Spooky Stories
Sometimes life at the Spiderwick estate can get a little scary. If you like creepy stories try reading one of these books!
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Kirkus Age Range: 9-12
Coraline is the story of a young girl who has moved to a new flat with her very busy parents. She spends a lot of time exploring the building on her own, and one day she finds herself in another world, one that is a mirrored version of her own. There lives another, less busy, version of her parents, except that they have buttons for eyes. These other parents tell Coraline that they love her, and want her to stay forever, but can they be trusted? If you enjoyed the creepiness of the Grace sibling’s adventure, this book is a great one to pick up next.
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Kirkus Age Range: 9-12
When a wild animal runs into the forest with her deceased mother’s necklace, Corinne La Mer doesn’t hesitate to chase after it. Corinne is brave, even though she has always been told that the forest is home to the jumbies, evil yellow-eyed creatures that are native to her Caribbean home. No, Corinne isn’t afraid. But maybe she did see one, and maybe one followed Corinne out of the forest and into her home. This story, like The Spiderwick Chronicles, gives readers a new and creepy look at a very old tradition of fantastical creature stories.
Welcome to Dead House by R.L. Stine
Kirkus Age Range: 10-12
As in The Spiderwick Chronicles, siblings Amanda and Josh move into a new home, inherited from a relative. Also like the Grace siblings, Amanda and Josh are not alone in the house. They see faces in the windows and hear giggling in the halls. There is something strange about the rest of the town too. And what is making their normally gentle dog, Petey, so aggressive? This book is the first of the wildly popular, Goosebumps series. If you enjoy Welcome to Dead House there are lots more Goosebumps books to check out!
Seraphina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
Kirkus Age Range: 8-12
Seraphina, a girl with strange looks and unusual talents, lives her life hidden in the basement of the Biltmore Estate. No one besides her father, who works for Biltmore’s owners, knows that she exists. But children begin disappearing from the estate, and one night Seraphina watches as a black cloaked figure steals a young girl away. Will Seraphina have the strength to come out of hiding? Can she save the day? Fans of The Spiderwick Chronicles will enjoy the spooky mystery surrounding the happenings at the Biltmore estate.
The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden by Emma Trevayne
Kirkus Age Range: 8-12
For readers searching for another scary book about fairies, look no further than The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden! Thomas’ father is a grave robber. One night, while helping to steal from corpses, Thomas stumbles upon the body of a boy who looks exactly like him. This discovery launches him into a whole world he never knew existed, a world of séances, secrets, magic, and fairies. And somewhere along the way, Thomas will begin to unravel the mystery of his own identity.