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FOR AGES 4 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
A scary book can be a wonderful gift for any child, as ghost books for kids can do much more than just give them a fright.
Though it might seem counter-intuitive, scary books for kids can give highly positive experiences. Many parents wish to protect their children from scary situations, but by experiencing fear in the safe environment of a book kids will be better equipped to cope with scariness in real life.
The imaginary world of a ghost story or horror tale encourages creativity, offering parallel universes, witches and wizards, ghosts and demons, psychological thrillers and more for adventurous and inventive playtime.
There's also often a deeper, positive theme running through scary children's books, such as honesty, friendship or humility. Many books even give notorious baddies a lovable side. When children follow a character through a haunted world, it helps them develop resilience and confidence, as kids get a sense of accomplishment through having survived each scary chapter of the story themselves. Some books, especially those written for younger children, can also help deal with a child's own fears, such as monsters under the bed.
With hundreds of scary books for teens, horror books for kids and dark magic books for tweens available, finding a gripping read for the right age group can seem like a monster task. We've put together a list of our top scary books for under 5s, under 10s, tweens, young teens and older teens to give you a simple place to start.
If you're looking for more witch and wizard-themed items, take a look at these books about witches or these Harry Potter gifts from the wizarding world.
In the dark dark house... some skeletons lived. Starting with books for the youngest readers, 'Funnybones' is a timeless original that is great for children just learning to read, from the creators of picture books like 'Each Peach Pear Plum', 'The Jolly Postman' and 'Burglar Bill'. Also a hit TV series, with fantastic illustrations and adventures, this is a book for those who like their skeletons more funny than scary.
A children's Halloween classic, this beautiful book is filled with a monster family's daily adventures and activities. You'll have hairy hugs aplenty as you learn all the ways a mama monster loves her little monster.
When a young boy is woken by a scary voice, he goes on a monster-filled adventure to find out who wants to eat him. Perfect for de-scaring monsters under the bed.
When Bernard discovers a monster in the back garden, it's too bad for his parents that they're not paying him attention. A great book for children and parents alike.
A substantial supernatural series with individual chilling plots and terrifying twists, the 62 Goosebumps books were the basis for the hit '90s TV show. There are no happy ever afters with Goosebumps.
A unique graphic novel for kids who love adventure stories, Emily and her brother Navin face a terrible, life-or-death mission after moving to a creepy old house. Great danger hides in the darkness, and a magical world filled with terror lies ahead.
In a re-illustrated edition, this chilling collection is loved by middle school kids and adults alike, featuring the infamous 'The Green Ribbon' and six other terrifying tales.
In the first of The Slug Pie Stories collection (which also includes How to Rid Your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirsty Mermaid, How to Destroy the New Girl's Killer Robot Army, and How to Protect Your Neighborhood from Circus Werewolves), Bogerman puts terrifying twists on a number of normal situations.
Bullies and burial grounds collide in a small America town. This is humorous, child-appropriate horror from a writer known for extreme adult horror fiction.
When Coraline and her family move into a creepy house, a mysterious door leads to unwanted consequences. A chilling story where the grass is not always greener on the other side, this book is also a major stop-motion animated film.
The complete, first-edition collection of all eight volumes of Grimm Brothers' tales, featuring 156 diverse stories with all the scary bits left in.
Between the bright lights of a carousel, a terrible evil lurks in the darkness. With stunning visual language, this book is a story about friendship and fatherhood.
When four people come to stay at Hill House, they quickly learn that their presence may not be welcome. One of the most terrifying children's ghost stories that leaves readers guessing into the night, this book has recently become a major Netflix series.
Published in 2019, 'House of Salt and Sorrows' is based on Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Twelve Dancing Princesses'. Mysteries and curses abound in this tale of sisters living and deceased.
Roald Dahl read 749 spooky stories kept in the British Museum before choosing his favourites for this spine-chilling anthology, including Cynthia Asquith's 'The Corner Shop', Sheridan Le Fanu's 'The Ghost of a Hand', Mary Treadgold's 'The Telephone' and Edith Wharton's 'Afterward', with ten more scary stories.
Generally hailed as Koontz's best book, mysterious evil awaits one man and his oddly intelligent dog.
Bayview High is riddled with secrets that help no one when five students get detention, and only four walk out alive.
A special edition with a gorgeously gory cover, Shelley's classic story is a tale of questionable medicine, the unknown, and the monster inside.
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Tinderbox', 'Tinder' plays with war, love, beasts and magic. This richly illustrated book draws you into a nightmarish world where a light in the dark is a gift and a curse.
Kidadl Best Buys selects the top parent-recommended products across the web for families of all ages. If you've got kids who love to read, check out our selection of the best books about birds and learning coding for children.
Clare was born and bred in Yorkshire, and has vowed to see as much of the world ever since! An avid traveler and storyteller, she loves getting people excited to explore what's outside of their doorstep. She recently became a first time Auntie, and can't wait to discover and share each and every kiddy friendly activity!
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At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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September 06, 2021
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