5 Frightening Halloween Books for Kids Who Love Scary Stories

If you’re looking for some spooky reads to get you into the Halloween spirit, look no further! These five books are perfect for getting you and your kids into the holiday mood. But be warned – these books are not for the faint of heart! So please exercise caution when reading them aloud to your little ones.

Don’t worry – none of them are so over-the-top that they fall outside the category of children’s literature.

I WOULD NOT READ THESE TO YOUNG CHILDREN. I WOULD READ THESE TO CHILDREN WHO LOVE SCARY STORIES.

MANY OF THESE STORIES TEACH KIDS TO COPE WITH FEAR BY SHOWING THEM THAT ALTHOUGH FEAR DOES NOT GO AWAY, YOU LEARN TO SEE IT FROM A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.

5 Frightening Halloween Books

The Dark by Lemony Snicket, Illustrated by Jon Klassen

This story is about a little boy who is afraid of the dark. One night, he decides to go on an adventure to find the dark and ultimately learns there is nothing to be scared of.

Why it is frightening: Jon Klassen was an excellent option for this story. He intentionally mutes the color; this way, there is a heavy emphasis on light, shadow, and darkness. Lemony Snicket takes advantage of elements that typically scare children, such as the dark and the basement, by incorporating them into the story. The villain, darkness, is a monster without a face, which some may argue, is much scarier than the alternative.

There is a notable absence of adults. So even though the story ends positively, it still leaves an eerie feeling as if it did not completely resolve the problem.

The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman, Illustrated by Dave McKean

This story is about a little girl named Lucy who hears noises from her house’s walls. She believes that wolves are living inside, but no one trusts her. Eventually, the wolves come out of the walls and cause havoc in the house. This book will resonate with kids afraid of things that go bump in the night.

Why it is frightening: The illustrations in this book are incredibly creepy and will scare younger children. For example, the eyes are deep dark holes. Dave McKean strung the text about the pages in inconsistent and bold lettering. Niel Gaiman plays on a typical childhood fear: the sounds of the house at night.

On a particular note, parents and siblings are not very useful to the child in the story. For example, they give vague answers to questions and seem overly preoccupied. Niel Gaiman uses preoccupied parents to create an atmosphere of loneliness, strengthening the misunderstood child trope. He uses it in “Coraline” as well.

What There is Before Anything is There (A Scary Story) by Liniers

This story is about a boy visited every night by “the great unkown.” Liniers personifies “the unknown” with goofy creatures that enter the boy’s room through a void that appears in his ceiling.

Why it is frightening: The concept alone is strange, existential, and scary. The darkness is a villain between the worlds of “there” and “not there.” Although the images are fun, the author uses some eerie illustration strategies. For example, he mutes the color creating an old vintage feel. Adult characters lose their heads off-page, which provides them with a disembodied, disinterested appearance that emphasizes the loneliness of the night.

Bony-Legs by Joanna Cole, Illustrated by Dirk Zimmer

“Bony-Legs” is a fairytale re-telling in the tradition of Baba-Yaga, where children thwart the witch before she can eat them. In this story, a kind girl named Sasha stumbles across a hut on chicken feet and falls into Bony-Legs’s trap. However, the creatures and magical things that Sasha helps along the way reward her for her kindness by helping her escape and return home.

Why it is frightening: This book is more light-hearted than the others on this list, but it still has some creepy moments. The pictures are sufficiently eerie, illustrated in a vintage fairytale style.

The Rainbow Goblins by Ul de Rico

This story is a fable about why you will never find the end of a rainbow. It sounds innocent enough, except it features seven goblins (i.e., the seven horsemen of the apocalypse) who consume color. It stands at the top of my list because of its epic illustrations that span vast and beautiful environments.

Why it is frightening: Small children may not like the menacing faces of the goblins. It is also the only picture book on this list that depicts death (the goblins drowning in a sea of color.)

So you have five terrifyingly good Halloween books to get you and your kids into the holiday spirit! But remember, exercise caution when reading aloud to younger children as some of these stories may be too intense. Happy reading!