It’s October – and that means it’s the perfect time for some spooky Halloween goodness! I love this month because it’s always full of parties, treats, costumes for you and your pets, and all things scary. But even with everything going on, there’s no better place to experience some good old Halloween fun than in the pages of a book. I share a lot of adventure and fantasy books, but adding ghosts, witches, and other frights into the mix makes reading even more fun!
If you’d like to check out some Halloween-themed books for this year’s festivities, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 15 spine-tingling books you’ve got to read for middle-grade spooky goodness!
GIVEAWAY ALERT: Are you planning on any spooky reads this month? I’m highlighting even more books that I love over on my Instagram account. I’ll also be giving away one of the books from this list to one lucky follower! So come on over to say hi and find out how to enter! I’ll see you there.
The Stitchers by Lorien Lawrence
This is the first book in the Fright Watch series. Inside, a 13-year-old named Quinn realizes her neighbors are super old and very strange. She starts investigating with the help of another boy in her neighborhood, and they end up finding themselves in a terrifying mystery.
The Witches of Willow Cove by Josh Roberts
Seventh grade Abby is a teenage witch who starts to notice weird things happening in her hometown. Abby soon meets someone named Miss Winters and realizes she isn’t the only witch in Willow Cove after all! But can Miss Winters be trusted? Or does she have something evil planned for the young witches of Willow Cove? Read the book to find out!
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
This is definitely one of my favorite spooky middle-grade books. 11-year-old Ollie loves books because they’re the only place he can find comfort and peace. He stumbles on the graves of people he read about in one of his books and ends up in a real-life, hair-raising ghost story that he has to see through until the end. This is book 1 of 2 in the series!
The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox
Katherine and her siblings are sent to live in a strange castle while her dad is off at war. But inside the castle, there are terrifying noises, and people keep disappearing and reappearing again. When her classmates start to disappear, Katherine knows it’s time to figure out what is going on inside those castle walls.
Nightmares! by Jason Segel, Kirsten Miller
When Charlie’s nightmares start showing up in the real world, he needs all the help he can get to survive and get things back to normal! I really like these books because they’re both funny and frightening! This is book 1 of 3 in the series.
Lockwood & Co by Jonathan Stroud
I’ve mentioned these books before, but had to add them in because they’re so great! In this five-book series, we meet three young operatives of a Psychic Detection Agency. (Yes, it’s just as crazy as it sounds.) In the book, they battle an epidemic of ghosts in London. You’ll be holding on to your seat as you read it!
Goosebumps Slappyworld series by R.L. Stine
Goosebumps books really are classic, and I love the twist of the Slappyworld series. This 14-book series is all about Slappy the Dummy, an evil dummy who comes to life and tells scary, twisted stories.
Goosebumps by R.L. Stine
There is no better series of captivating scary stories for middle-graders than Goosebumps! There are currently 235 books. Each one follows kids who end up in scary situations, usually with monsters or other strange supernatural beings.
The Dark Deep by Ally Condie, Brendan Reichs
No one goes to Still Cove because of its danger and scary legends. But when a bullying incident takes Nico Holland there, a group of kids comes to his rescue. Strange things begin to happen, and it leads to a pulse-racing adventure.
A Tale of Witchcraft by Chris Colfer
In this two-book series, Brystal Evergreen learns she is a fairy who is capable of magic, and her life changes forever! She soon ends up trying to stop a plot that puts the fate of the world at risk.
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The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
Eight young boys head out to go trick or treating. But instead, a neighbor ends up introducing them to Halloween traditions from other parts of the world. I can’t wait to read this one!
The Haunting of Henry Davis by Kathryn Siebel
Henry is the quiet kid at school. But few people know it’s because he’s being haunted by a ghost! With the help of a new friend, Henry tries to help the ghost finally move to the other side.
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Cass makes friends with a ghost after a near-death experience. But while in Edinburgh to film a show about haunted places with her parents, she realizes that not all ghosts are quite so friendly.
The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner
This book is a fun twist on the classic story of Frankenstein. I hear the Victorian-style story is super creepy, and I’m definitely adding it to my own personal list!
Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie
Last but not least, I love this book because it’s based on real history, which makes it extra spooky. The book centers around a haunting mystery in Chicago involving a ghost and one unlucky young girl named Claire. She’s being haunted and has to figure out why and how to make it stop.
For even more spooky middle-grade books and Halloween fun, head over to my Instagram account!