pamela Stine. No one in his family ever called him R.L. Everyone calls him Bob. He decided to call himself R.L. Stine when he started publishing horror novels because he wanted people to think he was a female. When Bob was nine, he found an old typewriter up in the attic. That discovery changed his life. He carried it down to his room and started typing stories and little joke books. His mother begged him to go outside and play, but Bob always said it was too boring outside. He stayed in his room typing away — and he has been writing ever since. In school, Bob was not a great student; he got mostly B's, but he never studied very hard. He spent most of his time writing stories and joke magazines to become more popular, as he was a very quiet and reserved student. He was terrible in math and he hated gym class; the only sport he was ever good at was ping pong! After graduating from Ohio State University in 1965, Bob headed to New York City to become a writer. He wrote dozens of joke books and humor books for children. He also created Bananas , a zany humor magazine which he did for ten years. In those days, he wrote under the name Jovial Bob Stine. He married Jane Waldhorn in 1969. Jane became an editor and writer, and they worked together on several children's books. Later, Jane and her partner formed their own publishing company, Parachute Press, and helped create all of Stine's most popular book series. Stine currently resides in New York City, with his wife Jane and his dogs Minnie and Nadine. His son Matthew is a composer, musician, and sound designer. Matt was married in 2014, and had a son, making Stine a grandparent. History with Goosebumps. In the early 90's, R.L. Stine was writing the Fear Street books, horror novels aimed at teenagers. His editor at the time suggested he should try doing a horror book series for 7 to 12-year-olds, as it was an untapped market. Stine didn't want to do it at first, as he thought it would "screw up" Fear Street . He thought the audience for Fear Street would think it wouldn't be as cool due to it being aimed at a younger audience. However, he ended up agreeing to do it anyway. Stine needed a name for this new series. He was reading a TV Guide , when he saw an ad at the bottom of the page that said, "It’s goosebumps week on channel 11." Stine thought it would be the perfect name for this new series. He was contracted to do four books for the Goosebumps series, those being Welcome to Dead House , Stay Out of the Basement , Monster Blood , and Say Cheese and Die! . The first three Goosebumps books were released simultaneously in July 1992. Sales for the series were initially very slow. However, within a few months, the sales of the books exploded. That's when Scholastic decided to extend Stine's contract for six more books. Sales increased even more, and the contract was extended to one book a month. Stine claims it took eight days to write a Goosebumps book. Before he would start writing, he would spend two to three days outlining the book. He said the books about summer camp were the hardest to write, since he never went to summer camp. [1] Welcome to Dead House : Stine describes this as being the scariest Goosebumps book, [2] even going as far to say it's too scary for kids. Stine says this is due to the series not having formula yet, and if he were to rewrite it, he would put in "more funny stuff" and make it less intense. [3] Stay Out of the Basement : According to the 1998 version of Stine's biography, It Came from Ohio! , the idea for this book came when an image "flashed" into his head of a father taking off his baseball cap, and leaves were growing out of his head instead of hair. Stine then started asking himself questions: "How did the leaves get there? Who is the father? Is he turning into a plant. Is he ALREADY a plant?" Stine has also mentioned this as being one of his favorite Goosebumps books. [4] : According to It Came from Ohio! , Stine was inspired to write this book after his son, Matt got his green toy slime stuck to the wall and couldn't get it off. [5] Stine also considers the Monster Blood itself to be one of his best monsters. [6] Say Cheese and Die! : Stine thought of the title while walking his dog [7] and has said it's one of the titles he's most proud of; [8] as reported in Goosebumps Holiday Collector's Caps Book , Stine initially suggested the title of this book as a joke, figuring the publishers would choose another name. When illustrator Tim Jacobus finished the cover art for this book, Scholastic became concerned that it didn't match the story. So Stine quickly wrote a dream sequence that made the cover fit with the book. [9] Let's Get Invisible! : Stine has said he's fond of this book — and that parts of it were inspired by the 1990 film Flatliners . [10] Night of the Living Dummy : Stine's mom would read him a chapter out of the original Pinocchio story every night, when he was about three or four years old. There were two scenes in the book that scared him. The first was when Pinocchio had enough of the crickets lectures, and smashed him against the wall with a wooden mallet. The second was when Pinocchio fell asleep with his feet burning on the wooden stove, and burnt both of his feet off. Stine says him being scared of the book partly inspired the Living Dummy books. [11] The Girl Who Cried Monster : Stine once stated, "In my original manuscript, the librarian eats a kid. And everyone thought that maybe was going a little too far". To make the story more tame, Mr. Mortman eats turtles instead. [12] Welcome to Camp Nightmare : Stine says the camp in the story was based on his son's camp, which he claims was a "bug-infested swamp". Stine wrote a camp- themed Goosebumps book every summer due to the success of this book. [13] The Ghost Next Door : Stine has described this book as being one of the saddest. [14] : Stine says he was inspired to write this story after his son, Matt had trouble taking off a green rubber Frankenstein mask that he wore for Halloween. [15] Stine has also said that this is his favorite book in the franchise, [16] and that he would enjoy seeing a film adaptation of it. [17] Piano Lessons Can Be Murder : The book was originally titled Guitar Lessons Can Be Murder . Stine's son, Matt, was taking guitar lessons at the time. That's when Stine got the idea for a haunted guitar story, so he began writing it. However, people around Stine told him guitars weren't scary, so it was changed to piano lessons. [3] The story itself was inspired by the 1955 film The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. , a film about a piano teacher enslaving children to practice piano forever. [18] The Werewolf of Fever Swamp : According to the Goosebumps Official Collector's Caps Book , Stine was inspired to write this book after he visited Florida and saw a deer during a boat ride. One Day at HorrorLand : According to the 2015 rerelease of It Came from Ohio! , Stine drew maps of HorrorLand so he could picture where each attraction would be while writing the book. He also said it's one of his favorite Goosebumps books. [19] Why I'm Afraid of Bees : Stine has said that this book was written because he knew a lot of people were afraid of bees, and he imagined the horror of a human being trapped inside a hive. [20] Deep Trouble : According to the Goosebumps Holiday Collector's Caps Book , Stine was given the suggestion of writing a book with sharks by his nephew Dan. Stine once said that, if he could be any Goosebumps character, he may want to be Billy Deep because of his exciting life. [15] The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight : Stine says this is one of the scariest Goosebumps books, [2] due to it taking place in a cornfield, which he believes are creepy. Go Eat Worms! : Stine has said that this was one of his least favorite Goosebumps books, [21] and he once specified that he wasn't happy with the overall story. [22] The back cover of this book says Todd finds worms in his spaghetti, but no such scene occurs in the book; when asked if this scene was in a removed chapter, Stine addressed it simply as, "An error." [23] Attack of the Mutant : Stine has described this book as one of his favorites [24] and — in the past — has hinted he would be open to writing a sequel. [25] A Night in Terror Tower : The book was inspired by Stine's trip to the Tower of London. [26] According to It Came from Ohio! , the first draft of the book had a lot more scenes where the main characters were running away. Stine's editors thought all the running was "boring", and that the characters should catch their breath every once in a while. So he rewrote the book to feature less running. [27] At one point, Stine described this as being the scariest Goosebumps book due to the protagonists not knowing their own names. [28] The Cuckoo Clock of Doom : According to the Goosebumps Holiday Collector's Caps Book , while signing books in a mall bookstore, a girl named Tara walked up to Stine and asked him to make her a character in a Goosebumps book. She said that she wanted her character to be bad, so Stine named the character Tara Webster (also known as "Tara the Terrible") after her. Stine has also cited this as being one of his favorite Goosebumps books. [29] It Came from Beneath the Sink! : On Twitter, a user asked R.L. Stine, "Did the previous owner of the killer sponge die? Is that why the kids from the family that moved in suddenly became the owners of it?" Stine jokingly responded with, "I think you need to get a life", [30] suggesting he hadn't thought that far into the matter. The Barking Ghost : Stine has said that this was one of his least favorite Goosebumps books. [21] The Horror at Camp Jellyjam : As reported in Goosebumps Holiday Collector's Caps Book , a working title for this book was Smelly Summer . Stine's favorite Goosebumps monster, King Jellyjam, comes from this book. [3] Stine has also stated this is his second favorite Goosebumps cover. [31] When asked by a fan on Twitter about a potential sequel, Stine jokingly replied "Camp Jellyjam was closed by the Feds", [32] implying there wouldn't be a sequel. Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes : When asked which Goosebumps books could've been better, Stine brought up was this book, stating he wasn't happy with the writing. [33] A Shocker on Shock Street : According to the Goosebumps Holiday Collector's Caps Book , Stine was inspired to write this book after seeing the animatronics at Walt Disney World. The Haunted Mask II : Like The Haunted Mask , Stine said he would enjoy seeing this book adapted to film. [17] The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena : Stine considers The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena to be one of his best monsters. [6] Egg Monsters from Mars : Stine says this was his favorite Goosebumps book to write. [34] Ghost Camp : Stine considers this book to be one of the scarier ones he's written. [35][36] Legend of the Lost Legend : Stine mentioned this as being one of his favorite titles. [37][38] Calling All Creeps! : According to It Came from Ohio! , Stine got the idea for this book from a joke he once played when he was in college, but it ended up backfiring on him afterwards. [39] Another inspiration for this book came from Stine finding telephones scary. [40] Chicken Chicken : Stine joked that the plot of this book was "stolen" from Stephen King's novel Thinner . [41] The Blob That Ate Everyone : Stine considers The Blob one of his best monsters. [6] The Curse of Camp Cold Lake : Stine once described this book as being among his scariest works. [42] The Haunted School : Stine stated that he got the idea for this when a group of children approached him in a bookstore, asking if he could write a book about their school, which they said was haunted. [43] Give Yourself Goosebumps : Stine said he enjoyed working on these books, but no publishers were interested in reviving the series. [44] : Stine appears at the beginning of several episodes. He has described "The Haunted Mask", "A Night in Terror Tower", and Attack of the Mutant" as being his favorite episodes. [45] Cry of the Cat : According to Stine, this is the Goosebumps book that took the longest to write. He claims he wrote three different versions of this book before he and his associates were satisfied with it. [46] Creature Teacher : Stine described this as being his favorite Goosebumps cover [31] and one of his favorite Goosebumps books. [47] Invasion of the Body Squeezers: Part 1 & Part 2 : Prior to the release of these books, Stine described the duology as his favorite Goosebumps story at the time of being interviewed. [25] Are You Terrified Yet? : Stine teased the title of this book in August 1997, stating it was going to be a camp- themed book, which ended up not being the case. It's likely Stine confused the plot with that of Fright Camp , which was the book that preceded this one. [48] Brain Juice : Stine teased the title of the book while he was still working on the original series, [49] but he had trouble coming up with a plot. [50] Consequently, the book reportedly wasn't finished until March 1998. [51] Ultimately, Stine would go on to name Brain Juice as one of his favorite Goosebumps books because of the underlying comedy of the situations that the protagonists find themselves in. [52] The Mummy Walks : When Stine was at the Los Angeles International Airport, he saw two parents give their son an envelope, who was boarding a flight by himself for the first time. Stine thought of a scenario where the kid opened the envelope only to find a note that says "we are not your parents." [53] A scene just like this takes place in the book. Goosebumps Gold : Stine claims the books for this canceled series were never written. Although, he says he may have had the stories outlined. [3] He used one of the titles, Slappy New Year , for the nineteenth book in the Goosebumps HorrorLand series. Stine has also said on multiple occasions that The Haunted Mask Lives! was published as The Scream of the Haunted Mask [54] despite claiming to have never written the book. The Streets of Panic Park : Stine once admitted that he didn't consider this book to be one of his scariest. [42] Little Shop of Hamsters : Stine thought of the title for this book while walking his dog in Riverside Park, [16] and it's one of the titles he's most proud of. [8] Stine also described this book as being difficult to write due to him finding it hard to make hamsters scary. [55] Planet of the Lawn Gnomes : Stine was reportedly working on the book as early as October 2011, a full year before the book's release. [56] Stine also mentioned this books as being one of his favorite recent Goosebumps covers. [57] Son of Slappy : Stine mentioned this book as being one of his favorite recent Goosebumps covers. [57][58] Frankenstein's Dog : Stine also mentioned this book as another one of his favorite recent Goosebumps covers. [58] He also considers Frankenstein's Dog to be one of his best monsters. [6] & Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween : Stine makes cameo appearances near the end of both films. While Stine was supportive of both films, he made the following suggestion for any prospective Goosebumps film adaptations: "I would want them to make it a little scarier and less funny." [59] Attack of the Jack! : Stine originally announced the title as "Jack Attack" in July 2016. [60] Stine says this is one of the recent Goosebumps books he really likes due to it featuring a talking cat, which he claims he was surprised he got away with. At one point, Stine mistakenly said the book is about "jack-o'-lanterns coming to life." [61] It's likely he got it confused with Attack of the Jack-O'-Lanterns , a book with a very similar title. It's Alive! It's Alive! : Stine got the idea for this book after learning how popular robotics were in schools. [62] Awards. Stine holding his 2012 Guinness World Records award for most prolific author of children’s horror fiction novels.