Amplify the magic and thrills of spooky season by adding these titles to your child or teen’s “to read” list.
By Joanna Harris, Teen Services Coordinator, and Shoshana Ginsburg, Children’s Librarian, D.C. Public Library
“There was an Old Monster”
by Rebecca, Adrien and Ed Emberley
This variant of a classic rhyme has all the charm of the original with a fun twist. Children will enjoy guessing what the monster will eat next and enjoy the silly text and bright illustrations.
Picture Books
“Creepy Carrots”
by Aaron Reynolds
Jasper Rabbit loves carrots. He eats them, and eats them and eats them… until they seem to be following him everywhere. The stylized illustrations pair perfectly with the humorous text for this book that’s spooky but not too scary, even for young readers.
Early Reader
“In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories”
by Alvin Schwartz
As librarians, we love to recommend new titles, but sometimes it’s fun to introduce children to books which have been thrilling readers for generations. This early-reader compilation of classic folktales like “The Green Ribbon” and “In a Dark, Dark Room” is full of stories that are just the right amount of creepy.
“Heidi Heckelbeck Has a Secret”
by Wanda Coven
In this initial entry to the popular and long-running series, we meet Heidi, a second grader with a secret—she’s a witch. Heidi’s transition from home-schooling to public school leads to stories about bullying and typical elementary-age problems, while containing just a hint of magic. The writing is easy to follow for beginning readers, and Heidi is spunky and likable—and luckily, there are many more books of her adventures!
Middle Grade
“Witchlings”
by Claribel A. Ortega
In a town where witchcraft is the norm, young “witchlings” are placed into covens when they turn 12 years old. Seven keeps fantasizing about being placed in the most powerful coven alongside her best friend, but destiny has different things in store.
To her dismay, Seven is declared a “Spare” witch along with two other girls who she doesn’t know very well, and they couldn’t be more different from one another. Can the three of them achieve the Impossible Task to have a chance of unlocking their full powers? This is a charming, action-packed story filled with friendship and humor that kids who see themselves as “late bloomers” will especially appreciate.
“Ravenfall”
by Kalyn Josephson
Anna’s family runs a special inn where magical beings come to stay. Everyone in Anna’s family has special powers, but Anna can’t see much good in her unsettling gift to see visions of the deaths other people have experienced.
When a boy named Colin shows up at the inn with questions around his brother’s disappearances, Anna feels like she might be able to put her unique psychic abilities to good use.
Things quickly escalate when a Celtic monster emerges on the scene, putting everyone they know in danger. “Ravenfall” is a spellbinding mystery filled with whimsy and adventure.
Young Adult
“The Black Girl Survives In This One”
edited by Desiree S. Evans
This short story anthology is written with the specific purpose of putting five horror stories into the ether where Black girls are the heroines, not quick casualties or side characters.
The stories range from creepy encounters with unknown entities in outer space, zombies in graveyards and racist witches to perhaps the most horrifying of all—weight loss MLMS. “The Black Girl Survives In This One” is a quality collection of horror stories written by a powerhouse lineup of Black YA authors.
“Gorgeous, Gruesome Faces”
by Linda Cheng
Sunny Lee is a wannabe pop idol whose burgeoning career was cut short by scandal and the gruesome and untimely death of her bandmate and close friend. Sunny is determined to try again and enters a K-pop competition where she encounters the other girl who was in her pop group, Candie.
The competition is fierce, tiring and cutthroat, and Candie seems to have some sort of darkness inside of her that Sunny is afraid of learning more about. A glitzy, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller perfect for teens who are fans of K-Pop, this book is filled with commentary on impossible beauty standards and the cost of fame.
