Lots of people love summer - the heat, the sun, the long nights and lazy days! Then there’s those of us who wait patiently, knowing that summer is just the precursor to the good stuff - the fall. Spooky season is just around the corner, but you don’t have to wait for a chill in the air to enjoy your spooky reads. This gathering of books covers the spectrum of scary stories for kids. Read on...if you dare!
From the team that brought you Creepy Carrots! and Creepy Underwear! comes the latest creepy and persistent household item…Creepy Crayon! Told with Reynolds’ signature wit and Brown’s perfectly balanced illustrations, this spooky tale will delight and scare in equal measure. Perfect for younger readers who may be curious about frightening tales…but not quite ready for serious scares.
A perfect follow up to the classically scary The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (I think we can all agree that the shirt was the scariest), Faith Capalia has crafted a beautiful story about what happens when we face our fears in her debut picture book, Melvina Whitmoore. Gorgeously illustrated, Capalia makes great use of the vertical page turn to reinforce the story.
Fans of Lemony Snicket’s The Dark will be thrilled to see Klassen apply his illustration style and pared back text to a spooky folktale retelling in The Skull! Suited for kids who are ready for an early chapter book, The Skull brings genuine frights to the table. Reader beware!
Like Klassen, Sally Nicholls understands that the scariest stories have already been told long ago, and original folktales are always worth revisiting. In this stunningly illustrated retelling of a Grimm fairytale, Godfather Death, we learn what happens when you try to cheat death. As the kid who was constantly toting around my battered copy of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, I would have been equal parts thrilled and terrified enjoying this read.
Vikki VanSickle breathes new life into Christina Rossetti's classically terrifying poem, Goblin Market, in this beautifully illustrated ode. Fans of traditional fairytales will delight in Into the Goblin Market's familiar villains and sister-based narrative.
Finally, sometimes there’s just no replacement for an OG terrifying tale. The even scary stories that make up In A Dark, Dark Room, and Other Scary Stories still scare my pants off, all these many years later. Gather round and learn about the girl with the green ribbon, if you dare!
Did I miss any of your favorite spooky reads? Let us know in the comments!
Add a comment to: Scary Stories to Read Around the Campfire