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! This is a new edition of the complete original book. Stephen Gammell's artwork from the original Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark appears in all its spooky glory. Read if you dare! Scary Stories to Tell in...
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
The day after they moved in, Coraline went exploring.... In Coraline's family's new flat are twenty-one windows and fourteen doors. Thirteen of the doors open and close. The fourteenth is locked, and on the other side is only a brick wall, until the day Coraline unlocks the door to find a...
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...
Cirque du Freak: A Living Nightmare
Darren Shan
Paper Book
Life gets dangerous when a kid discovers a vampire at an illegal circus in this fast-paced and creepy-crawly tale from bestselling author and master of horror, Darren Shan. When Darren and his friends secretly score tickets to the terrifying Cirque Du Freak, they...
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
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
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
Christian McKay Heidicker draws inspiration from witches, vampires, H. P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Allen Poe to craft his middle-grade debut, a chilling portrait of survival and an unforgettable tale of friendship. When fox kits Mia and Uly are separated from their litters, they quickly learn that the...
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
Audiobook
Short & Shivery
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...
A Ghost in the House
Betty Ren Wright
Paper Book
Strange things happen when twelve-year-old Sarah is alone in the house with Great Aunt Margaret, who appears to be the victim of a ghost seeking revenge for a death in the past.
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...
Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories
Roald Dahl
Paper Book
Who better to investigate the literary spirit world than that supreme connoisseur of the unexpected, Roald Dahl? Of the many permutations of the macabre or bizarre, Dahl was always especially fascinated by the classic ghost story. As he realtes in the erudite introduction to this volume, he read...
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
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 Scary Stories 3 appears in all its spooky glory. Read if you dare! Scary Stories 3 is a...
The Last Apprentice (Revenge of the Witch)
Joseph Delaney
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...

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