Reading scary stories can give kids the thrill of experiencing a fantasy — without the truly horrifying consequences that go along with it. Our children’s services librarians put together a list of 32 (yes, thirty-two!) spine-tingling tales for children. You can find the entire Scary fiction for kids list in our catalog. Here are just a few of the highlights:
The House with a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs, illustrated by Edward Gorey
If this sounds familiar, there’s a good chance you read it when you were a kid. First published in 1973, it has everything a good children’s gothic novel should have: an orphan with an interesting name (Lewis Barnavelt), a mysterious uncle and some magical occurences. Booklist magazine called it perfect for “the pre-Stephen King set,” which is also a pretty perfect term for 10-year-old ghoulish readers.
The Dead Boys by Royce Buckingham
Seattle author Royce Buckingham has whipped up a frenzy of frights in this suspenseful novel. Twelve-year-old Teddy is making friends in his new town, except there’s a bit of a problem when it appears they might not actually be alive. There’s a creaky house next door, an eerie tree, a suitably creepy cemetery and lots of spookiness. Set in Richland, Washington.
The Girl Behind the Glass by Jane Kelley
Creepy and unexplained things start happening after 11-year-old twins Hannah and Anna move with their family to an old house on Hemlock Street (that’s right, Hemlock Street — what could their parents have been thinking?) that seems to already be occupied with the ghost of someone who died 80 years ago.
We’ve got more Haunted Houses, another eerie tree, the not-really-that-scary story option, a Newbery-award winner and 25 more tales of fright that go well beyond Goosebumps.
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