These scary tales are sure to scare your socks off! Check out some of our favorite scary stories for school-age children.
Compiled by:
Children's Services Staff
Picture Books and Younger Elementary
(Juvenile Fiction - J Reynold)
Max Bloodnight can't decide what's more terrifying about his weekend in Wolf County–the fact that he has to stay with grandparents he's never met before or being stuck on a farm without cell service. If only that was all he had to fear. Determined to solve the mystery of his father's death, which occurred years before at the claws of a legendary werewolf, Max must hunt to uncover the truth before the full moon rises...and the werewolf strikes again. Recommended for ages 6–9.
(Juvenile Early Readers - J-ER Cha)
Series: Easy-to-Read Spooky Tales
Three young boys on a sleepover tell each other scary stories from around the world that feature goblins, wicked wooden dolls, and an evil witch. Recommended for ages 6–9.
(Juvenile Nonfiction - J 398.208 Sc)
These books present seven scary stories to tell at night based on traditional stories and folktales from various countries. They are perfect for camp outs and sleepovers. Recommended for ages 6–9. This item is also available on Hoopla. See also Ghosts!: Ghostly Tales from Folklore retold by Alvin Schwartz.
(Juvenile Picture Books - Ej Bun)
In the middle of the night, the gargoyles that adorn the walls of a museum come to life and frighten the night watchman. Recommended for ages 6–9.
(Juvenile First Chapter Books - J Cumming)
Series: Notebooks of Doom; 1
Alexander has just moved to Stermont, but the elementary school is being torn down, his new classroom is located in the hospital morgue, a notebook he finds is full of information about monsters–and everywhere he turns, there are spooky balloon men determined to attack him. Recommended for ages 6–9. This item is also available on Libby.
Older Elementary
(Juvenile Fiction - J Harding)
In post-World War I England, 11-year-old Triss nearly drowns in a millpond known as "The Grimmer" and emerges with memory gaps, aware that something is terribly wrong. To try to set things right, she must meet a twisted architect who has designs on her family. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Hoopla.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Sansouc)
What would you do if you couldn’t wake up from your scariest dreams? These tales take normal kids with normal lives that twist into a disturbing realm of horror. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Condie)
Middle-schoolers Nico, Tyler, Ella, and Opal discover a hidden island in a forbidden cove that appears uninhabited, but something ancient has awakened knowing their wishes, dreams, and darkest secrets. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Libby.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Gaiman)
After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Libby, Cloud Library, and Hoopla.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Guys)
Series: Guys Read
Eleven masters of suspense have come together to bring you a bone-chilling collection of original ghost stories perfect for sharing around the campfire, reading under the covers with a flashlight, and scaring your friends' pants off. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Cloud Library.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Horowit)
The nine macabre tales in this book will keep you up at night. From a bathtub you would never wand to bathe in to a camera that can destroy anything it photographs, you’ll find plenty to scare you here. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Auxier)
Irish orphans Molly, age 14, and Kip, age 10, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling manor house where nothing is quite what it seems to be, and soon, the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and secrets of the cursed house. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Libby and Cloud Library.
(Juvenile Fiction - J White)
Series: Thickety; 1
When 12-year-old Kara discovers her mother's grimoire in the dangerous forest, she must decide if she'll use it, even though such magic is forbidden. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Libby, Cloud Library, and Hoopla.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Alexand)
In a world full of ghosts, Rosa and Jasper live in the only unhaunted town, but they must spring to action when they realize the ghosts are lying in wait to take the town back. You might also enjoy the sequel, A Festival of Ghosts. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Nonfiction - J 398.208 Sch)
Stories of ghosts and witches, "jump" stories, scary songs, and modern-day scary stories. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Libby and Cloud Library.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Stroud)
Series: Lockwood & Co.; 1
Three young operatives of a psychic detection agency must battle an epidemic of ghosts in London. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Libby and Cloud Library.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Currie)
Haunted after helping her father on his ghost-themed Chicago bus tour, 12-year-old Claire must discover what the spectral boy from the bus wants before it is too late. Recommended for ages 9–12.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Arden)
After 11-year-old Ollie's school bus mysteriously breaks down on a field trip, she has to take a trip through scary woods, and must use all of her wits to survive. She must stick to small spaces. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Libby and Cloud Library.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Oh)
Series: Spirit Hunters; 1
Feeling uncomfortable from the moment she arrives in her new home, Harper is dismayed by local rumors that her house is haunted and that every family that has ever lived there has suffered terrible tragedies. This situation turns sinister when her cheerful little brother begins acting in alarming ways. Recommended for ages 9–12. This item is also available on Libby, Cloud Library, and Hoopla.
(Juvenile Fiction - J Poe)
Classic short stories from the master of horror, including The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum. Recommended for ages 9–12.