Spooky Stories (Tamariki).

Prepare for the fright of your life with scary stories and gothic tales with this selection of horror and spooky themed books. Read all about ghosts, witches, zombies and so much more.

Updated August 20, 2024
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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...
The night gardener : a scary story
Auxier, Jonathan
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller, Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James. More than just a spooky tale, it's also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling.   ...
The house with a clock in its walls
Bellairs, John
Paper Book
John Bellairs, the name in Gothic mysteries for middle graders, wrote terrifying tales full of adventure, attitude and alarm. For years, young readers have crept, crawled, and gone bump in the night with the unlikely heroes of these Gothic novels: Lewis Barnavelt, Johnny Dixon, and Anthony Monday....
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...
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 ...
The Witches
Dahl, Roald
Paper Book
From the World's No. 1 Storyteller, The Witches is a children's classic that has captured young reader's imaginations for generations. This is not a fairy tale. This is about real witches. Grandmamma loves to tell about witches. Real witches are the...
The Spook's apprentice
Delaney, Joseph
Paper Book
Capturing witches Binding boggarts Driving away ghosts For years, Old Gregory has been the Spook for the county, ridding the local villages of evil. Now his time is coming to an end. But who will take over for him? Twenty-nine apprentices have tried...
The Spook's battle
Delaney, Joseph
Paper Book
"I see your future clearly. Your master will be dead, and you will be alone. It would be better if you had never been born." Thomas Ward is the apprentice for the local Spook, who banishes boggarts and drives away ghosts. But now a new danger is threatening Tom's world: the witches are rising and...
The Spook's curse
Delaney, Joseph
Paper Book
Now it's the dark's turn to be afraid The Spook and his apprentice, Thomas Ward, deal with the dark. Together they rid the county of witches, ghosts, and boggarts. But now there's some unfinished business to attend to in Priestown. Deep in the catacombs of the cathedral lurks a creature...
The Spook's mistake
Delaney, Joseph
Paper Book
Thomas Ward has spent two years as the Spook's apprentice. He's faced unimaginable peril, and survived. But a new danger has emerged: an ancient water witch, Bloodeye, is roaming the County intent on destroying everything in her path. To strengthen his skills, Tom is sent to the far north to...
The Spook's sacrifice
Delaney, Joseph
Paper Book
"You can't make alliances with witches and suchlike and hope to avoid being drawn toward the dark." As the Spook's apprentice, Thomas Ward's first duty is to protect the County from ghosts, boggarts, and other dangerous creatures. But now his mother has come back from her homeland to seek...
The Jolley-Rogers and the ghostly galleon
Duddle, Jonny
Paper Book
Ahoy, me hearties! Matilda and the Pirates Next Door return in a series of illustrated stories for young readers. Every full moon, a mysterious ship is seen off the coast of Dull-on-Sea. Then, the next day, gold and jewelry are missing from homes, shops, and museums all over town...
Coraline
Gaiman, Neil
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author Neil Gaiman's modern classic, Coraline--also an Academy Award-nominated film "Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house...." When Coraline steps through a door to find another...
The troll heart
Henseleit, Jack
Paper Book
In The Witching Hours, Anna and Max travel the world with their father, the Professor - but their real adventures take place in the dangerous underworld of dark fairies, where the children face sinister creatures and battle for their lives. After...
Bunnicula : a rabbit-tale of mystery
Howe, Deborah
Paper Book
BEWARE THE HARE! Is he or isn't he a vampire? Before it's too late, Harold the dog and Chester the cat must find out the truth about the newest pet in the Monroe household -- a suspicious-looking bunny with unusual habits...and fangs!
World zombination
Kloepfer, John
Paper Book
The world is teeming with highly intelligent super zombies, and Zack Clarke and his crew--Zoe, Rice, Ozzie, Madison, and Olivia--are on a globe-trotting hunt for the ultimate antidote. From taming zombie jungle animals in Madagascar to unearthing zombie mummies (zummies) in Egypt...
Sludgment day
Kloepfer, John.
Paper Book
The maul of America! It's been two days since a zombie virus turned Zack Clarke's parents, neighbors, and most of the country into brain-munching fiends. Zack and his crew of Zombie Chasers--Rice, Madison, Ozzie, and Zoe--are ready to end this nightmare once and for all! ...
Undead ahead
Kloepfer, John.
Paper Book
BRAAAAAINS!!! Zack Clarke, his best pal, Rice, and middle-school queen bee Madison Miller survived the night of the living dead--but the nightmare's not over yet! Zack's sister is a zombie and his parents might be goners. Rice has uncovered the source of the zombie...
The zombie chasers
Kloepfer, John.
Paper Book
"An irreverent illustrated chapter book that features a ton of gore and zombie mayhem, but portrayed in such a cartoony, over-the-top style that it will make kids chuckle more than scream." (Brightly.com) This is the first book in the heavily illustrated Zombie Chasers series by John...
The nest
Oppel, Kenneth
Paper Book
"The Nest leaves a lasting mark on the memory." --The New York Times Book Review Steve just wants to save his baby brother--but what will he lose in the bargain? Kenneth Oppel's (Silverwing, The Boundless) haunting gothic tale for fans of Coraline,...
The ghost belonged to me : a novel
Peck, Richard
Paper Book
Only Alexander knows why the barn is haunted---and by what   When Alexander notices an eerie light coming out of the barn,. He thinks his friend Blossom Culp is trying to spook him. But strange things really are happening there. Slimy footprints appear out of nowhere, and whimpering...
City of ghosts
Schwab, Victoria
Paper Book
From #1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab comes a sweeping, spooky, evocative adventure, perfect for fans of "Stranger Things" and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.A New York Times bestseller!Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't...
Tunnel of bones
Schwab, Victoria
Paper Book
The thrilling sequel to Victoria Schwab's New York Times bestselling City of Ghosts!Trouble is haunting Cassidy Blake . . . even more than usual.She (plus her ghost best friend, Jacob, of course) are in Paris, where Cass's parents are filming their TV show about the world's most...
Scary stories to tell in the dark : collected from folklore
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...
Nightmares!
Segel, Jason
Paper Book
"Coraline meets Monsters, Inc. in this delightfully entertaining offering from actor [Jason] Segel and co-author [Kirsten] Miller."--Publishers Weekly The hilariously frightening, middle-grade novel Nightmares! is a Texas Bluebonnet nominee...
The sleepwalker tonic
Segel, Jason
Paper Book
Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic is the sequel to the hilariously scary New York Times bestselling novel Nightmares! by multitalented actor Jason Segel and bestselling author Kirsten Miller. You thought the nightmares were over? You better keep the lights on!   ...
Slappy, beware!
Stine, R. L
Paper Book
The untold true story of Slappy in a terrifying new special edition!This is Slappy's world-- you only scream in it! But where did he come from? And can he ever be destroyed? Slappy the ventriloquist's dummy has only one mission in his tiny, deranged mind: do evil every day, all day. His creator,...
One day at HorrorLand
Stine, R. L.
Paper Book
Goosebumps now on Disney+!Werewolf Village. The Doom Slide. The Coffin Cruise. These are just a few of the terrifying attractions that await Luke and Lizzy Morris at HorrorLand. Step right up and join the Morris family as they ride each ride--and scream each scream--for the very first time....
The case of the counterfeit criminals
Stratford, Jordan
Paper Book
This "winner" (School Library Journal) of a history-mystery-science series continues as the Wollstonecraft Detectives--Ada Byron Lovelace and Mary Shelley--take on a case from the celebrated dinosaur bone hunter, Mary Anning.   The Wollstonecraft Girls embark on...
The case of the girl in grey
Stratford, Jordan
Paper Book
This history-mystery series continues with another fine display of brains and bravery from the Wollstonecraft Girls--Ada Bryon Lovelace and Mary Shelley. Inspired fun for middle grade readers and fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and Lemony Snicket!   The Wollstonecraft...
The case of the missing moonstone
Stratford, Jordan
Paper Book
History, mystery, and science collide in a new series for middle-grade readers, perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and Lemony Snicket!   Jordan Stratford imagines an alternate 1826, where Ada Lovelace (the world's first computer programmer)...
The case of the perilous palace
Stratford, Jordan
Paper Book
The history-mystery-science series concludes as the Wollstonecraft Detectives--Ada Byron Lovelace and Mary Shelley--take on a case by royal request. Ada's imperious grandmother has absolutely shut the Wollstonecraft Detective Agency down--until they get a case from a princess,...
The screaming staircase
Stroud, Jonathan
Paper Book
*NOW A NETFLIX SERIES* Dive into the first book of this frightfully fun series and join the ghost-hunting gang as they defend our world from the most fearsome phantoms! A sinister Problem has occurred in London: all nature of ghosts,...
The unadoptables
Tooke, Hana
Paper Book
A delicious fairy tale full of mysterious spirits, daring escapes, and a beautiful message about the power of found families. In all the years that Elinora Gassbeek has been matron of the Little Tulip Orphanage, not once have the Rules for Baby Abandonment been broken. Until the...
Nightbooks
White, J. A.
Paper Book
A boy is imprisoned by a witch and must tell her a new scary story each night to stay alive. This thrilling contemporary fantasy from J. A. White, the acclaimed author of the Thickety series, brings to life the magic and craft of storytelling.  Alex's original hair-raising...

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