Miss Mari Recommends Spooky Stories for CADL Kids!
Crisp fall weather, pumpkins and Halloween costume planning is the perfect time to add scary (yet gentle) reads for kids ready to celebrate Autumn. Some of these stories are uber creepy and best suited for older children eager for thrills and chills. However, the pictures alone are great springboards for developing discussion of scary world theatrics with kids.
Beneath the Bed and Other Scary Stories by Max Brallier
Scholastic shines with the Acorn early reader series for children learning to read. A short-story format with lots of color builds confidence for your little reader involved with family reading times. Ages 5-7
Ghost: Thirteen Haunting Tales to Tell by Blaise Hemingway
Try reading this one on a sleepy afternoon with older readers interested in ghastly stories. With 13 ghost stories and poems this one is sure to introduce horror lit to kids. Ages 8-12.
Ghastly Ghosts by Teresa Bateman
Looking for a happy ending? The door hinges “squeeeeeak” and you can hear cries from the cellar in this picture book featuring a bearded man playing a fiddle. Eager picture book readers will enjoy this delightful ghost story. Ages 6-8.
Dead Voices by Katherine Arden
Middle-grade readers beware! In this fantastic follow up to Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, a trio of kids head to a ski lodge during an eerie blizzard. This classic haunted house story is highly recommended. Ages 10 & up.
Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker
Readers who enjoy Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark will sense the tension building in this collection of stories where two foxes squirm while trying survive predators like poisonous snakes and a rabies-like condition called “the yellow”. Spooky animal thrills! Ages 9-12