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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Battle of the bad-breath bats
Bowles, David
Paper Book
A new silly and spooky highly illustrated series that's perfect for fans of Eerie Elementary and Notebooks of Doom, featuring art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book. It's a Halloween chapter book treat! Cousins Malia, Ivan, and Dante are visiting their aunt Lucy...

A trio of cousins accidentally take a wrong turn onto 13th Street and have to work together to defeat the monsters on the way home. Between the action sequences and the boss-style challenges, this is a great read for video game fans. (Bridging Fiction Grades 2-4)

The jumbies
Baptiste, Tracey
Paper Book
The start of an exciting series filled with Caribbean folklore and daring adventure. Corinne La Mer claims she isn't afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They're just tricksters made up by parents to...

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
In this first book in the series, Sam Graves discovers that his elementary school is alive!
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)
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)

Hush-a-bye
Mott, Jody Lee
Paper Book
* "Mott's deft prose and well-written characters will keep readers engaged from start to frightening finish. This is the perfect read for people who love the chill of terror running down their backs." -School Library Journal (starred review) A delightfully creepy story...
A girl who's bullied for her family's lack of money finds a haunted doll that she hopes will help her solve her problems. (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
Paper Book
New York Times best-selling author Aaron Reynolds delivers an "entertainingly spooky romp" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) about Rex Dexter, who is itching to have a dog . . . but ends up with a pet chicken.   One hour and...
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)

Just beyond. The scare school
Stine, R. L.
Ebook

A new series from Goosebumps author R.L. Stine using the graphic novel format to reach reluctant readers. (Children's Graphic Novels Grades 3-5)

Scary stories to tell in the dark
Schwartz, Alvin
Ebook
The iconic anthology series of horror tales that's now a feature film! Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a timeless collection of chillingly scary tales and legends, in which folklorist Alvin Schwartz offers up some of the most alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and...

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
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...
Scary stories 3 : more tales to chill your bones
Schwartz, Alvin
Ebook
The iconic anthology series of horror tales that's now a feature film! Scary Stories 3 is a timeless collection of chillingly scary tales and legends, in which folklorist Alvin Schwartz offers up some of the most alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and supernatural events of...

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)

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. Now in paperback. After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in...
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)

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)
Bloom
Oppel, Kenneth
Paper Book
"The perfect book right now for young readers searching for hope, strength, inspiration -- and just a little horticultural havoc."--New York Times   The first book in a can't-put-it-down, can't-read-it-fast-enough action-thriller trilogy that's part Hatchet, part...

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)

The sleepover
Regina, Michael
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, this middle grade graphic novel follows a group of kids trying to cheer up their friend after a recent loss with a fun-filled sleepover, but their plans soon take a dark turn when they discover his new nanny may literally be a monster. ...
After the loss of a beloved caregiver, a tween discovers that her replacement may or may not be a witch. Reviews recommend this one as a great readalike for middle school fans of Stranger Things. (Young Teen Graphic Novels 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 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...

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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