Spooky Books for Tweens

Spooky Books for Middle-Grade Readers

If you are lucky enough to teach middle grade students, you understand the demand for scary stories.  It is also a time when picking the correct chapter book is critical. We don’t want our students to become disinterested in reading due to poor book choices.  Matching books to students is a skill that takes time to practice. You have to take into consideration personal interests, reading levels, and attention spans.  In order to help you out, I cultivated a list of ten scary stories that will be hard for your students to put down, and, hopefully, keep them asking for more. 

The Night Gardener

The Night Gardener  By Jonathan Auxier

The Night Gardener guides readers into a deep and dark tale filled with supernatural suspense.  Young orphans Molly and Kip find themselves living and working for the mysterious Windsor family at their crumbling English estate in the woods.  Not long after their arrival, spooky and strange occurrences start happening all around them including haunting visits from the elusive Night Gardener.  It is soon very clear to Molly and Kip that the house and its family are keeping a disturbing secret. In order to survive and save the Windsor family, Molly and Kip must get to the bottom of the nightmarish mystery.  Will they survive? Can they save the Windsor family before it’s too late?        

Haunting Hour RL Stine

The Haunting Hour: Chills in the Dead of Night  By R.L. Stine

Known for his spine-tingling tales, R.L. Stine does not disappoint with The Haunting Hour: Chills in the Dead of Night.  Filled with ten different scary stories, this book is perfect for readers in search of a quick scare. Stine is a master at crafting cliffhangers and this book is filled with ten of them.  Readers are slowly drawn up to the climax, then catapulted into an unexpected and terrifying ending.    

The Ghost Prison

The Ghost Prison  By Joseph Delaney

Set in England, The Ghost Prison by Joseph Delaney follows fifteen year old Billy as he begins his new job as a guard in an old castle prison.  Several of the prison cells are rumored to be haunted, and Billy is warned to stay away. Will he listen to the cautionary warnings and get out alive? The spooky illustrations add to the ghostly suspense, making this book perfect for intermediate level readers.  

         

Coraline  By Neil Gaiman

This award-winning book by Neil Gaiman mixes masterful storytelling with chilling suspense.  Young Coraline is drawn into a secret world that exists on the other side of an old door in her house.  Intriguing at first, things quickly spiral downward when Coraline realizes everything is much worse than it seems.  Forced to take matters into her own hands, Coraline devises a plan to outsmart her tormentors and save her family. Will her plan work, or will evil prevail?  *This book is also available as a graphic novel.     

   

The Dollhouse Murders

The Dollhouse Murders  By Betty Ren Wright

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright is a compact murder mystery that will hook young readers from the very beginning.  Amy discovers a beautiful old dollhouse in the attic of her aunt’s home. Each time Amy climbs up into the dark attic, the dollhouse comes alive.  Are the dolls trying to tell her something? Can they help Amy unravel the mystery of a murder that occurred decades ago?

Serafina and the Black Cloak

Serafina and the Black Cloak  By Robert Beatty

A combination of historical fiction and supernatural fantasy, New York Times Best Seller, Serafina and the Black Cloak envelops readers in a puzzling mystery taking place at the magnificent Biltmore estate. When children at the mansion start to go missing, Serafina relies on an unlikely friendship to help her uncover the truth behind the disappearances. Explore the grounds of the majestic mansion with Serafina as she tries to uncover the mysterious identity of the man in the black cloak. 

     

A Taste for Red

A Taste for Red  By Lewis Harris

A Taste for Red is a fast-paced vampire thriller that keeps readers guessing until the very end.  Svetlana Grimm is a strong-willed middle school student with extrasensory powers. When three girls go missing from her school, Svetlana is determined to help find them.  Things get interesting when Svetlana uncovers the truth. Could her beautiful science teacher really be a source of evil? Follow along with Svetlana as she uncovers the secrets behind this middle school mystery!  

  

Closed for the Season

Closed for the Season  By Mary Downing Hahn

An abandoned amusement park, an unsolved murder, and millions of dollars in missing money make this mystery too good to put down.  Next-door neighbors Logan Forbes and Arthur Jenkins transform into thirteen-year-old detectives as they track down leads and follow clues in their quest to solve the murder mystery haunting their small Virginia town.  Will they be able to solve a crime that has eluded police for years?

        

Doll Bones

Doll Bones  By Holly Black

Winner of the John Newbery Medal in 2014, Doll Bones by Holly Black tells the story of three middle school children on a quest to bury a bone china doll and the ghost it embodies.  Zach, Poppy, and Alice are growing up and getting too old to continue playing with their action figures and dolls. Before ending their childhood game forever, the trio of friends set out on a ghostly adventure to bury the Queen that has been reigning over their make-believe world for decades.  Equal parts adventure and ghost story, Doll Bones take readers on a spooky journey filled with twists and turns.

       

School of the Dead

School of the Dead  By Avi

Layered with ghostly suspense, School of the Dead is an engaging mystery set in a historic San Francisco school.  Tony, a seventh grade student, is determined to figure out why some of his new friends and teachers are acting so mysterious.  Keeping readers guessing until the very last page, School of the Dead is an excellent choice for those wanting a ghostly fast-paced mystery. 

Some of the books above are part of a series. Also, if your students like a particular book, chances are good there are more selections they would enjoy by the same author.  

Want more ideas for your middle grade reader? Click here for a list of inspiring books about compassion and kindness.

Spooky Books for Middle School Students
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Spooky Books for Upper Elementary and Middle School