Eek!

It seems all too fitting that Goosebumps author R.L. Stine’s birthday falls in October, the month known for ghouls and goblins. Today, in fact, is his birthday! We at Scholastic want to wish R.L. Stine a very happy (or, shall we say hauntingly good) birthday!

Goosebumps also is celebrating a birthday – its 20^th! Goosebumps hooked a generation of kids on reading and spawned a pop culture phenomenon crossing books, a popular TV show and clever consumer products that touted good, clean and scary fun. You know you grew up in the 90s if you collected Goosebumps books and had one stashed in your backpack! Over 170 different books have been released; and, to the delight of fans, R.L. Stine continues to spin his frightful tales with the newly launched series, Goosebumps Most Wanted.

In honor of Goosebumps’ 20^th anniversary, check out these fun facts:

• Goosebumps was originally published as a monthly paperback series.
• The series was named as the bestselling book series of all time in the 2003 Guinness Book of World Records.
• Ryan Gosling starred as Greg Banks in the ‘Say Cheese and Die’ TV episode in 1996.
• “Goosebumps” or “R.L. Stine” has been the answer to five different questions on the game show Jeopardy.
• R.L. Stine types so much that he has to replace his keyboard every six months!

Feeling nostalgic for Goosebumps? Share your memories and join us as we celebrate the 20^th anniversary of Goosebumps all October long! Follow the official Goosebumps Facebook page and join the conversation with other fans by participating in ’20 Years. 20 Questions’ featuring fun questions about your favorite Goosebumps memories and more! Then, watch the Goosebumps 20^th Anniversary Marathon on the Hub TV Network on Monday, October 22 from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. (ET). And of course we’ve saved the best for last! Chat with R.L. Stine on Halloween from 1-3 p.m. as he takes the helm of Scholastic’s Facebook and Twitter! It’s sure to be a screaming good time!

– Amabel Ryan, from Scholastic Media