The holidays are always a popular time at Scholastic, but Halloween is an in-house favorite. Not only do we love watching scary movies, planning parties and eating too many sweets, but we also love curling up with a creepy read. Below is a great selection of titles from the adorably spooky to the bone-chillingly scary for readers of all ages.
Scarecrow Magic by Ed Masessa (Ages 3–5): Scarecrow Magic is a rolling, rollicking, rhyming tale of the mystical powers of a full moon and how it affects a humble-seeming farm dweller. This scarecrow may look like he’s nothing more than a sack of hay during the day, but he comes to life on moonlit nights, joining a cast of nocturnal creatures and creepy crawlies. This spooky crew has a wild time together, swimming, bowling with pumpkins, and more. But as the sun begins to rise, the scarecrow and his fiendish friends must go back to their daytime lives, and they sadly say goodbye, hoping that their next fun “night out” will be coming soon.
Believe It Or Not, My Brother Has a Monster! by Kenn Nesbitt, illustrated by David Slonim (Ages 5–7): Uh-oh, this boy’s older brother is up to something...he’s found a monster, and he’s brought him home! Now he’s trying to sneak in even more terrifying creatures. What’s going to happen when his parents find out? From one scary monster to 10 disgusting slugs and everything in between, this spooky rhyming story is chock-full of creepy crawlies...and one nervous little brother! Believe It or Not, My Brother Has a Monster! is a hilarious, side-splitting cumulative story with a monster twist of an ending from the minds of children’s poet laureate Kenn Nesbitt and illustrator David Slonim.
Goosebumps Most Wanted: Night of the Puppet People by R. L. Stine (Ages 8–12): In the latest new installment of the bestselling Goosebumps series (now a feature film!), Ben and his twin, Jenny, are terrified by the strange puppet show at their fifth birthday party. The puppets are ugly and frightening and get all the kids screaming. The old puppeteer whispers to Ben and Jenny as he leaves: “I’ll see you again...” Now they are 12, but they never forgot that scary time. And when their friend Jesse shows them the collection of old puppets he found hidden in his attic, they feel a twinge of fear. But Jesse has big plans to do an elaborate puppet show at school. As the three kids practice their show, frightening things begin to happen. The puppets seem to act on their own. And move on their own. And then, the three kids begin to act strangely.
The House on Stone’s Throw Island by Dan Poblocki (Ages 10–14): Author of spine-tingling suspense stories Dan Poblocki is back with a new spooky ghost tale in The House on Stone’s Throw Island, where the ghosts of the past are restless. Josie Sandoval and Eli Barker are strangers when they board the ferry to Stone’s Throw, traveling to the isolated island for a wedding. Then an immense storm blows in, and the wedding party is left stranded with no way to contact the mainland...and no idea that they have been targeted for revenge from beyond the grave.
The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender (Ages 12 and up): Master of suspense Katie Alender, author of Marie Antionette, Serial Killer and Famous Last Words, intertwines ghosts, secrets and the true meaning of madness in The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall, her terrifying and thrilling new novel.
Delia’s new house used to be an insane asylum, a place to lock up “troubled” young women long ago. A restless, wicked spirit is still at play—and it doesn’t want defiant girls like Delia to go anywhere. So the house kills her. Now Delia is a ghost, trapped in her creepy home forever. As she meets the other ghost girls and the handsome ghost boy on the grounds, she learns shocking truths about the house’s history. Delia also realizes that her alive and grieving sister might be the house's next target.
Thirteen Chairs by Dave Shelton (Ages 12 and up): Thirteen Chairs is a unique take on the ghost story genre, weaving the collected tales into a narrative about pain, death and what comes next.
Thirteen Chairs begins on with teenager Jack all alone, in a creepy house. He is reaching for the doorknob to a room he has never seen before. Is he brave enough to open the door? Jack’s curiosity gets the best of him and so he finds himself facing a table lit by candles, around which twelve unusual strangers sit. Twelve strangers, but thirteen chairs. As Jack joins the weird companions, they begin to tell freaky stories laced with malevolent spirits, doom, and revenge. And as he listens, Jack realizes he has come here with a story of his own, one he feels compelled tell. But will readers be brave enough to read all the way to the end?
