Close Menu
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube TikTok
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Advertise
    • Mentorship
    • Editing Services
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    Five Spooky Kids Authors You Need To Know About

    Bianca SchulzeBy Bianca Schulze3 Mins Read Ages 9-12 Book Lists Chapter Books Halloween Books Seasonal: Holiday Books
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Sarah Danielson, for The Children’s Book Review
    Published: September 23, 2010

    Book: BunniculaHalloween is a holiday that offers kids not only the goodies, but the deliciousness of thrills and chills as well. Since long before the modern-day tradition of letting your mom dress you up to invade the local neighborhoods in search of treats, tales of ghosts, specters, and creatures inhabiting dimensions of the macabre have drawn children like the proverbial Pied Piper (with a little Freddie Kruger thrown in). Almost everyone can recall the guilty pleasures of ghost stories in the dark, be it around campfires, at sleepovers, or from the sheer horror of that terrifying book that you’re reading when you’re alone in the house (which you simply cannot put down).

    Make these authors part of your child’s Halloween and you combine the fun of trick- or-treating with a good book to enhance the spooky factor to the max!

    1. Mary Downing Hahn. In “Wait Till Helen Comes:  A Ghost Story”, Michael and Molly have to move to a new home which was once an old church, complete with a nearby graveyard. Michael and Molly not only resent the move, but detest living with their rude and nasty stepsister Heather as well. Soon Heather becomes inexplicably obsessed with one tombstone, befriending a ghost named Helen. The plot thickens with classic bone-chillers such as a forest with mysterious ruins, a creepy pond, and hazy faces at the windows.

    2. Alvin Schwartz. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” includes two dozen scary stories plus songs and wonderfully creepy illustrations by Stephen Gammell, all certain to delight the lover of the written horror genre. They are filled with plenty of flesh-torn skeletons, vengeful ghosts in search of their murderers, and a variety of tales taken from urban legends and American folklore. Guaranteed to make you shiver as well as laugh uneasily as you look over your shoulder.

    3. Ray Bradbury. In his classic “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, Bradbury, a master gothic storyteller, pens a story of two young boys, James Nightshade and William Halloway, whose lives are changed forever by the arrival of a carnival that slithers into their small town one fateful autumn. The evil and insidious ringmaster, Mr. Dark, appears with the ability to grant their every wish for the unspoken price of one’s soul. As the sweet daydream of a carnival relentlessly spirals into the town’s nightmare, the boys are faced with the dilemma of saving themselves and their loved ones. Enthralling and compelling.

    4. Chris Eboch. “The Ghost on the Stairs” spins a ghostly yarn about thirteen-year-old Jon and his eleven-year-old sister Tania, whose parents are producing a ghost hunter television show at an ancient hotel in Colorado. What their parents don’t realize is that Tania has a supernatural gift:  she can communicate with the dead. A spectral bride wandering the hallways of the hotel in search of her lost husband complicates the fast-paced suspense.

    5. James Howe. If you’re looking for a great book to introduce sci-fi and horror to young children, “It Came From Beneath the Bed!” from James Howe’s “Bunnicula” series is the way to go. Elements of spookiness are mixed with cute characters in this narrative as told by the dachshund pup Howie. This well-loved author is adept at entertaining the younger set as well as their parents.

    Sarah Danielson writes for a website that specializes in audiobooks where you can find audio book reviews and read the latest industry news.

    What to Read Next:

    1. Halloween Books for Kids Ages 7-10
    2. Kids’ Halloween Books: Cats, Bats, & Skeletons
    3. 13 Frightfully Good Kids Books for Halloween and Beyond
    4. Trick-or-Treat: 20 Halloween Books for Kids

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Alvin Schwartz Chris Eboch Halloween Halloween Books James Howe Mary Downing Hahn Ray Bradbury Spooky
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleThe Texas Book Festival: October 16-17, 2010
    Next Article Stop Bullying: 3 Books That Deal With Bullies
    Bianca Schulze
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)
    • LinkedIn

    Bianca Schulze is the founder of The Children’s Book Review. She is a reader, reviewer, mother and children’s book lover. She also has a decade’s worth of experience working with children in the great outdoors. Combined with her love of books and experience as a children’s specialist bookseller, the goal is to share her passion for children’s literature to grow readers. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, she now lives with her husband and three children near Boulder, Colorado.

    2 Comments

    1. Staci A on September 28, 2010 11:13 am

      We love scary stories! I’ll have to check these out, thanks!

      Reply
      • Bianca Schulze on September 28, 2010 7:35 pm

        Bunnicula is particularly popular.

        Reply
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • Charli’s Turtle Triumph: A Marine Biology Adventure | Dedicated Review
    • An Interview with Jill Rosen and Stephanie Rohr, Creators of the ‘Ode to a Pug’ Series
    • An Interview with Liz Kessler, Author of the ‘Emily Windsnap’ Series
    • Simone LaFray and the Bishop of Mumbai | Dedicated Review
    • Inspirational Soccer Book for Kids Compilation: 2 Books In 1: Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe, and Alex Morgan biographies for kids – Plus 101 Affirmations and Mental Training For Young Players | Dedicated Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Professional Resources

    Book Marketing Campaigns

    Writing Coaches and Editing Services

    Mentorship

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Policies
    • Advertise
    • TCBR Buzzworthy Mentions
    • About TCBR
    © 2025 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.