R. L. Stine, author of the popular "Goosebumps" series, will chat with his fans next month during an online event planned by The Read In! -- a national program that sponsors an annual reading celebration through cyberspace.

On Jan. 13, Stine will "speak" with pupils in 1,000 classrooms across the country from a virtual haunted house based on his novels -- a site that pupils can explore during the session.

The event is one of the 11 monthly discussion programs leading to the sixth National Read In Day on May 13, when pupils in participating schools can spend the day communicating online with more than 25 authors.

Teachers can download the necessary free software and educational resources from The Read In! Web site at www.readin.org.

Pub Date: 12/27/98