Children's Book Suggestions | Horror

Something old, something new...a mix of classic and recent horror novels for readers in Grades 2-7. For more reading ideas, ask a staff member for some suggestions, fill out our Personalized Book Recommendation Form, or check out NoveList for recommended book lists and readalikes.

For younger readers, check out our Halloween Scavenger Hunt book list with 31 not-too-scary titles for ages 3-7!

Updated October 5, 2023
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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The jumbies
Baptiste, Tracey
Paper Book
The jumbies are coming! Corinne La Mer isn't afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. She knows that jumbies aren't real; they're just creatures parents make up to frighten their children. But on All Hallows' Eve...

A great pick for fans of this summer's The Little Mermaid movie who were really hoping for more terrifying Caribbean sea monster content. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The last kids on Earth
Brallier, Max
Paper Book
A Netflix Original series! The first book in the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling series, with over 7 million copies in print! "Terrifyingly fun! Delivers big thrills and even bigger laughs."--Jeff Kinney, author of the #1 ...

This illustrated novel about kids surviving a zombie apocalypse is hands-down our most popular kids horror series. With plenty of humor and an emphasis on action, it's great for readers who don't like to be too scared. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The school is alive!
Chabert, Jack
Paper Book
Eerie Elementary is one scary school!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence...
A third-grader saves his classmates from their monstrous school in this chapter book for kids who are just ready to move up from easy readers. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)
Rise of the balloon goons
Cummings, Troy.
Paper Book
Monsters + Humor + Fun = THE NOTEBOOK OF DOOM!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading...

An illustrated diary-style book about a kid who discovers that his new town is literally filled with monsters. This one is definitely more funny than scary, which makes it a great pick for sensitive horror-curious readers. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

Camp Sylvania
Murphy, Julie
Paper Book
From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin', comes a hilarious and creepy middle grade summer camp story that takes a bite out of fat camp and diet culture. Perfect for fans of Spooky Stories and Starfish. Magnolia "Maggie" Hagen is determined to be in the...

By the author of the book behind the beloved Netflix movie, Dumplin', comes a middle grade novel about the horrors of body shaming in a classic summer camp setting. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Ghost squad
Ortega, Claribel A.
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy. For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business. Shortly before Halloween, Lucely...

Think Hocus Pocus but in Florida, starring a Dominican American family with a connection to the supernatural. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

The incredibly dead pets of Rex Dexter
Reynolds, Aaron
Audiobook
REX DEXTER IS ITCHING TO HAVE A DOG. He was practically born to have one. His name is Rex, for crying out loud. It's a dog's name. Any pooch is preferable to no pooch, but a chocolate Labrador is the pinnacle. The best of the best. The dream of all dreams. When Rex's B-Day...
A kid who wants a pet dog is cursed by a carnival game and must solve a mystery at the local zoo using his newfound ability to talk to dead animals. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)
Night of the living dummy
Stine, R. L.
Paper Book
Goosebumps now on Disney+!Lindy names the ventriloquist's dummy she finds Slappy. Slappy is kind of ugly, but he's a lot of fun. Lindy's having a great time learning to make Slappy move and talk. But Kris is jealous of all the attention her sister is getting. It's no fair. Why does Lindy...

Is it too much of a stretch to call R.L. Stine the Shakespeare of children's horror fiction? Maybe, but he's still one of the most recognizable authors in children's literature. A great starting point for elementary readers who are interested in dipping their toes into the genre. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Scary stories to tell in the dark
Schwartz, Alvin
Paper Book
This spooky addition to Alvin Schwartz's popular books on American folklore is filled with tales of eerie horror and dark revenge that will make you jump with fright. There is a story here for everyone -- skeletons with torn and tangled flesh who roam the earth; a ghost who takes revenge on her...

If you were a kid in the 1980s who liked scary stories, this series by Alvin Scwartz was probably your favorite book! It was adapted into a movie (rated PG-13) in 2019 and is followed by 2 sequels. P.S. Make sure to check the illustrator info before you place those holds. Fans of the OG series usually prefer Stephen Gammell's original illustrations to Brett Helquist's updated versions from 2011. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)

More scary stories to tell in the dark
Schwartz, Alvin
Paper Book
All those who enjoyed shuddering their way through Alvin Schwartz's first volume of Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark will find a satisfyingly spooky sequel in this new collection of the macabre, the funny, and the fantastic.Is it possible to die -- and not know it? What if a person is buried too...
Scary stories 3 : more tales to chill your bones
Schwartz, Alvin
Paper Book
Storytellers know -- just as they have for hundreds and hundreds of years -- that everyone enjoys a good, scary story Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories 3 joins his other popular collections of scary folklore, Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark and More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, to give...

Sorting through the different illustrators in the catalog can be challenging, so here's the direct link to book three. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)

Haru, zombie dog hero
Oh, Ellen
Paper Book
"Tender character relationships between both pup and human, and the myriad fully realized animals Haru meets along his journey, combine for a multilayered and thoroughly heartfelt must-read."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Oh covers heavy, relevant topics in this tense middle-grade...
A boy-and-his-dog story...where the dog is a zombie. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)
Small Spaces Small Spaces Quartet Series, Book 1
Arden, Katherine.
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic. After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she...
Katherine Arden is also an award-winning author of fantasy novels for adult readers, and her writing skills really elevate this series to the next level--without sacrificing kid appeal! The first book in a quartet, it was also an OBOB pick in 2021. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7).
Doll bones
Black, Holly.
Paper Book
Discover the Newbery Honor winner Doll Bones, from Holly Black, the cocreator of the Spiderwick Chronicles. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book. A School Library Journal Best Book. A Booklist Editor's Choice Books for Youth. A Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book. A...

An award-winning classic about friends, growing up, and a creepy doll. (Young Teen Grades 5-7)

Camp Scare
Dawson, Delilah S.
Paper Book
An eerie, twisty ghost story about twelve-year-old Parker, who only wants a summer of fun and new friendship at sleepaway camp but ends up finding a nightmare instead! Don't forget your flashlight. . . . Parker Nelson can't wait for summer camp. She'll have fun and...
Trapped in a summer camp cabin with her school bully, a middle school girl finds support from someone who's not what she seems. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)
Living ghosts & mischievous monsters : chilling American Indian stories
Jones, Dan C.
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark! A shiver-inducing collection of short stories to read under the covers, from a breadth of American Indian nations. Dark figures in the night. An owl's cry on the wind. Monsters watching from the edge of the wood. Some of...

If you've worn out your copies of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and are looking for new spooky stories and urban legends, this collection of scary stories from indigenous nations throughout North America should hit the spot. (Children's Nonfiction Age 8-12)

Wait till Helen comes : a ghost story
Hahn, Mary Downing.
Paper Book
Ghost story master Mary Downing Hahn spins a suspenseful yarn about two children who dislike their malicious younger stepsister, Heather--and tensions that escalate when Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen. In a chilling ghost story that is also an insightful family drama, Molly,...

Mary Downing Hahn writes some of the best horror books for young readers! This 1986 novel is her most famous book and was adapted into a movie in 2016 (Rated TV-14) and a graphic novel in 2022. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Wait till Helen comes : a ghost story graphic novel
Peterson, Scott
Paper Book
In this graphic novel adaptation of master horror storyteller Mary Downing Hahn's spookiest and most popular tale, two siblings must save their stepsister from the clutches of a vengeful ghost. When their mom remarries, Molly and her brother, Michael, try to make friends with their new...

The graphic novel adaptation of Mary Downing Hahn's classic chilling ghost story. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)

Too bright to see
Lukoff, Kyle
Paper Book
A Newbery Honor Book * Winner of the Stonewall Book Award  * A National Book Award Finalist "A gentle, glowing wonder, full of love and understanding." -The New York Times Book Review It's the summer before middle school and eleven...
This National Book Award finalist uses horror themes to explore family, loss, and identity through Bug, who believes a "presence" in their house is trying to send them a message after the death of a beloved uncle. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)
Truth or dare...
Night, P. J.
Paper Book
The bestselling You're Invited to a Creepover middle grade series comes to graphic novels with this first book about a bone-chilling sleepover game gone ghostly. During a round of Truth or Dare, Abby Miller confesses her crush on Jake Chilson. The only people who know her secret...
What starts as a made-up spooky tale becomes all too real as this graphic novel series takes the time-honored tradition of telling scary stories at a sleepover and runs with it! (Young Teen Graphic Novels Grades 5-7)
Bloom
Oppel, Kenneth
Paper Book
The first book in bestselling author Kenneth Oppel's explosive new trilogy It was just rain. But after the downpour, odd black plants begin to shoot up. Suddenly-- They. Are. Everywhere. They take over fields and twine around houses. They bloom and throw off...

Predatory alien plants take over Salt Springs Island in this triology from action-suspense author Oppel. Perfect for kids who are on track to love the Alien movies when they grow up. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

What stays buried
Young, Suzanne
Paper Book
A Bram Stoker Award nominee! In her first book for middle grade readers, New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Young brings together a thrilling ghost story, a heartfelt coming of age journey, and a poignant reminder that those we've loved and lost are never far away--perfect for fans of Bone...

A popular YA author writes her first book for younger readers about a girl who will lose her ability to talk to ghosts (including the spirits of beloved family members) when she turns 13. (Young Teen Grades 5-7)

The graveyard book
Gaiman, Neil.
Paper Book
The 10th anniversary edition of The Graveyard Book includes a foreword by Margaret Atwood as well as sketches from the illustrator, handwritten drafts, and Neil Gaiman's Newbery acceptance speech. IT TAKES A GRAVEYARD TO RAISE A CHILD. Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a...

A young boy is rescued by ghosts and raised in a graveyard in this award-winning novel loosely inspired by The Jungle Book. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 3-5)


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