“Not so Spooky” Spooky Reads for Pre-Teens

A couple of months ago, a 9-year boy and his mom came up to the information desk, and the boy asked for a scary book. His mom looked at me and, shaking her head, said, “But not too scary; he also gets nightmares.”

“I got you!” I responded.

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I have curated a list of horror-ish reads for children ages 8-12 who are looking for “spooky, but not so spooky” stories that parents will approve as well. In addition to the ever-popular Goosebumps series (R.L. Stine) and “The Last Kids on Earth” series (Max Brallier), there are many more thrilling titles. I hope some of these spook the readers just a little bit.

Halloween Books for Pre-Teens

THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA by Various Authors (2024)

This collection of short stories by well-known authors, including Dusti Bowling (“Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus”) and Padma Venkatraman (“Born Behind Bars”), will take readers on a haunted geographical tour around the United States.

THE HORRIBLE BAG OF TERRIBLE THINGS by Rob Renzetti (2023)

Zenith’s sister gets taken by a scary creature and disappears to the world of GrahBag. This spooky story will stretch the imagination of its readers, immersing them into a world of gargoyles and rather large ravens. The spooky ending is sure to set the stage for the desire to run to the library and pick up the second book, “The Twisted Tower of Endless Torment.”

THE CURSED MOON by Angela Cervantes (2023)

Rafael’s home life may not be the best, but he loves writing horror stories. However, when he is warned to not tell a spooky story during the upcoming blood moon, he finds that he can neither resist nor disappoint his awaiting friends. This diverse, fast paced thriller will be raved about for years to come.

CREEPOVER graphic novel series by P.J. Knight (2022)

Abby hosts a sleepover with her friends, but when a game of truth or dare results in spooky texts, strange things begin happening at school. Abby isn’t sure if it’s a classmate or a ghost playing tricks on her. This story is immediately engaging and the radiant pictures enhance just the right amount of spookiness.

CORALINE (2002) and THE GRAVEYARD BOOK (2008) by Neil Gaiman

These may be older books but written by one of the best fantasy and spooky children’s authors. Coraline is a young girl looking for a home that is happier than her own. When she opens the door to such a house, she finds that things aren’t always greener on the other side. With a Harry Potter vibe, “The Graveyard Book” introduces you to Owen, who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard after surviving his parents’ deaths.

Other authors known for writing “spooky, but not too spooky” books for preteens are Justin Weinberger, Elizabeth Eulberg, Mary Downing Hahn and M.T. Anderson.

Check out HCPLC.org for even more suggestions.

The catalog offers searching by title, author and keywords. Use keywords such as scary, spooky and horror, and then limit the search to children’s materials. In addition, every month, HCPLC librarians create book lists on a large variety of topics and interests. Visit HCPLC.org and go to the Bibliocommons page for these great staff lists. Or, simply ask one of our librarians the next time you visit us in person for book recommendation.

Originally published in the October 2024 issue of Tampa Bay Parenting Magazine.