When fall comes around, families everywhere break out their scary children’s books to read with their kids. With the weather cooling, pumpkins appearing on windowsills, and ghosts and goblins raging, these spooky stories are awesome for kids of all ages. But be prepared – some of these scary children’s books even give grownups a fright!
Scary children’s books delight and excite many young readers – and this is ok!
I’m asked the same question a lot: “is it strange that my kid likes scary books?” I always answer the same way.
Not at all!
As long as your child is reading a book that is developmentally appropriate, there’s nothing wrong with reading scary children’s books. After all, just as with adults, being scared gives kids an adrenaline rush which releases endorphins – the same neurotransmitters we all experience when we are happy or excited. No wonder children like spooky things!
Additionally, reading something scary and overcoming fear is a big feat for kids. It helps them feel courageous and brave, and getting to the end of a scary children’s book can feel quite empowering. Kids have enough distance from the plots in scary stories to feel safe, but they are still so enmeshed in the story that finishing – or shall we say surviving – the book is a huge accomplishment.
Remember, though, that YOU know your child best. Not all little ones are able to read scary children’s books and fall asleep easily at bedtime. I mean, let’s be honest – not all grownups can either, and even writing this list kept me up at night! Thus, you are the best one to determine whether you think these books will be a good fit for your readers.
Our top two favorite scary children’s books
For your littlest ones, you can never go wrong with Creepy Carrots. All of the books in this series – Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Pair of Underwear!, and the newest installment, Creepy Crayon! -offer the perfect spook factor for our littlest readers. The plots are fun, the illustrations (drawn in black, gray and white with only one pop of color in each book) create a spooky feel, and readers delight in Jasper rabbit’s creepy challenges. These are always winners at home and school!
For your big ones, definitely check out Doll Bones! It’s spooky, brilliantly written, and it’s won so many awards and been on more “best of” lists than I can name.
RELATED: Have you seen all of our children’s book lists on Happily Ever Elephants? Be sure to check out this link!
Frequently Asked Questions
Most scary children’s books give kids a delicious case of chills and thrills, but they aren’t too scary. But remember, as with all book recommendations, you know your child best! If your child likes more realistic scary stories but hates ghosts and goblins, take note of that when you are picking out stories. Contrarily, if your child loves fantastical horror but dislikes anything that could actually happen in real life, again, take note and pick your child’s books accordingly.
I will forever love the Creepy series by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown. Whether its Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Pair of Underwear! or the newest, Creepy Crayon! These books have the perfect combo of being a little bit spooky while also causing major, major giggles! And with a little dramatic effect as you read, you’ll have kids begging for more.
Some children can’t get enough of getting the spooks when they’re little. Monsters, witches, ghosts, and goblins, bring ’em on! Others, my own kids included, are simply not into them (and the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – I was terrified of the Thriller music video for years, and I could have never, ever read a book from this list!) Remember, you know how your child will respond to a story better than anyone else. If scary cartoons on the television freak your child out, it’s likely they may not be ready to read picture books that are even remotely spooky.
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A list of Scary Children’s Books for the Little Ones
Jasper rabbit loves carrots, especially the ones that grow in Crackenhopper field. He can never get enough of them, but will his greed become his undoing as the carrots begin to haunt him? Make sure to check out the second and third tales about Jasper, too – Creepy Pair of Underwear! and Creepy Crayon! These are such fun for the littlest readers, and depending on how and where you read it, you can make the story scarier or tone it down depending on your audience.
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Why did the chicken cross the road? This hilariously spooky picture book is perfect in the days leading up to Halloween, and it gives new meaning to the notion of “the other side.” Why? Because here, when the chicken attempts to cross the road, he gets flattened by a truck and becomes a ghost. He’s supposed to cause a bit of trouble in his new form, but is it really nice to scare people?
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Finnigan the skeleton is known for being greedy and having an insatiable appetite. When he arrives in a town replete with monsters, witches, and ghouls, not a creature in site will share their food with him. How will he entice them to give him some grub? Stir up a magical bone soup, of course.
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There is no debating it — Lazlo is afraid of the dark. Unfortunately, Lazlo and the dark live in the same house, but at least the dark usually stays locked up in the basement. Until, however, the night it escapes. And on that fateful night, the dark actually comes up to Lazlo’s room. A brilliant story of one boy’s big fear — and subsequent achievement.
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In this suspenseful picture book, a brother and sister lose their way on a small boat, and they end up on Fog Island. After hearing from their father that Fog Island is “doomed and evil,” they get quite scared as they creep up a staircase surrounded by scary faces peering back at them. Yet, when they eventually find themselves face to face with the Fog Man who shows them how he makes the fog, they wonder if the island is as scary as it seems at first glance. Will the Fog Man actually let them return home, or are they destined to stay on Fog Island forever?
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We love this story of clever Hershel who outwits the goblins that repeatedly attempt to ruin Hanukkah for everyone in a small village. How does he do so? With pickles and eggs and dreidels, of course! This is a unique adaptation of the ancient Hanukkah story, reminding all that miracles can happen even when the odds seem stacked against you.
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Alfred is obsessed with all things monsters. Especially his scary, creepy Book of Monsters. But Alfred’s aunt, of course, doesn’t think monsters are the right obsession for a proper young boy to have. She encourages him to drink tea, of course, during which they can have a delightful and proper time. But what happens when Alfred invites the town’s monsters to come to tea with them? This is a hilarious read, though the pages from Alfred’s book of monsters may scare your youngest readers. This, of course, is why it made our list of scary children’s books!
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Holy moly – this book, with its creepy pictures and plot – totally freaked me out!! But if you love scary children’s books, this picture book should top your list. Lucy is certain she hears creeping, sneaking noises behind the walls of her house. Could it be wolves? No one believes her, and everyone warns Lucy that when the wolves come out of the walls, “it’s over.” Yet one day, everyone discovers that Lucy was actually right. What will happen when the wolves really come out of the walls?!
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Scary children’s books for big kids (chapter books and novels)
If you have a brave beginning reader at home, this is perfect for kids who love the thrill of a mystery! What kind of monsters are hiding under the bed, and what on earth is scratching at the window? These five stories will give kids a fright — and a giggle. There’s just one question – will they be brave enough to turn the lights off?
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The Eerie Elementary series is perfect for newly independent readers who love easy chapter books! In the first book, Sam discovers on his first day as hall monitor that his school is quite different from others. Why? It’s ALIVE! Can Sam and his classmates team up to keep the spooks at bay before the school play? Such a great series for first and second grade.
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When the haunted season arrives in Antler Wood, no young foxes are safe. So when Mia and Uly are separated from their litters, they have quite the harrowing adventures as they seek to find a den they can call home. In this Newbery award-winning novel, the foxes face all sorts of unspeakable things, from zombies to witches to ghosts who haunt them and try to eat them, too. If your kiddo loves getting in thrills at bedtime, this scary children’s book is a must-read.
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Stine (yes, as in Goosebumps!) is the master of horror for kids. In this brand new book, the first in a new series, he brings kids ten short, scary stories that will have readers sleeping with the lights on. From the boy who sees bugs everywhere to the basketball player whose skin drips off his hands to the babysitter’s new charges who aren’t quite what they seem, Stine proves he’s still at the top of his game when it comes to writing scary children’s books that will leave your kids begging for more!
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The classic story gets the graphic novel makeover in this fabulous book that will have young readers shivering and giggling! The newest pet in the Monroe home is making Chester the Cat and Howard the Dog suspicious. Does that bunny have fangs? And why is he only awake at night? Could Bunnicula actually be a vampire? Chester and Howard will do stop at nothing to save their family from this scary new pet, and this hilarious vampire book will have kids laughing – and maybe even wanting their own vampire bunnies, too.
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Bod lives in an unusual place. He is the only living resident of a graveyard. He also has unusual grownups – ghostsI Bod has been raised in the cemetery since he was an infant, with his caretakers being ghosts and werewolves and other graveyard inhabitants. But how can a boy raised by ghosts straddle the worlds of both the living and dead? Winner of both the Newbery and the Carnegie medals in addition to a whole host of other awards, the story follows Bod from infancy to his teen years as he learns his strengths and limitations in a world of headstones, the haunted, and the human.
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The first in a fabulous series that my students devour, this is the story of Serafina, a young girl who lives hidden in the basement of the Biltmore Estate. Serafina’s dad, the groundskeeper, warns her to stay away from the fancy folk that frequent the estate, but when children begin to go missing, it’s up to Serafina to figure out what is happening. After all, she may be the only one to know about the man in the black cloak that stalks the corridors at night, and she must determine his true identity before more kids vanish from sight!
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When two abandoned Irish siblings, Molly and Kip, begin working as servants at a dilapidated English manor house, things aren’t what they seem. Something is off with both the house and the children, and before long, an ancient curse threatens their lives. A malevolent spirit, The Night Gardener, haunts the estate, and it’s up to Molly and Kip to face the dark secrets in order to rid the estate of the Gardener’s evil enchantments. Adventurous, mysterious, and a wonderful, spooky ghost story, readers will be captivated by this tween novel from beginning to end.
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One boring, rainy, and fateful day, Coraline steps through a door to discover a home much like hers, only better. It’s like she’s in an alternate universe! But then she learns there’s a mother in that house, and a father, too. They look like her parents, but they aren’t. They’re nice to her at first, until they aren’t. And the problem is that they want Coraline to stay with them and be their little girl. Forever. Will Coraline ever find her way back home? Another classic scary children’s book by Neil Gaiman, the master of suspense and spook for young readers!
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Tessa is not happy when she moves to rainy Chicago from sunny Florida. Yet her sadness quickly turns to fear when she realizes that something is amiss in her new home. The flickering lights and crackling noises are scary enough, but when her brother’s doll begins to cry tears – real tears – Tessa determines that someone (or something?) is trying to communicate with her. Thus, Tessa teams up with her new pals in middle school to unravel the decades-old mystery of Shady Street. This is such a fun read that combines a tween navigating her new school with spooky, scary delights!
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In this Newbery Honor book, three kids, Zach, Poppy, and Alice, have been pals forever, playing one continuous, imaginary game since their childhood. Though the games differ, one thing is always the same – the Great Queen, a china doll who rules over their games and curses anyone who displeases her. But once they are older, Poppy starts having dreams about the Great Queen, as well as a ghost whose soul won’t rest until the Great Queen is buried in her empty grave. The three kids thus team up on a sinister quest to lay the china doll to rest, but their quest goes awry, of course, and spooky things start to happen. Is the doll actually alive? Is there really a ghost of a little girl? Captivating and creepy, the New York Times called this book “perfect.” Don’t miss this one!
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What is your favorite scary children’s book? Do you like books that give you the creeps?! Let us know in the comments below!
Happy reading!
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