10 Spooky Middle-Grade Books to Read this Fall

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Put down those Pumpkin Spice Latte’s and get ready for some spine-tingling Middle-Grade reads! The first day of Fall is right around the corner…and that means it is time to dust off all of our spooky books! Ghosts, Witches, Things that go bump in the night…it is time. This post is going to feature 10 Spooky Middle-Grade Books that will be the perfect additions to your Fall Reading List! Let’s chat!!

City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

I am going to start with one of my favorites. City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab is the first book in the City of Ghosts Collection and it is fantastic. Set in Edinburgh Scotland…which is notoriously haunted, this book combines history, mystery, and most definitely LOTS of ghosts. My kids and I have read and loved this entire series. Hugely entertaining and hugely spooky! Definitely recommend!

Goodreads Synopsis

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria (V.E.) Schwab (The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue) comes a sweeping, spooky, evocative adventure, perfect for fans of Stranger Things. An instant bestseller!

Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn’t like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.

So things are already pretty strange. But they’re about to get much stranger.

When Cass’s parents start hosting a TV show about the world’s most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her “gift,” she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil — and herself.

And she’ll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

Nightbooks by J.A. White

Next up we have Nightbooks by J.A. White. If this title sounds familiar that is because it was made into a Netflix film! This book was such a creepy and suspenseful page-turner. This is the perfect book for kids who LOVE scary stories…because it is full of them. The main character, Alex is kidnapped and imprisoned by a witch…a witch who loves scary stories. The only way Alex can survive is to keep writing scary stories for her. It was so good and so creepy. We also enjoyed the movie but I think the book was better!

Goodreads Synopsis

A boy is imprisoned by a witch and must tell her a new scary story each night to stay alive. This thrilling contemporary fantasy from J. A. White, the acclaimed author of the Thickety series, brings to life the magic and craft of storytelling.

Alex’s original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping the witch Natacha happy, but soon he’ll run out of pages to read from and be trapped forever. He’s loved scary stories his whole life, and he knows most don’t have a happily ever after. Now that Alex is trapped in a true terrifying tale, he’s desperate for a different ending—and a way out of this twisted place.

This modern spin on the Scheherazade story is perfect for fans of Coraline and A Tale Dark and Grimm. With interwoven tips on writing with suspense, adding in plot twists, hooks, interior logic, and dealing with writer’s block, this is the ideal book for budding writers and all readers of delightfully just-dark-enough tales.

The In-Between by Rebecca K.S. Ansari

Next up we have The In-Between by Rebecca K.S. Ansari. This book I would classify as more eerie and mysterious than spooky. But, I still think it would make an absolutely fabulous read for the fall season. If you love solving mysteries and dark and eerie stories then definitely give this one a read. Check out this description to see what I mean. My kiddos and I really enjoyed reading this one!

Goodreads Synopsis

Cooper is lost. Ever since his father left their family three years ago, he has become distant from his friends, constantly annoyed by his little sister, Jess, and completely fed up with the pale, creepy rich girl who moved in next door, who won’t stop staring at him.

So when Cooper learns of an unsolved mystery his sister has discovered online, he welcomes the distraction. It’s the tale of a deadly train crash that occurred a hundred years ago in which one young boy among the dead was never identified. The only distinguishing mark on him was a strange insignia on his suit coat, a symbol no one had seen before or since. Jess is fascinated by the mystery of the unknown child—because she’s seen the insignia. And, she tells Cooper, he has too.

It’s the symbol on the jacket of the girl next door.

As they uncover more information—and mounting evidence of the girl’s seemingly impossible connection to the tragedy—Cooper and Jess begin to wonder if a similar disaster could be heading to their hometown. Thus begins an unforgettable adventure about the forgotten among us and what it means to be seen.

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

This next book is an extremely creepy and spellbinding ghost story that is perfect for fall. Just take a look at this creepy cover! “The smiling man is always watching”…this was the first line I saw and I knew this one was going to scare me…and it did! It has all of the perfect elements of a ghost story…check out the synopsis below. So good, isn’t it??? This is the first book in the Small Spaces Quartet by Katherine Arden and I can’t wait to read the rest!

Goodreads Synopsis

After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn’t think—she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with “the smiling man,” a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. 

Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she’s been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn’t have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: “Best get moving. At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.” Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie’s previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN. 

Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver’s warning. As the trio head out into the woods–bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them–the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: “Avoid large places. Keep to small.” 

And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

The Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt

Ok, let’s take a little pause from the super-duper scary books and do something a little lighter. The Embassy of the Dead by Will Mabbitt is laugh-out-loud funny. I can’t tell you how much I loved this book. Now, it definitely has some creepy elements to it…dead things, poltergeists, ghosts, a Grim Reaper…finger in a box…you know…creepy things. If you are looking for something lighter and not super scary but with lots of humor and heart…then this would be a great choice. I adored this book! Oh, and it has fabulous illustrations by artist Taryn Knight.

Goodreads Synopsis

Jake Green is dead. Or he might as well be when he mistakenly accepts a package from the Embassy of the Dead in this hilarious adventure of the afterlife, the first in a series.

When Jake Green opens a mysterious box containing a severed finger, he accidentally summons a grim reaper intent on dragging him to the Eternal Void (yes, it’s as fatal as it sounds). Now Jake is running for his life. Luckily, he has a knack for talking to ghosts, which just might help him survive long enough to reach the Embassy of the Dead and plead his case. With the help of a prankster poltergeist and a dead undertaker, Jake dodges fearsome undead creatures, discovers his own ghostly abilities, and gets excused from the school field trip due to a terrible (and made-up) bout of diarrhea. But the Embassy has its own problems, and Jake must be very careful where he places his trust—in both the living and the dead. With a plot that zips and a colorful cast of characters, this delightful new series delivers laughs and shivers in equal measure.

Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie

We are back to the spooky and creepy books. If you are looking to add some spooky to your fall TBR then Lindsay Currie is your gal. She is the author of several extremely creepy and spooky books. One of the first books I read of hers was Scritch Scratch…and it was definitely a haunting and spooky story. Full of ghosts and malevolent spirits, this mystery will definitely fit the ghost story bill!

Goodreads Synopsis

A ghost story about a malevolent spirit, an unlucky girl, and a haunting mystery that will tie the two together.

Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.

Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.

Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something…and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

Is there anything creepier than a Victorian Era story set in a crumbling English manor? Nope. It just screams haunted ghost story! The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is most definitely a spooky tale with a mysterious spectre, an ancient curse, and a bit of a life lesson on greed and the power of storytelling.

Goodreads Synopsis

The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious spectre and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. With Auxier’s exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.

Doll Bones by Holly Black

I’m not sure what it is but if you add a china doll into a story you increase the creepy factor by about 1000. I have no idea why…its science I think. I don’t make the rules. This brings us to our next book…Doll Bones by Holly Black. This book is the winner of a Newbery Honor medal as well as countless other awards. The writing is fantastic and the story is creepy! I am going to let you take a peek at the synopsis to see what I mean!

Goodreads Synopsis

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice.

But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity . . .

The Ghost Rules by Adam Rosenbaum

This next book is one I just finished. The Ghost Rules by Adam Rosenbaum was a 5 star read for me. This isn’t your typical spooky ghost story. Of course there are ghosts…and they drool…ew…but this was more of a heartwarming story than a spooky one. I still want to include it because it is just a wonderful book. It does have some heavy undertones…it is a story about grief. The main character has lost his older brother and his family is dealing with a lot of grief. But, it is also a book full of humor…I was cracking up while reading it. If you love a ghost story that is also full of heart…then definitely give this one a read! You can check out my full review here on the blog.

Goodreads Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Elwood McGee never asked to have “ghost-sight,” and it involves a lot more drool-dodging than he expected. Ghosts are the WORST—and they’re all over the place in this sharp-witted middle grade debut novel.

Did you know that ghosts love coffee? They’re not trying to be scary. They’re just deprived of an appropriate amount of caffeine! They also bump into things by accident, are occasionally nosy, and get a little nervous when they’re seen by the living. 

Elwood McGee knows these ghost facts because he’s one of those rare people with the gift of ghost-sight. And it turns out ghosts are everywhere! Especially in the small Tennessee town where Elwood and his family had to move following the death of his big brother Noah, which Elwood thinks was his fault. 

Once Elwood figures out he can see ghosts, he becomes single-mindedly determined to use his powers to see Noah and talk to him once last time. With the help of two girls who live on his street, Elwood embarks on a journey through the surprisingly funny world of ghosts and faces the realities of letting go. 

It Found Us by Lindsay Currie

Last but certainly not least is It Found Us by Lindsay Currie. Truth be told…I have not read this book yet. I just got it in the mail from my friends at Sourcebooks and I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. BUT…one look at this cover tells you that it needs to be on my Spooky Books list. Also, as I mentioned above, Lindsay Currie knows her way around a spooky story. I am so ready to read this one. Check out this synopsis!

Goodreads Synopsis

Twelve-year-old Hazel Woods has always had an unusual knack for sleuthing. Some may call it snooping, but all she really wants is to solve mysteries around town. So, when she not-so-accidentally overhears her brother Den planning to sneak into the cemetery at night for an epic game of hide-and-seek, she decides to secretly tag along. This seems like the perfect opportunity to investigate the claims that the cemetery is haunted.

But the moment the game ends, Hazel realizes something is very, very wrong. From her hiding spot in the bushes, she overhears that her brother’s best friend, Everett, is missing. Everyone else was found by the seeker but there’s no sign of Everett anywhere. It’s as if he just . . . vanished

Hazel and Den are determined to find Everett before it’s too late. But as they begin to unravel the terrifying clues that started appearing since that night in the graveyard–eerie whispers that sound like someone counting, the intermittent smell of smoke, and the cold, lost presence that follows them everywhere, she’s not sure what they are dealing with. But Everett needs more than search parties and scent-tracking dogs to find him, especially if his disappearance is tied to the history of the cemetery, and the lost, century-old spirits that might still be trapped there.

Happy Reading!

Have you started reading any spooky fall books yet?

I am hoping to follow this post up with some of my favorite Witchy Middle-Grade reads…there are so many good ones.

Happy Reading, friends!