5 Spooky Kids’ Books to Read for the Halloween Season

So when I came across the description for this one, it seriously stopped me in my tracks: Licorice is a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca…only with cats. Yes, this story reimagines Rebecca de Winter and the second Mrs. de Winter as cats and transforms it into a creepy yet cute tale of what it means to find your family, even if there’s a presence lingering over your new home. 

Needless to say, this is an adorable yet wholly gothic take on Rebecca, and I want to get everyone I can to read this one. It’s absolutely fantastic and clever and so much fun. It helped to remind me how spooky yet playful children’s literature can truly be.

Ally Russell is a major rising star in the horror genre, in particular in middle grade horror. Released last year from Delacorte Press, Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave follows the eponymous character who lives at a funeral home and can see and smell the supernatural. Mystery soon finds herself in the middle of a mystery of her own when an heirloom goes missing and one of her family members is blamed for it. 

As she navigates her strange town filled with wealthy antagonists and supernatural beings, Mystery must rely on her unique skill set if she’s going to uncover the missing heirloom and save her family’s funeral home. 

This book is a fabulous ride that’s most definitely worth reading. And with the recent release of the second book in the series, you’ve got lots of Mystery James adventures to look forward to.

My husband was the one who introduced me to this particular gem, primarily because one of the stories in it has haunted him since childhood. If you’ve ever read this anthology, then you’ve probably already guessed that story was “The Patchwork Monkey,” and even though I read it as an adult, it sticks with me too. 

Published in 1976, Baleful Beasts and Eerie Creatures features spooky illustrations that are beyond beautiful and terrifying, and the tales are entirely unsettling. Alas, this one is now out of print, but if you ever come across a copy in a used bookstore or a thrift shop, then I wholeheartedly recommend that you pick it up. 

Also, I want to do my best to put this on the radar of publishers: Baleful Beasts and Eerie Creatures is long overdue for a reissue. It’s just as creepy now as it ever was.

This was the book that started my love of chapter books as a child. After all, what weird kid didn’t fall in love with a dubious rabbit that might or might not be a vampire? 

Written by James and Deborah Howe (though tragically released after Deborah’s death), Bunnicula is the first in the series that follows a dog named Harold and his surly orange tabby compatriot, Chester, as they contend with their family’s newest addition: a mysterious rabbit named Bunnicula who was discovered by the family’s youngest son during a screening of Dracula.

Soon, vegetables start being leeched of color, and Harold and Chester must deal with whether or not their latest family member is in fact a vampire. I remember reading the first four books when I was growing up, and their exuberant energy and pitch-perfect nods to classic horror have never left me. 

Pick up a copy of Bunnicula this Halloween; it will do your horror heart good.

I’ve featured Eden Royce on my lists before, and there’s a good reason for that: she’s one of the best horror and dark fantasy authors out there today. Her debut novel, Root Magic, which was released in 2021 from Walden Pond Press, remains one of my favorites of her work. 

Set in the 1960s, the story follows Jez and her twin brother Jay as they navigate school integration in the South while simultaneously learning rootwork from their uncle. 

But when threats both supernatural and entirely human arise for their family, Jez and Jay find themselves having to summon all the courage and otherworldly power they can to survive. 

From the gorgeous cover art to the truly heartfelt story of family and folk magic, this novel is everything you could want from the horror and dark fantasy genre, and without a doubt, it’s a perfect story for any age.