7 spooky Halloween books for 8-year-olds and up

 

It can be fun to feel a little scared, when snug and safe in the comfort of your own home. You can let your imagination run wild and get lost in a terrifically terrifying story.

Whether you're spending Halloween at home or out and about with friends this year, it’s a perfect opportunity for slightly older primary school-aged readers to give themselves a few frights with a creepy Halloween book or two.

We’re huge advocates of reading aloud to kids whatever their age, so perhaps you’ll want to enjoy one or two of these together in the run up to Halloween celebrations?

This is our top pick of spooky and creepy, yet age-appropriate, reads for 8-year-olds and up:

Fright Club: Let's Book This!

This is the start of a spooky new series for middle grade readers with a fun choose-your-character twist. The night Joe Bones spots a cloaked figure leaving his gran’s house, he's sure that something is afoot. So, when he hears that his gran has passed away he’s convinced the mysterious man has something to do with her death...

Dracula & Daughters

In the city of Temstown, for the first time in twenty years . . . Vampires are prowling the streets. The only way to make the city safe again is by culling the undead with a stake through the heart. But vampire slayers are in dangerously short supply. Then three girls, Mina, Buffy and Bella, discover a mind-blowing secret. Could they alone have the powers to cure - not cull - vampires?

 

Serial Chillers: The Witch in the Woods

Jennifer Killick is the queen of spooky thrillers for kids. To Travis and his classmates, Hazard is home. But when they’re set a school project to investigate the history of the town, they soon realise that something strange and alien lies beneath Hazard. But as they investigate the mysterious witch in the woods - will they make it home to tell the tale…?

Deep Dark

This is a supernatural adventure through the streets of London following Cassia Thorne as she investigates the mysterious disappearances of children. She soon discovers a sinister conspiracy at the heart of the city - mysterious men in blue coats and whispers of a beast that lives in the deep dark tunnels below the city...  

The Housetrap

Scooby Doo meets Escape Room in this brilliant new book packed with puzzles, spooks and mystery! Amity has run off into Badwell Woods. Her brother Claude goes after her, only to discover his little sister’s scarf dangling near a house in the trees. Has she gone inside? He enters, not expecting a three storey-building with NO stairs. And a party laid out when there’s nobody else around. Only when the front door locks behind him does he realise it’s a housetrap. And they’ve been caught...

 

Fear Files

Creepy, clever and impossible to put down, Fear Files is packed with chills, twists and nightmare-fuel thrills. A spine-tingling new series that will hook horror fans from the first page.

 

Revenge of the Killer Worm

Milo is convinced an old arcade game called Worm Attack is responsible for the weird goings on in town. It's a shame that he can't get past level three without being eaten by the giant killer worm. But as the similarities between the game and real life grow, Milo's friends start to question whether Milo's "one last adventure" is worth the risk. There's something stirring beneath Stourmouth beach, and it's hungry...

 

If you’re looking for recommendations for younger or particularly sensitive readers, why not check out these 7 fang-tastic Halloween books for 5 to 8-year-olds.

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