Spooky(ish) Books for Young Readers
I’m not an enormous fan of scary books.
But there is a large audience ready and waiting for spooky reading material.
Here are some that I’ve read and enjoyed.
Not too spooky, not too tame.
They’re the Goldilocks versions of scary.
Just right.
Running Out of Night by Sharon Lovejoy (2016).
While not technically a scary story, I’m including this one because it’s edge-of-your-seat exciting.
It’s the story of two young girls in 1858 running away—one from her abusive father and brother, the other from her owner.
They see each other as helpmates first before they realize they’ve formed a strong friendship.
Their experiences are harrowing, frightening, sad and hopeful.
Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie (2021).
I didn’t think I was going to like this one when I started reading it.
One of its storylines is about losing a friend to a new friend who has more glitz and glamour.
That all seemed predictable to me.
But it didn’t go the way I thought it would.
At all.
The scritch scratch part was intriguing to me.
I’ve always been afraid of dark windows and someone coming up to it and scratching on it.
So the title reeled me in.
I ended up loving this well-written story—and being a bit scared, too.
The Whisperwicks: The Labryrinth of Lost and Found by Jordan Lees (2024).
The back of the book reads: “It began with a crack in the wall.”
I mean, come on!
Who wouldn’t be intrigued?
One thing I loved were the characters’ names.
They are just slightly off of real names.
There’s Benjamiah, Edwid, Elizabella.
Anyway, this is the story of Elizabella in the dangerous world of Wreathenwold, trying to find her twin brother with the help of Benjamiah, who is from our world.
They battle labyrinths, minotaurs and Hanged Men.
Fun stuff.
The Year of Shadows by Claire Legrand (2013).
Olivia is forced to live in a haunted concert hall with her emotionally distant father and her grandmother.
She and her classmate Henry attempt to rid the place of ghosts, while Olivia tries to figure out why her mother left and why she’s never been in touch with her.
What I especially liked about this was the description of the ghosts.
For example: “He didn’t have much of a face—a shimmering mass of gray smoke, shifting into shape after shape after shape—a long nose, then a bulbous nose, then no nose at all.
His eyes were black, swirling holes the size of saucers.
His mouth gaped open wide as a dinner plate, but he had no teeth, just a bottomless pit between his lips.”
If you pick up one of these books for yourself or someone else, I hope they satisfy the October itch for spooky.
Until next time,
~Gail
Countdown: 11 weeks left of 2024
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Thanks for the recommendations! I’m going to check out Running Out of Night. Scritch Scratch was a decent read. Whisperwicks I really enjoyed.
I really enjoyed Running Out of Night. Hope you do, too, Kurt.
I read Scritch Scratch and it was not what I expected which made me happy. I’ve read all of Lindsay Currie’s books and highly recommend them. I write Middle-Grade a stand-alone ghost story series called Dead Park Tales and I read other authors’ ghost stories for comparison and enjoyment. Katherine Arden is an excellent spooky writer. Mary Downing Hahn wrote many spooky stories and although the publication dates are from the 1980s, her work is well worth the read. My new book releases on November 1st, The Secret of Crystal Beach Park, A Dead Park Tale.
Hi Rose Ann,
Thanks for tips on other spooky stories. I’ll look into those! And I’ll look for yours on the first. (Congratulations!)