Tales of Terror

The late Ida Chittum is best known for her chilling and thrilling tales of ghosts, backwoods murders and monsters set in the Ozarks of Missouri where she was reared, the seventh child from a family of ten. Accompanied by her pet mule, Leonette, young Ida sought out strange people and places, including haunted homesteads and remote ravines, home to the Monster of Poot Hollow. She learned the art of telling tales from reclusive hill folk, who wiled away the hours spinning yarns both funny and frightening. Among Chittum's most popular books were Tales of Terror (1975) and The Thing Without a Name (1981), collections of short stories about restless spirits and sightless monsters who crawled from caves to roam the woods on moonlit nights. The mother of five and housewife from Findlay, Illinois began writing at age 52 and went on to author 13 books for children and young adults, including the delightful Farmer Hoo and the Baboons (1971), which won the Lewis Carrol Shelf award, followed by Clabber Biscuits (1972), as well mysteries such as The Hermit Boy (1972) and children's picture books, including The Cat's Pajamas (1980).