Spooky Stories for Children

On the Day I Died

Tighter

Autumn brings to mind gold and red-toned landscapes, Halloween, curling up with a mug of hot apple cider and a ghost story.  Although the horror genre seems to emphasize physical gruesomeness for adults, there are still plenty of old-fashioned, spine tingling stories for young people of ghosts, haunting and things that go bump in the night.  Classic tales such as Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow will give all ages the shivers, while some just make us laugh, such as the antics of the Poltergoose.  In the spirit of Halloween, we consulted the Ouija board, which has spelled five exceptional scary books.

Graveyard Book

G rave yard Book   Newbery Medal winning story of Bod (short for Nobody), a boy raised and protected by the spirits inhabiting a cemetery.

H ouse with a Clock in Its Walls  Suitably illustrated by Edward Gorey, Lewis goes to live with his magician uncle in a mansion that has a clock hidden in the walls which is ticking off the minutes until doomsday.

O n the Day I Died  Chicago teens from past eras tell their stories to the unlucky visitor in their graveyard. 

S omething Wicked This Way Comes  One of many classics by Ray Bradbury, recounting what happens when a carnival comes to town one night.

House with a Clock in Its Walls

Tighter  A modern version of Henry James’ Turn of the Screw, as a teen-aged summer nanny begins to fear the Rhode Island estate she works on may be haunted.

These books are suitable for older children, teens, and adults.  An extended list of scary stories for children can be found in our Staff Picks.  We’ve also created a list of not-so-scary ghost stories, mostly for younger children.

Do you have a favorite scary story?  Share it with us.

Something Wicked ThisWay Comes