Mi hijos! Mi hijas! Come quick! I have found a very special present for you. It is a book, un libro, but not just any book. It is a special libro. You remember the old stories I tell you, the ones you laugh at when my back is turned? Well, here is a book that tells the same stories, the same cuentos! It is a book that comes from Mexican nanas like me. It tells stories from sus familias. And do you know what, my precious grandchildren, mi nietos? Many of these stories are nearly the same as the stories from mi familia. What did I tell you? Si, it proves that the stories are true. You should listen to your nana.

Inside this book you will find more than a dozen tales you might recognize from the folklore of southwestern America. Diane Willsey, a teacher, encouraged her students to talk to their own grandmothers and ask for their "scary stories." Then she compiled the narratives into original tales to save them for future generations.

Prepare yourself. These chronicles can be truly frightening! When you finish, you might want to talk to your own grandmother and find the stories of your family.