Hey everyone, and welcome to Owl Book World! Today, I’m writing a list of Middle-Grade Horror Books for kids who are just starting with horror. This list is also super helpful for those who already like horror and just want more books to read. On top of that, if you’re older (than a middle-schooler) and want to ease into horror, these may be the perfect books to start with. Yes, they are scary books for tweens, but starting with books for a younger audience can be very helpful because they aren’t as bad as books for older audiences.
Before I get started, how do you guys feel about horror books for kids between 11-13? Do you think middle schoolers should be reading age-appropriate horror novels? It seems back in the ’90s (or even earlier), a lot of us kids were able to get away with reading whatever books we wanted. I was one of those kids who got away with reading books I probably shouldn’t have. Now it seems like a lot of parents are hiding their kids away from horror, even though it might be something that they would enjoy.
I am by no means saying let them read Stephen King books that I know will surely scar them. But this will be the perfect list for those who are showing interest in the genre.
So here are a few middle-grade horror books for young readers who are showing an interest in reading horror!
Goosebumps
I know, I know an R.L. Stine book. I can’t create a post about middle-grade horror books without talking about Goosebumps. The books were wildly popular back in the 90’s so I’m not completely sure how they would resonate with kids now, but I have heard some kids have been enjoying them. This would be the perfect series to start off with, because then you can watch the show and movies afterward.
I love the idea that they have been making more TV shows and movies of his book! It brings back so many memories, and I’ve even been going back and watching some of the episodes of the older series!
Plus, if they wind up liking the books, then this would be a great time to watch the show if you liked it as well!
This series is actually what got me started with reading and just reading horror in general! I love the show as well. I’m hoping that when my son gets older, he’ll be able to get into these as well!
It’s the First Day of School…Forever!
Yes, yes, I am adding another R.L. Stine book, but that’s because I feel like most have heard about Goosebumps and The Fear Street Novels. I just read this one this year and loved it! I won’t give anything away, but I do feel like this would be the perfect book for those who like video games. Just an FYI, the story isn’t about video games but does have an involvement with them!
I promise, if you don’t know anything about horror and where to start, but want to find some middle-grade horror books for your kid, then R.L. Stine is a great place to start for that. His stories are creepy, but they are age-appropriate.
Here’s my review of that here.
If you’re an R.L. Stine fan, then make sure you check this one out as well. I can see those who grew up on his books will like this one very well, too.
Mine
This book came out recently, so if you’re looking for something newer, then this would be perfect. I ended up getting an advanced copy of this book and didn’t even realize that it was middle-grade horror.
The story is eerie and has the perfect creepy setting. I do recommend reading this one before them. Not that anything really bad happens, but some creepy aspects might be better off deciding if they can handle them or not beforehand.
Even though middle-grade books aren’t aimed at me anymore, and I honestly don’t read them much anymore, I’m still glad I checked this one out. Some are pretty hard for me to get into, mostly because they just seem so cheesy, but not this one!
You can find my review of Mine here.
Where the Woods End by Charlotte Walter
I’m surprised that I haven’t heard of the middle-grade horror book. I guess it would make sense since it’s not targeted at my age group. But I’m finding myself wanting to read it, though.
The story sounds pretty creepy and right up my alley. If you’ve read this one, then let me know what you thought!
Here is what Where the Woods End is about.
Kestrel lives in a forest that’s crawling with dangerous beasts. Unfortunately, the most dangerous of them all are called the Grabbers. They are beings that are born exactly when you are and walk with you throughout your life. They are waiting for the right moment to grab you and eat you. From what Kestrel knows, no one has ever beaten their grabber once they have been attacked.
Those who die from accidents or are killed by other creatures are considered lucky. Kestrel’s mother has given her a task to hunt down the Grabbers to protect the village in the forest. She can’t exactly say no because her mom is a powerful and controlling spell-caster. She’s being accompanied by Pippit, a bloodthirsty weasel, and the two of them search for a way out of the forest and to get away from the judgmental villagers who don’t like her. Unfortunately, her Grabber is getting closer, and nothing in the forest is what it seems. That’s including her mom’s true motivations.
Lilac Scully and the Haunted House
The premise of this story seems like it is captivating! It’s one I haven’t come across, but now it’s on my radar and I’ll have to check it out soon. Along with it is a story that seems a little different than a lot of the other creepy stories out there. For starters, it includes someone disabled, which I haven’t seen often.
Where is what Lilac Skully and The Haunted House is about.
Lilac is and always has been afraid of ghosts. But she’s scared of a lot of other things, too. When her father mysteriously disappears, she has to find a way to deal with the ghosts that haunt her home. What would make it better is if she’s able to get them to leave.
When some breaks into her home, she realizes that there’s a danger, worse, the spookiness in her house. She’s no longer safe, and she needs to face her fears and trust herself. In the process, she will make new friends who will change her life forever.
Hide and Seeker
Hide and Seeker is one of the middle-grade horror books that I have come across on my radar, and I have wanted to read it! Now that I’m reading the synopsis again, I have to get my hands on it!
If I’m honest, I’m pretty sure I already have the book, but I may be wrong. Either way, I still need to try and read it.
Here is what Hide and Seeker is about.
Justin is pretty sure that there is something wrong with his best friend. Zee has gone missing for a year, and when he comes back, he is.. different. Everyone wants to know what happened to him. At his welcome home party, Just and the neighborhood kids play hide and seek, but it unfortunately goes wrong. Very wrong.
Everyone who plays the game disappears one by one, and they are pulled into a world of nightmares that have come to life. Justin and his friends realize that this horrible place is where Zee was trapped. Now all they can do is hide from the person who brought them here.
No Filter by Kelley
No Filter is one that I read just recently. This is one that I kind of have mixed feelings about middle graders reading. That’s mostly because there’s something that happens in the story that might be a bit too much for this age group.
So, take this story with caution.
Here is what No Filter is about.
Jinx has loved photography for a while, and she’s good at it. She likes it because it’s like real life, but she’s able to make it perfect. She’s using her late father’s camera, and she takes photos for almost everyone in her small town of Greenbelt. Because of that, it makes a bit of a local celebrity. One day, when she’s editing up some new photos, she sees something in the background that wasn’t there before. It’s a shadow that she was positive wasn’t there when she took the picture. Even though the shadow is too dark and hazy to figure out what it is, she realizes it almost looks like a figure. Soon, Jinx notices something even more unsettling, and that’s when she takes a new picture; the shadow is always there, and it’s slowly moving closer to the camera.
The Dollhouse Murders
This is one of the middle-grade horror books that I liked reading while I was growing up. Not this book per se, but books like it!
Here is what The Doll House Murders is about.
Louann is brain-damaged, and her twelve-year-old sister Amy is having difficulties being responsible for her. When she’s visiting her Aunt Clare at the family’s old family home, she finds a eery dollhouse in the attic.
It’s a replica of the family home. The dolls in the home represent someone in the family, and whenever she sees the house and them, they have moved to a different spot in the dollhouse. Her aunt won’t listen to the dolls trying to tell her something.
This ultimately leads Amy to do some research, where she finds a family secret: the murder of her grandparents. As she attempts to unravel the mystery, Amy learns to accept her sister and soon realizes that Louann is more capable than she had thought.
The Folcroft Ghosts
So, technically, this book is classified as YA, but since the main character is in eighth grade, I’m including it with this. I get that eighth grade in some areas is a part of the high school, but there are still other areas where they are still a part of the middle school.
And since the storyline is more juvenile than a lot of YA, I figured this would be the perfect post to add it to! This one is about a brother and sister visiting grandparents they had never heard of, and crazy things happen there that their grandparents brush off.
The Folcroft Ghosts is a great ghost story to read on a rainy day or even before bed for a scary story before bed!
I think this is the first Darcy Coates book I’ve ever read, and I’m pretty surprised she writes for a younger audience, too. Most of the ones I have seen are for grown-ups!
The Cursed
The Cursed is another book that was released just recently. There’s The Cursed and The Taker, and they are both middle-grade horror stories. The books are based on the show on Shudder called Creepshow.
Both of these stories actually kind of remind me of Goosebumps in a way. In both books, there are two different stories with different characters that are worth reading.
The stories are different from what I read before, but I still enjoyed them. However, when reading the books, I did end up liking one story more than the other in both books.
The stories are unique and have surprising endings that you can’t able to guess. The endings are a major point in what reminded me of the Goosebumps books!
Now that I’m thinking about it, the story reminds me a little bit of Are You Afraid of the Dark, so maybe this one will be great for some of you adults, too, if you loved that show!
The Beast and the Bethany
So, I’m not fully sure if I’d consider this horror, but it does have its “horror” moments. The Beast and the Bethany is probably best for the younger part of middle-schoolers. It’s a great read with some creepy moments. The best thing is that the story is short and should be a somewhat quick read.
The Beast and the Bethany is another 2021 release, so if you’re looking for something newer that kids can relate to the characters a little more, then this one and a few of the others might be the best route to go. Don’t push off Goosebumps for that reason, though, because your younger readers might still enjoy them a lot as well.
You can find my review for this one here.
Conclusion to middle-grade horror books
I know if you’re not all that interested in horror, then it can be a little scary to introduce it to your kid. What if it’s too much? What if they have something in the book that your kid might not be ready for yet? Most of these books are a great place to start, I promise! And if they wind up not being ready, then they can always come back to it later.
Are there any middle-grade horror books that you feel belong on the list? Make sure to let me know in the comments!
If you enjoyed this list, then you might also like my YA Horror Book List.
Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter because I will be updating this once I read more Middle-grade horror novels. This will be the perfect opportunity to stay up to date!
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