From haunted houses to ghostly sidekicks, daring detectives, and eerie seaside towns, these stories prove spooky doesn’t have to mean nightmare-inducing.
Middle-Grade & Junior Fiction Spooky (but not too scary) reads
1. Lockwood & Co. series – Jonathan Stroud
Join a ragtag team of teenage ghost-hunters as they tackle Britain’s most chilling hauntings. Fast-paced action, witty banter, and scary spectres make this a good choice for confident readers. These do get quite a bit more scary/dark as the series progresses.
SPOOK-METER 7 (progressing to 8-9/10)
2. Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus Trilogy) – Jonathan Stroud
Another Stroud series, which I personally loved as a kid. Fantasy meets sharp humour in this tale of a young magician who summons a sarcastic djinni and unleashes more than he bargains for. A perfect pick for readers who like their scares served with snappy one-liners.
SPOOK-METER 6
3. A Girl Called Corpse – Reece Carter
Part ghost story, part treasure hunt, this Australian debut follows Corpse, a plucky girl made of wax, as she searches for her lost name on a windswept coast. Eerie, heartfelt, and full of salty seaside atmosphere. First in a trilogy following Corpse and her friends in Elston-Fright.
SPOOK-METER 5.5
4. Honour Among Ghosts – Sean Williams
A suspenseful middle-grade fantasy full of mystery, magic, and moral twists. When Athelbert Fan is thrown in jail for thievery, his daughter Penny is certain he’s been framed. To uncover the truth, she teams up with an unlikely group: the magistrate’s son, a young traveller, and a magical scribe’s apprentice.
SPOOK-METER 5.5
5. Small Spaces – Katherine Arden
When Ollie’s school trip goes wrong, a sinister smiling man and a field full of scarecrows set the stage for an unforgettable fright. I would recommend for 10 years + as some spooky moments!
SPOOK-METER 8
6. The Peculiar Peggs of Riddling Woods – Samuel J. Halpin
Strange disappearances, odd bedtime rules, and a sleepy village hiding a chilling secret. This one blends folklore and modern adventure with a pinch of dark whimsy.
SPOOK-METER 5.5
7. Malamander – Thomas Taylor
Welcome to Eerie-on-Sea, where legends swirl around the mysterious Malamander. When Violet Parma arrives in town searching for her missing parents, she joins forces with Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel. Together they plunge into a seaside adventure full of hidden rooms, strange inventions, and a creature that only appears on misty nights. First in the ‘Eerie On Sea Mystery Series’.
SPOOK-METER 5.5
8. Goosebumps series – R.L. Stine
The ultimate classic for kids who love a good scare! From You Can’t Scare Me! to Escape from Camp Run-For-Your-Life, these bite-sized adventures were some of my own favourites as a kid.
SPOOK-METER 7-9 (DEPENDING ON BOOK)
9. The Haunting of Hindmarsh Hall – Kate Gordon
Rocko Jarvis and his best friend Cosmo (and their new friend Mingus) are three kids on a mission. Their ‘chess club’ is in fact a Secret Detectives Club. Perfect for younger middle-graders who are eager for mysteries, a gentle ghostly atmosphere, and protagonists brave enough to investigate the unknown.
SPOOK-METER 3
10. Witchlings – Claribel A. Ortega
In this magical adventure, a trio of misfit witches must band together to save their town. Packed with friendship, humour, and just enough eerie twists to keep pages turning. A spooktacular, witchy read.
SPOOK-METER 6
Halloween reads, all year long
Whether you’re building a classroom library, curating a Halloween display, or simply hunting for scary reads for kids aged 8–12, this hand-picked list has something to keep every young bookworm turning pages long past bedtime.
Explore your local library or indie bookshop, or pop these titles onto your TBR list for October. With ghost stories for middle-grade readers, thrilling adventures, and just-right chills, these novels make October the perfect month to fall in love with reading all over again.
Jayne McIntyre Author 