My Favorite Scary & Not-So-Scary Kids' Books

Plus a ghost story of my own!

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I live with a ghost. Not like some emotional ghost I carry around from my past, but an actual ghost. I’m not afraid of it—it’s given me no reason to be, at least not yet. It started at dinner a few years ago. One night, when we sat down to eat, my kids noticed that we always had an empty chair at the table and asked why. Instead of explaining the boring truth, my husband said very matter-of-factly, “It’s not empty; it belongs to Johnny.” “Johnny?! Who’s Johnny?” my kids asked excitedly. “Oh, he’s a ghost. And he’s sitting with us right now,” said my husband. To my surprise, the kids didn’t flinch. They thought this was hilarious. Probably because of how calm my husband was. It was like it was no big deal. But also, they sort of knew he was kidding. Soon Johnny became a running joke in our family. Did someone lose a shoe? Blame Johhny. Strange noise coming from the closet? It’s just Johnny. But then we stumbled upon something that didn’t feel so funny. A few months ago, while deep cleaning the garage, I asked my husband to pull the tall shelves out and away from the wall so I could clean behind them (don’t ask me why). As I was sweeping up cobwebs, dust, and long-lost Lego pieces, I saw something carved into the cement. It was a name. And I bet you can guess whose name it was. Ya, it was Johnny’s!

Again, to my surprise, we weren’t freaked out by this. We sort of laughed at how crazy of a coincidence it was and moved on. But the more I think about it, the more spectacular I find it. It was like Johnny wanted us to know he wasn’t a joke, that he’s real, and that he’s not a spooky spirit that haunts the halls. He’s a friendly ghost— like Leo, the lonely house ghost in the picture book Leo: A Ghost Story. But Johnny, unlike Leo, is welcome.

“Leo: A Ghost Story,” written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Christian Robinson (2015)

I haven’t always been comfortable with scary stuff. Growing up, I was kind of a wimp. I think it stems from being raised as an only child. I didn’t have a sibling to keep me company when I woke in a panic about the monster that lived under my bed, and I also had parents who treated my existence as this fragile, precious thing that had to be protected at all costs because the world is a scary, scary place. As a little girl, I was terrified of being abducted (how 1980s of me), and I often thought a dark shadowy figure was lurking outside my window. How was I supposed to get out of bed at night when there was a monster at my feet and an evil man outside? I believed in scary stories: the ones in books and the ones in real life —which meant my relationship with such stories was fraught. I felt electrified by them in mysterious ways, but they scared the crap out of me. What I didn’t know then, but believe now, is that scary stories are important, especially for kids.

My parents were right: the world can be a scary place. And now that I’m a parent, I think of all the bad things that can happen to my children, and it’s terrifying. But you can’t avoid scary situations—they’ll come for you no matter how hard you try to ignore them. The trick is to build resilience through exposure and reframing. I’m not recommending you force your children to walk down a dark alley at midnight or anything; I’m asking you to expose them to frightening made-up stories. Allowing children to read spooky fiction gives them opportunities to develop coping skills for when scary situations happen to them in real life. It’s a way of acknowledging that dark, terrible things can happen, which is something kids already know or have experienced, and avoiding these types of stories is not going to change that. It may not be obvious for parents to see the connection between a bully teasing your kid at school and a book about fighting scary monsters, but most likely, the kid sees it, and there’s a chance for them to work out their feelings by engaging with the story, no matter how vague the parallels may be. But even though these books can be used as tools, they don’t have to be. Some children like them simply for the same reasons that many adults like them: because they’re fun!

When it comes to what scary stories your children read, I say let them be the guide, not the other way around. Allow children to follow their interests and have agency over their reading choices. And if they get scared—which they probably will—be there for them with a cup of mint tea and honey toast.

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Recommendations 🦇

Here are just a few of my recommendations. Keep in mind there are a lot of incredible scary books written for middle-grade and young adult reading levels, but for now, my focus is mostly on picture books (which tend to be less scary). I recommend books from the backlist because new books are expensive, and my family and I get most of our books from the used bookstore and the library. If you have recommendations for new spooky books, leave them in the comments. I’d love to check them out!

While putting together this list, I noticed the majority of my favorites are from the 1980s. Either that was the best decade for spooky children’s books, or I’m biased because that’s when I was little and most impacted by these kinds of stories.

What do you think?

The Three Robbers by Tomi Ungerer (1961)

The flap copy of Ungerer’s The Three Robbers reads, “In this timeless tale, three robbers wearing tall black hats walk the roads at night, terrifying everyone they meet, but one day they encounter an orphan girl named Tiffany who isn’t scared of them at all.” It’s true: these guys are scary. They roam the streets looking menacing and carrying terrible weapons. “The first had a blunderbuss.” (Probably the best word ever written in a children’s book!) “The second had a pepper-blower. And the third had a huge red axe.” writes Ungerer. These guys are frightening, but are they bad? Is there a difference? This book demonstrates those differences through Ungerer’s dark, witty storytelling. One of the things I appreciate about Tomi’s books is that they’re full of interesting nuance—nothing is simply black or white—things, people, scary monsters—they’re not always what they seem. You can be good and evil, funny and mean, dangerous and kind. It’s refreshing, especially now, when media and politics thrive on severe dichotomies.

The Queen in the Cave by Júlia Sardà (2021)

There is something inherently spooky about Júlia Sardà’s illustrations. Maybe it’s the way she draws long, angular faces, or perhaps it’s the dark, gothic undertones she brings to popular children’s classics (Alice in Wonderland, The Secret Garden, Mary Poppins). Whatever it is, I find it eerily delightful. In her debut picture book as author and illustrator, The Queen in the Cave, Sardà shows us her wide range of artistic talents. In this modern-day fairy tale, three sisters venture deep into the forest and find that the world is full of secrets waiting to be discovered. The illustrations are rich in detail —there are giant snail bunnies, flying fish, a grandmotherly spider, and spooky trolls — each spread is a wonder to behold. It’s an enchanting story of adventure, discovery, and the hidden mysteries of growing older. 

One of my favorite details is in the illustration on the first page. The middle sister, Carmela, is reading The Witch’s Handbook (1984) —which was part of Sardà’s inspiration for this story and a book I’m dying to get a hold of.

Hansel and Gretel by The Brothers Grimm - illustrated by Anthony Browne (1981)

I’m a big reader of fairy tales, especially The Brothers Grimm versions. Fairy tales are some of the strangest, scariest stories, yet many people think of them as sweet and sentimental thanks to Disney movies and cheery retellings. As a child, Hansel and Gretel was my favorite. I was astonished at how horrifying it was (Child abandonment! Attempted cannibalism! Enslavement! Murder!), but what I loved most was the cleverness and wicked heroism of the children.

I recently found this version by acclaimed children’s book author and illustrator Anthony Browne. It’s straight-up scary! Browne’s illustrations are dark and sinister —full of hidden details. It’s sure to give kids nightmares (and maybe adults too).

Bony-Legs written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Dirk Zimmer (1983)

Ask adults who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s what their favorite spooky book was as a kid, and most of them will exclaim, “Bony-Legs!” I mean, it’s a book about a witch named Bony-Legs who lives in a house standing on chicken legs, and she likes to eat children! What’s not to love? Based on a Russian folktale, Bony-Legs is a hilarious retelling of a classic witch story with a happy ending. 

Bonus: it’s a blast to read out loud.

The Witches written by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake (1983)

This story is about a young boy and his badass, witchophile Gradmamama, who fight off evil witches trying to kill children! In Dahl’s stories, children are often neglected and abused by their parents, caretakers, and adults. For these kids, the world is cruel, but it’s not bleak. There’s plenty of optimism, and (spoiler?) the kids are triumphant. This refreshing contrast drew me to Dahl’s books as a child. These kids deal with challenging situations, whether rooted in realism (neglectful parents and a mean principle) or the fantastical (grotesque evil witches). Often, these two worlds are blurred—which is how young children experience the world.

It’s Halloween written by Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by Marylin Hafner (1980)

It’s Halloween is a perennial classic written by a spooky master, Jack Prelutsky. This collection of poems isn’t as frightening as some of Prelutsky’s others (“The Boogeyman,” “The Ghoul,” “The Darkling Elves”), where every ghastly creature wants to eat you alive! Although, I highly recommend those. Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1976) and The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep (1976) are both illustrated in an Edward Gorey-esque style, but they’re actually by the beloved Arnold Lobel (of the “Frog & Toad” series). It’s Halloween is geared toward younger audiences, so there’s less blood and guts and more nerdy goblins and fun-loving demons.

Millicent the Monster written by Mary Lystad and illustrated by Victoria Chess (1968)

I love books about naughty children, and Millicent is the ultimate: she’s a monster. Millicent is tired of being polite. She’s tired of saying “Please” and “Thank You,” so she decides to become a monster. She threatens to eat people, hang them, and turn them purple, but soon she grows bored with her monstrous ways and returns to being a polite little girl, or does she?

Victoria Chess illustrated dozens of hilariously creepy books for children (no one draws creepier eyes than her!). Chess’s book Slugs (1983), written by David T. Greenberg, is so disgusting, funny, and terrifying it’s seared into my memory forever. Her illustrations are so notable and unique that I hoped to learn more about her, but there’s nothing on the internet. I could not find one photo of her. Which got me thinking; maybe Victoria Chess is a ghost!

In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories retold by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Dirk Zimmer (1984)

Here’s another stone-cold classic created by two of the greats. This is a collection of seven chilling short stories based on traditional stories and folklore from around the world. Kids have a real love/hate relationship with this one. They love to hate it and hate to love it! My kids won’t even allow it in their sight. The standout story is “The Green Ribbon,” which will haunt you forever.

All of this sounds really scary, but ultimately it’s a lot of fun. Leah, age 6, reviewed it for The Spaghetti Book Club:

I really like In A Dark, Dark Room. I think it is very scary. Every character in the book has freckles. There are 7 scary chapters in the book. I think these chapters are not real. On the cover there is a picture of a character from every chapter. There is a chapter called The Green Ribbon. In the chapter The Green Ribbon there is a girl named Jenny. She always wore a green ribbon around her neck. The girl liked a boy Alfred. Jenny and Alfred grew up and married each other. Alfred wanted Jenny to take the green ribbon off. He keeps asking, "Why do you wear that green ribbon all the time?" When she got old something scary happened!

Great review, Leah. You can read the rest here.

I would be remiss not to mention Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark (1981), illustrated by Stephen Gammel—a book I wanted to include but is so scary I don’t own a copy. Holy crap, those illustrations haunt my dreams!

Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson (1964)

I wanted to include Tales from Moominvalley, not because it’s particularly scary, but for its beautiful, melancholy, atmospheric stories. The horror is subtle and complex. Unlike the other Moomin books, this is a collection of short stories. You don’t have to read the other books to enjoy it, but it wouldn’t hurt. In one tale, a Whomp finds he’s got a knack for telling scary stories. He’s so good he starts to believe them, and his father sends him to bed without supper for telling lies. But then the Whomp runs into Little My, who’s even better at telling scary stories (“Tales of Horror”). In another, Ninny, a young girl, is turned invisible by an evil caretaker (“The Invisible Child”). And in one of my favorites, Moomintroll finds a tiny golden dragon who’s the last dragon in the world! Moomintroll wants to keep him as a pet, but the dragon has other ideas (“The Last Dragon in the World”).

Evie and the Truth About Witches by John Martz (2018)

Evie wants to be scared, but the usual scary stories aren’t doing it for her anymore. So she heads to a bookshop specializing in scary stories and stumbles on a book called “THE TRUTH ABOUT WITCHES.” The shopkeeper gifts her the copy but warns her, “…never…ever..read the last page out loud.” But Evie is too curious! She reads the last page aloud and is swiftly transported to a strange land of creepy creatures and witches. But the witches aren’t as wicked as they seem, and soon Evie is begging them to turn her into a witch, but once her wish is granted, Evie becomes truly scared!

This is a great little story for kids who love to be scared, but will they dare read the last page out loud?

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