Ah, fall. The time of year when the air turns crisp, the pumpkin spice flows, and we all feel the urge to hunker down and read a good, spine-chilling story. Whether you are selecting books for yourself or for someone else, take a look at these spooky season reads for all ages that might just get your heart racing.
Children:
âMy Monster & Meâ by Nadiya Hussain & Ella Bailey
This picture book introduces readers to a little boy and his monster. The monster is big, furry, and yellow, but the little boy is the only person who can see it. His monster follows him around all day, every day. Sometimes it is easy to ignore, but sometimes it prevents him from playing with his toys, talking to his friends, or paying attention in school. Eventually, the boyâs monster gets so big and disruptive that he breaks down and tells his Gran all about the monster and how it makes him feel. After a while, the boy starts to feel a bit better. It turns out that telling someone about the monster helped make it get smaller! Now that the little boy knows he can control his monster, he is less scared when it shows up.
This story is filled with adorable illustrations that help young readers personify tricky emotions in a way that can help nurture discussion on how to deal with them with the grownups in their lives.
đFor more picture books that use imaginary creatures as vessels to make big emotions less intimidating, try âRuby Finds a Worryâ by Tom Percival or âThe Whatifsâ by Emily Kilgore.
Middle Grade:
âWhispering Pinesâ by Heidi Lang & Kati Bartkowski
This delightfully creepy chapter book series has been described as a mix between the series âStranger Thingsâ and âThe X-Files.â The story takes place in Whispering Pines, a small town that has always been full of weird, impossible-to-explain things. The strangeness of the town makes it perfect for Cadenâs mother to run her ghost hunting business. But their connection to the paranormal still makes Caden a bit of an outcast. When things take a turn for the creepy and local kids start disappearing, and then showing up with missing eyes and acting like zombies, Caden has a feeling he might be able to help. Teaming up with the new girl in town, Rae, who has her own mysterious past, might be enough to help them get to the bottom of whatâs going on in Whispering Pines.
đFor more supernatural spooky season chapter books, try âHide & Seekerâ by Daka Hermon or âCamp Murderfaceâ by Josh Berk.
Young Adult:
âYoundbloodâ by Sasha Laurens
High school sucks. Especially for the undead. Sink your teeth into this fresh vampire society story set at an ultra-exclusive boarding school for young vampires. The story alternates perspectives between Kat Finnâa new student at the prestigious Harcote Academy whose eager to fit in with her elite classmatesâand Taylor Sangerâthe “gay weirdo” on campus and Kat’s former best friend.
Kat and Taylor are shocked to see each other after their fallout years ago, but are even more shocked to discover they’ve been assigned as roommates. However, the girls must reckon with their past as they face new challenges on campus and uncover secrets and lies that could shake Vampirdom to its core. As Kat and Taylor investigate, their feelings grow beyond friendship, and the possibility of romance brims. But first, they have to figure out how these secrets link the most powerful vampires in world with the synthetic blood they all rely on to live.
đFor more vampire-filled young adult novels, try âIn Every Generationâ by Kendare Blake or âThe Beautifulâ by Renee Ahdieh.
Adult:
“All Hallows” by Christopher Golden
It’s Halloween night, 1984, in Coventry, Massachusetts, and two families are unraveling. Up and down the street, secrets are being revealed, and all the while, mixed in with the trick-or-treaters of all ages, four children who do not belong are walking door to door, merging with the kids of Parmenter Road. Children in vintage costumes with faded, eerie makeup. They seem terrified, and beg the neighborhood kids to hide them away, to keep them safe from The Cunning Man. These odd children claim that The Cunning Man is coming for them and they want the local kids to protect them. But with families falling apart and the neighborhood splintered by bitterness, who will save the children of Parmenter Road?
đ For more suspenseful horror stories with mysterious twists and eerie elements, try “Bad Man” by Dathan Auerbach or “Saturnalia” by Stephanie Feldman.
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