Spooky Middle Grade Stories for Halloween

A selection of spooky stories for middle grade readers, sure to get them into the spirit of Halloween.
Updated October 2, 2022
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Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Alvin Schwartz
Paper Book
The iconic anthology series of horror tales that's now a feature film! A classic collection of chillingly scary tales, collected and retold by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by renowned artist Brett Helquist (illustrator of A Series of Unfortunate Events and more!). Scary...
Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery
Deborah Howe
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!
Coraline
Neil Gaiman
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 House with a Clock in Its Walls
John Bellairs
Paper Book
A haunting gothic tale by master mysery writer John Bellairs--soon to be a major motion picture starring Cate Blanchett and Jack Black! "The House With a Clock in Its Walls will cast its spell for a long time."--The New York Times Book Review When Lewis...
Welcome to Dead House (Goosebumps, No. 1)
R. L. Stine
Paper Book
Goosebumps available soon on Disney+! 11-year-old Josh and 12-year-old Amanda just moved into the oldest and weirdest house on the block--the two siblings think it might even be haunted! But of course, their parents don't believe them. You'll get used to it, they say. Go out and...
The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural
Patricia C. Mckissack
Paper Book
With an extraordinary gift for suspense, McKissack brings us ten original, spine-tingling tales inspired by African American history and the mystery of that eerie half hour before nightfall-the dark-thirty.
Wait Till Helen Comes
Mary Downing Hahn
Paper Book
Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their seven-year-old stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a...
Skeleton Man
Joseph Bruchac
Paper Book
A chilling middle grade novel featuring a brave young girl, missing parents, and a terrifying stranger, based on a Native American legend. R.L. Stine, New York Times bestselling author of the Goosebumps series, raved, "This book gave ME nightmares!" Molly's father, who grew up on the...
Scary Stories for Young Foxes
Christian McKay Heidicker
Paper Book
A 2020 Newbery Honor Recipient! Christian McKay Heidicker, author of the Thieves of Weirdwood trilogy, draws inspiration from Bram Stoker, H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe for his debut middle-grade novel, a thrilling portrait of survival and an...
The Graveyard Book
Neil Gaiman
Paper Book
This Harper Classics edition of The Graveyard Book includes the complete original book as well as Neil Gaiman's Newbery acceptance speech; handwritten pages and sketches from The Graveyard Book; and a reading group guide.  It takes a graveyard to raise a child. Nobody Owens,...
Short and Shivery: Thirty Chilling Tales
Robert D. San Souci
Paper Book
Make story time a little spookier with this Halloween-themed collection of ghost stories, spooky shorts, and frightening folktales from all over the world! "No one travels these roads after dark. Those who are found the next day, if they are still alive, will have gone mad."
More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Alvin Schwartz
Paper Book
The iconic anthology series of horror tales that's now a feature film! This is a new edition of the complete original book. Stephen Gammell's artwork from the original More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark appears in all its spooky glory. Read if you dare! More Scary Stories...
Doll Bones
Holly Black
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...
Deep and Dark and Dangerous
Mary Downing Hahn
Paper Book
Just before summer begins, 13-year-old Ali finds an odd photograph in the attic. She knows the two children in it are her mother, Claire, and her aunt Dulcie. But who's the third person, the one who's been torn out of the picture? Ali figures she'll find out while she's vacationing in...
Whisper in the Dark
Joseph Bruchac
Paper Book
The author of Skeleton Man pens a new spine-tingling tale. Maddie loves spooky stories, especially the Native American legends her grandmother used to tell. Suddenly, the most frightening legend of all--about the Whisperer in the Dark--becomes a bit too real.
Stay Out of the Basement (Goosebumps, No 2)
R. L. Stine
Paper Book
Goosebumps now on Disney+!Dr. Brewer is doing a little plant-testing in his basement. Nothing to worry about. Harmless, really. But Margaret and Casey Brewer are worried about their father. Especially when they...meet...some of the plants he is growing down there. Then they notice that their...
Small Spaces
Katherine Arden
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...
Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones
Alvin Schwartz
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...
The Thief of Always
Clive Barker
Paper Book
"Menacing demons, wondrous miracles, sinister magic, and vivid characters make Thief a compulsive, lightning-paced tales that almost begs to be read aloud." -- Miami Herald One of horror master and perennial bestseller Clive Barker's earliest novels--the tale of a haunted house...
The Last Apprentice (Revenge of the Witch)
Joseph Delaney
Paper Book
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--some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Only Thomas Ward is left. He's the last...
More Short & Shivery
Robert D. San Souci
Paper Book
From around the world comes this spooky collection of short stories and folktales: ghosts, ghouls, vampires, and skeletons galore to satisfy all horror hounds and thrill seekers!   Something was approaching the house, and growing larger the nearer it came. Coming...

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