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This post is a recommendation list of middle school horror books that will keep your high school horror books lover glued and occupied for hours.
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School can be very stressful and just like adults, kids also need their time off or get away from their everyday stress. Whether is watching cartoons, playing basketball, or just reading a book, it doesn’t matter as long as it makes our kids relieved from their daily routines. There are many activities for kids to enjoy but very popular for decades is reading. We put together a list of middle school horror books for your kids to read. Those high school horror books were carefully chosen to keep your children’s attention in the safest way possible.
Best Middle School Horror Books
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
After moving with her workaholic parents into a new apartment, Coraline meets her new neighbors. Their intention quickly becomes to change her into their little girl and never let her go. Coraline will have to deal with her fear and courage to save herself and return back to her real parents. Coraline is a horror novel for kids, written by Neil Gaiman and it was released in 2012.
Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
Eleven years old girl Ollie, because of her unmatchable passion for books after her tragic loss, steals a book from a crazy woman, whose attention is to throw this book in the river. Stolen book hides a very interesting story about Beth and her two brothers who make a deal with “the smiling man” to grant wishes for the ultimate prices. Small Spaces was written by Katherine Arden and released in September 2018.
The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste
Corinne’s claim, that she is not afraid of anything, especially not jumbies becomes her biggest fear. One day, after chasing an agouti deeply in the forbidden forest Corinne has an unexpected meeting with shiny yellow eyes. For sure those shiny eyes following her do not belong to jumbies, right? The Jumbies is an amazing middle school horror book written by Tracey Baptiste and released in April 2016.
Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon
After one year of missing Zee, Justin and the neighborhood crew by playing one of their favorite games discover where Zee was. Their favorite game of Hide and Seek turns into a getaway for nightmares and their only play is to hide from the seeker. This horrible place takes each and every one who plays the game and it was an unwanted home for Zee for an entire year. Hide and Seeker was written by Daka Hermon and was released in September 2020.
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Molly and Kip are working as servants at the old English manor. After an unexpected meeting with a mysterious stranger, and the discovery of the manor owners not being as they seemed, their lives change forever. The Night Gardener is a victorian ghost story written by Jonathan Auxier and is on the list of New York Times bestseller books.
Doll Bones by Holly Black
Zach’s embarrassment by his father throwing away his figure toys leads Zach to stop playing games and destroys his long-term friendship with Poppy and Alice. Poppy has been dreaming about the Queen, bone-china doll that has to be buried in her empty grave before their friendship is over. Doll Bones is a children’s novel written by Holly Black and released in January 2013.
What Lives in the Woods by Lindsay Currie
What Lives in the Woods is a ghost story about a young girl staying in a creepy mansion in the middle of the woods during a month-long trip with her family to Michigan. The family trip quickly turns into a terrible nightmare full of monsters and creepy eyes watching from the woods. The book was released by Lindsay Currie in September 2021.
Don’t Turn Out the Lights by Horror Writers Association
Don’t Turn Out the Lights is a collection of scary stories written by 35 authors from the Horror Writers Association. These terrifying stories were curated by Jonathan Maberry, the best-selling author from New York Times, and are a tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz. The book was released in September 2020.
Nightmares! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
Charlie’s dreams are ruined by nightmares, but what is even worse is that Charlie’s nightmares will become reality. Facing his worst nightmares will become a terrifying challenge only Charlie can face. Nightmares! is 9th on our list of middle school horror books and it’s a middle-grade novel written by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller, illustrated by Karl Kwasny, and was released in September 2014.
This Town Is Not All Right by M. K. Krys
A story about twins Beacon and Everleigh McCullough who move from Los Angeles to a small village in New England. That rainy fishing village is full of frightening secrets that must be discovered by Beacon before his sister is lost forever. This Town Is Not All Right was released in August 2020 by its author M. K. Krys and it’s her middle-grade horror debut.
