If your young reader is craving a creepy adventure—but nothing too nightmare-inducing—you’re in the right place! Middle grade horror is all about that perfect blend of spooky fun, brave heroes, supernatural mysteries, and stories that ultimately inspire courage.
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Whether you’re a parent searching for age-appropriate chills or a middle schooler who loves goosebumps year-round… here are some amazing horror reads that are just the right amount of terrifying!
Small Spaces — Katherine Arden
Tags: Haunted • Cursed Objects • Adventure
A school trip turns into a chilling encounter with scarecrows that move and a warning that must always be followed: “Avoid large places at night. Keep to small spaces.”
Small Spaces (Small Spaces Quartet)
After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man”—a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.
City of Ghosts — Victoria Schwab
Tags: Ghosts • Friendship • Paranormal Mystery
Cassidy can see ghosts—now she’s traveling to one of the most haunted places in the world: Edinburgh.
City of Ghosts (1)
Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn’t like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.
Goosebumps series — R.L. Stine
Tags: Monster Horror • Anthology • Humor
Silly, spooky, and iconic! From creepy dummies to slime monsters, there’s a fear factor level for every reader.
Goosebumps Classic (Series 1) – 10 Books Set Collection R.L. Stine
Titles In This Set:
- Stay out of the Basement
- The Ghost Next Door
- Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes
- The Haunted Car
- Let’s Get Invisible
- The Scarecrow Walks at Night
- The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb
- The Blob That Ate Everyone
- Night of the Living Dummy 2
- The Werewolf of Fever Swamp
The Graveyard Book — Neil Gaiman
Tags: Ghosts • Adventure • Found Family
A boy raised by ghosts learns the secrets of his eerie home while being hunted by a dangerous figure from his past.
The Graveyard Book: A Great Fall and Halloween Read for Kids
IT TAKES A GRAVEYARD TO RAISE A CHILD.
Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead.
The Girl in the Lake — India Hill Brown
Tags: Haunted House • Mystery • Suspense
A summer getaway turns frightening when a ghostly identical look-alike appears in the water.
The Girl in the Lake
Who is the girl in the mirror? And what does she want?
Past and present mingle in this spine-tingling ghost story by award-winning author India Hill Brown.
Spirit Hunters — Ellen Oh
Tags: Possession • Cultural Horror • Family Themes
A haunting rooted in Korean folklore forces a girl to confront dark spirits—and her own forgotten past.
Spirit Hunters: A Great Fall and Halloween Read for Kids
We Need Diverse Books founder Ellen Oh returns with Spirit Hunters, a high-stakes middle grade mystery series about Harper Raine, the new seventh grader in town who must face down the dangerous ghosts haunting her younger brother.
Scritch Scratch — Lindsay Currie
Tags: Urban Legends • Ghost Tour • Mystery
A ghost boy appears during a haunted Chicago bus tour… and now he won’t leave until his story is told.
Scritch Scratch: A Ghost Story
Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.
Hide and Seeker — Daka Hermon
Tags: Game Gone Wrong • Alternate Dimensions • Survival
A friendly game of hide-and-seek turns into a terrifying battle in a nightmare dimension controlled by The Seeker.
Frankenstein: A Graphic Novel Adaptation
Tags: Classic Horror • Monsters • Science Fiction
A dark and exciting introduction to the legendary monster great for visual and reluctant readers.
Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein: A Dark and Twisted Graphic Novel Adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Classic Gothic Horror Tale
The first fully illustrated version to use the original 1818 text, this handsome volume is destined to capture the imagination of those new to the story as well as those who know it well.
The Jumbies — Tracey Baptiste
Tags: Caribbean Folklore • Shape-Shifters • Dark Magic
Rooted in Haitian legends, this story introduces mysterious forest spirits threatening a young girl’s island home.
The Jumbies
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 frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldn’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they?
The Darkdeep — Ally Condie & Brendan Reichs
Tags: Monsters • Portal Fantasy • Team Adventure
A hidden island with a mysterious pool brings imaginary fears to life—whether you’re ready or not.
The Darkdeep
Everyone in Timbers knows Still Cove is off-limits, with its creepy Beast sightings and equally terrifying legends. But when a bullying incident sends twelve-year-old Nico Holland over a cliff and into Still Cove’s icy waters, friends Tyler and Emma–and even Opal Walsh, who usually runs with the popular kids–rush to his rescue . . . and discover a mysterious island hiding in the murky, swirling mists below.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark — Alvin Schwartz
Tags: Folklore • Short Horror Stories • Classic Spooks
Creepy short stories perfect for campfires and quick thrills—even braver adults remember these illustrations!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark: Three Books to Chill Your Bones: The Complete Collection of Classic Horror Stories for Halloween, with Original Art
These stories are some of the most terrifying tales of horror, revenge, and supernatural events of all time. It’s best to read this collection of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones with a night-light close at hand!
Nightbooks — J.A. White
Tags: Witches • Creepy Fairy Tales • Courage
A boy trapped by a witch must tell a new scary story every night. Perfect for creative kids with big imaginations!
Nightbooks: A Great Fall and Halloween Read for Kids
This modern spin on the Scheherazade story is perfect for fans of Coraline and A Tale Dark and Grimm. With interwoven tips on writing with suspense, adding in plot twists, hooks, interior logic, and dealing with writer’s block, this is the ideal book for budding writers and all readers of delightfully just-dark-enough tales.
The Clackity — Lora Senf
Tags: Demons • Alternate Worlds • Anxiety Representation
An anxious girl enters a bizarre, shadowy world to rescue her aunt from a sinister creature known as The Clackity.
The Clackity (Blight Harbor)
Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor—the seventh-most haunted town in America—with her Aunt Desdemona, the local paranormal expert. Des doesn’t have many rules except one: Stay out of the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt disappears into the building, Evie goes searching for her.
✅ Tips for Parents Choosing Middle Grade Horror
- Most titles fit ages 9–13
- Encourage kids to pause and talk about the story if they feel overwhelmed
- Audiobooks can make the experience less visually scary
- Reading together makes spooky stories fun (even cozy!)
👻 Why Scary Books Are Good for Kids
✔ Builds bravery and coping skills
✔ Helps kids practice managing fear safely
✔ Boosts imagination and curiosity
✔ Inspires a love of reading!
