Spooky Stories for Kids

Updated June 16, 2026
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
Gallowgate
Alexander, K. R.
Paper Book
From bestselling horror master K.R. Alexander, a twisted take on a school for magic where the line between curse and survival is always shifting. Sebastian Wight is cursed. As a boy with the forbidden ability to traverse the lands of the dead, he must not only harness his newfound powers...
The nightmare house
Allen, Sarah Elisabeth
Paper Book
"A gorgeous book with scares enough for the brave at heart and heart enough for everyone. I loved every page." --Lora Senf, author of The Clackity In this spooky middle grade novel perfect for fans of Small Spaces, Doll Bones, and V. E. Schwab, a young...
Small spaces
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 who only finds solace in books discovers a...
The secret of Moonrise Manor
Bearce, Stephanie
Ebook
Wednesday Addams + Sherlock Holmes = Raven Gallows--a curious girl who uses her budding skills as a mortician and a scientist to investigate a mysterious death at her small town's haunted hotel.  Raven Gallows lives in a funeral home and is determined to become a famous...
Exit nowhere
Brandt, Juliana
Paper Book
In this tense and twisty middle grade novel that's "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library but make it horror" (School Library Journal), four kids must beat a series of games to make it out of a haunted house. The creepiest place in Barret Eloise's small town is the...
The girl in the lake
Brown, India Hill
Paper Book
For fans of Small Spaces, Doll Bones, and Mary Downing Hahn, a truly chilling (and historically inspired) ghost story from the award-winning author of The Forgotten Girl. Celeste knows she should be excited to spend two weeks at her grandparents' lake house with her...
The peculiar incident on Shady Street
Currie, Lindsay
Paper Book
A girl unravels a centuries-old mystery after moving into a haunted house in this deliciously suspenseful read that Kirkus Reviews calls "just the ticket for a cold autumn night." Tessa Woodward isn't exactly thrilled to move to rainy, cold Chicago from her home in sunny...
The ghostly photos
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling middle-grade thriller author Margaret Peterson Haddix returns to the Mysteries of Trash and Treasure series as Colin and Nevaeh unravel a mystery from the 1930s and explore the emotions associated with death and dying. Colin and Nevaeh are great at finding things...
What we saw : a thriller
Hahn, Mary Downing
Ebook
The worlds we leave behind
Harrold, A. F.
Paper Book
A Booklist Editor's Choice Title for 2023 From acclaimed author and illustrator pair A.F. Harrold and Levi Pinfold comes another powerful and poignant story about friendship, betrayal, and redemption. Hex doesn't know why he does the things he does...
Scary stories for young foxes
Heidicker, Christian McKay
Paper Book
Christian McKay Heidicker draws inspiration from Bram Stoker, H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe in this spine-tingling, unforgettable tale of friendship and survival, stunningly illustrated by Junyi Wu. The haunted season has arrived in the Antler Wood. No fox kit is...
The skull : a Tyrolean folktale
Klassen, Jon
Paper Book
A Governor General's Literary Award Finalist A #1 New York Times bestseller! Caldecott Medalist and New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Jon Klassen delivers a deliciously macabre treat for folktale fans. Jon Klassen's signature wry...
Extra normal
Marshall, Kate Alice
Paper Book
It's hard to fight the supernatural when you're naturally "un-super." This chilling middle grade is perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark...even if they don't have any special powers. Charlie Greer is nothing special--at least not...
Spirit hunters
Oh, Ellen
Paper Book
"Oh has crafted a truly chilling middle grade horror novel that will grab readers' imaginations." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Even more impressive than the shiver factor is the way the author skillfully uses the compelling premise to present a strong, consistent message of not...
Ghostlight
Oppel, Kenneth
Paper Book
Gabe's summer job scaring tourists with ghost stories turns terrifyingly real when he accidentally summons the spirit of a dead girl--and must join forces with her to protect the world of the living. A new story by award-winning author Ken Oppel for ages 10 and up. ...
Unsettling Salad!
Reynolds, Aaron
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! From the team behind the New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Medal-winning Creepy Carrots! and its sequels comes the second entry in a spin-off chapter book series in which Jasper Rabbit tells the story of a badger who...
The creepening of Dogwood House
Royce, Eden
Paper Book
The Walter Award Honor-winning author of Root Magic returns with a terrifying story in the Southern Gothic tradition, inspired by the hoodoo practice of hair burning. At night, Roddie still dreams of sitting at his mother's feet while she braids his Afro down. But that's a...
Storm
Skinner, Nicola
Paper Book
The extraordinarily moving, funny and original new novel from the author of the rapturously acclaimed BLOOM. "You were born raging, Frances Frida Ripley. That's what happens when you're born in a storm." Frances's parents were not prepared for her birth: they had a blanket and an...
Not quite a ghost
Ursu, Anne
Paper Book
Named one of the Best Books of 2024 by the Chicago Public Library, New York Public Library, and NPR! From the award-winning author of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy comes an unforgettable and deeply personal story of the ghosts that surround us--and the ones we carry inside. ...
Long lost
West, Jacqueline
Paper Book
Winner of the Minnesota Book Award * A Texas Bluebonnet Book "Perfect to be read late into the night."--Stefan Bachmann, internationally bestselling author of The Peculiar "A spooky sisterhood mystery that is sure to be a hit with readers."--School Library Journal (starred...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.