12 Books to Give You Goosebumps

Even before launching Goosebumps, R. L. Stine had already made a name for himself writing spooky books for teenage audiences, most famously the Fear Street saga, which began in 1989. 

Like the Goosebumps books, the Fear Street novels could be read as standalones, but almost always took place in the town of Shadyside. The third book in the series, The Overnight, takes place nearby, on Fear Island, where Della O’Connor and the other members of the Outdoors Club try to hide a deadly secret in this perfecting jumping on point for Stine’s other classic horror series.

“A good, old-fashioned collection of modern scary stories, offering humor, innocence, and just enough fright” (Kirkus Reviews), this anthology collects stories from an array of bestselling members of the Mystery Writers of America, including R. L. Stine, Wendy Corsi Staub, Bruce Hale, and others. 

The result is “a comprehensive introduction to the horror genre for kids” offering tales of “playful horror” and “spine-tingling spookiness” (School Library Journal) that are sure to leave readers of all ages sleeping with the lights on.

Internet horror superstar Trevor Henderson – the creator of Siren Head – brings his unique vision to middle grade horror in Scarewaves, a tribute to the spooky books that we all grew up with as only Trevor Henderson could do it. 

The small town of Beacon Point has always been plagued by weird happenings. Kids go missing with alarming regularity and tell stories of strange figures seen in the woods around town. Now, if a few of the younger residents want to stay alive, they’ll have to solve the mysteries of Beacon Point, and their only guide is an enigmatic local radio station.

Jinx and Jackson call themselves Paranormalists. They’ve put together a blog showcasing their investigations into odd happenings around their town, and their latest case involves Black Eagle Tavern, a local watering hole owned by their friend Todd’s family and patronized by a friendly ghost who has always been a big part of the tavern’s draw. 

Lately, however, the ghostly activity has taken on a frighteningly aggressive edge, and if Jinx and Jackson can’t figure out why, they may have more to worry about than the family business going under…

Dan Poblocki’s writing has been hailed as “ghostly” (Booklist), “old-school, John Saul-style horror” (Kirkus Reviews), and perfect for anyone who enjoys “spine-tingling mysteries” (School Library Journal). 

This first Shadow House book aims to expand his oeuvre by bringing readers directly into the story with the help of a free app. Even without the app, however, Shadow House “has everything I love – strange characters, magic and the supernatural, endless danger and adventure – and a mystery I dare any reader to try to solve,” raves none other than R. L. Stine himself.

Ethan M. Aldridge writes and heavily illustrates this “spooky yet heartfelt” (BookPage) gothic novel for young readers, which introduces Guinevere “Nev” Tallow,” who accepts an invitation to the exclusive Deephaven Academy. 

There, they will find friendship and magic, but they will also discover that magic always exacts a terrible price in this book filled with “evocative atmosphere” (Kirkus Reviews) illuminated by show-stopping black-and-white illustrations throughout.

The neighbors that 13-year-old Quinn Parker calls “the Oldies” seem like they’ve lived on her street for as long as anyone can remember, but they never get any older. What’s their secret? 

Quinn’s hoping to find out, but the Oldies are onto her, and if she hopes to survive, she’ll need the help of Mike, her neighbor and maybe crush in this first book in a trilogy that Stephen King called “the perfect book for kids to cool off with on a hot summer day, because the chills come guaranteed.”

“For collections where horror fiction is in demand,” Booklist recommends this story of a young boy with inherited magic powers who goes to live at an isolated estate where he may be the only thing that stands between the world and unimaginable monstrous forces. 

Don’t let the horror-tinged Harry Potter plot fool you, though. The Sunday Times raves that Sorcerers of the Nightwing is “seriously scary” and “not for the squeamish,” while R. L. Stine says “the terror begins on page one and never stops!’

Folklorist Alvin Schwartz and illustrator Stephen Gammell traumatized an entire generation of kids with the three volumes in the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. 

Combining retold versions of classic folktales, urban legends, and ghost stories with unforgettable illustrations that provided years’ worth of nightmare fuel, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was as important a stepping stone for many burgeoning horror fans as Goosebumps, and was recently adapted into the 2019 film produced by Guillermo del Toro.

“Swiftly paced and peppered with wit, this darkly entertaining tale is sure to engage horror fans,” raves School Library Journal about this new book co-authored by bestselling writers Ally Condie and Bendan Reichs that is perfect for “readers who appreciate things that go bump in the night” (Publishers Weekly). 

A bullying incident and a terrible accident send several kids into the waters of Still Cove, a place where everyone in town knows not to go. Once there, they find secrets that have been buried for a long time – secrets that may just be waking up.

Hailed as a master of the ghost story, Wait Till Helen Comes is one of Mary Downing Hahn’s best-known novels, “an unusually scary, well-crafted ghost fantasy” (Kirkus Reviews) about sibling rivalry that is exacerbated when Molly and Michael’s 7-year-old stepsister begins talking with a ghost named Helen. 

Is Helen real, or is Heather just causing trouble again? The answer is waiting in this “genuinely scary” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books) “ghost story par excellence” (Booklist).

The class trip to Crater Lake was supposed to be fun, but no sooner do they arrive than the unsettling mysteries begin to pile up. First, a bloodied man stops them on the way to the activity center, and then all the students who fall asleep seem to wake up… changed. 

Is there something in Crater Lake? Something alien? And can the students stay awake long enough to stop it and save their classmates from a fate worse than death? Find out for yourself in this page-turning mid-grade book from acclaimed author Jennifer Killick.