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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The Halloween Tree
Ray Bradbury
Paper Book
Make storytime a little spookier with fantasy master Ray Bradbury as he takes readers on a riveting trip though space and time to discover the true origins of Halloween. Join the shadowy Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud as he takes eight trick-or-treaters on an unforgettable...
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
THIS book is written by Harold. His full time occupation is dog. He lives with Mr. and Mrs. X (here called Monroe) and their sons Toby and Pete. Also sharing the home are a cat named Chester and a rabbit named Bunnicula. It is because of Bunnicula that Harold turned to writing. Someone had to tell...
Coraline
Neil Gaiman
Paper Book
This edition of New York Times bestselling and Newbery Medal-winning author Neil Gaiman's modern classic, Coraline--also an Academy Award-nominated film--is enriched with a foreword from the author, a reader's guide, and more. "Coraline discovered the door a little while...
The house with a clock in its walls /
Bellairs, John.
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...
Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare
Darren Shan
Paper Book
From the Master of Horror comes the first gripping book in the twelve book New York Times bestselling Saga of Darren Shan. Start the tale from the beginning in the book that inspired the feature film The Vampire's Assistant and petrified devoted fans worldwide. A...
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...
Wait Till Helen Comes
Mary Downing Hahn
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,...
Skeleton man /
Bruchac, Joseph,
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
The original hardcover edition of a perennial favorite, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, which has sold more than one million copies and is the only novel to win both the Newbery Medal and the Carnegie Medal.  Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place--he's the only living...
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! More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a timeless collection of chillingly scary tales and legends. Folklorist Alvin Schwartz offers up some of the most alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and supernatural events...
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
Joseph Bruchac, author of the award-winning Skeleton Man and The Return of Skeleton Man, breathes life into a chilling vampire-like demon. Maddy has always loved scary stories, especially the spooky legends of her Native American ancestors. But that was before she heard about...
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...
More bones : scary stories from around the world /
Olson, Arielle North.
Paper Book
Have you heard about the man who marries . . . a corpse? Or what about the magic school where one student in every class is never allowed to leave? Many of these tales go back hundreds of years and to the farthest corners of the earth, but as diverse as they are, they also reveal one important...
REVENGE OF THE WITCH
Delaney, Joseph,
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...

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