For anyone with a creepy kid in their lives, or for anyone young and ghoulish at heart, here are my favourite titles, from the slightly spooky to the hair-raisingly horrifying, for you to pick up this Halloween season.

Packed with menacing middle grades, ghoulish graphic novels, and knee-nobbling non-fiction, you’ll be able to find the perfect read for any Halloween loving child. These titles are recommended for ages eight to eight-hundred and eighty!

A Girl Called Corpse by Reese Carter

Since Corpse died, she has no memory of who she was, just like all ghosts. But unlike the other ghosts she knows, she’s successfully hidden herself from the witches that fill the lighthouse she calls home. Paired with only the wax body she built herself and her best friend Simon the spider, she is dead set on discovering where she came from, and hopefully, who might be waiting for her return.

An ultimately uplifting adventure, this tale is filled with creepy creatures and fiendish friends. Filled to the brim with excitement, A Girl Called Corpse reminds us that looks are often deceiving.

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This Camp is Doomed by Anna Zobel

Ten kids, with varying degrees of strange abilities, and two of their teachers find themselves at the utterly disappointing Camp Buttress.

With each child individually dealing with not just the standard growing pains of being young but also developing and honing their own magical powers, they are not feeling generous when it comes to hiding their disappointment. But, as odd occurrences grow stranger, a mystery begins to unravel that is begging to be solved.

Follow this diverse group of magical kids and their teachers as they seek to uncover what strangeness is brewing. This Camped is Doomed is eerie but with a healthy dose of cheekiness to keep you giggling throughout.

Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker

Join these seven young foxes as they, like you, seek tales terrifying enough to give them a real scare.

Mother is out of spooky stories, and so they sneak into the night looking for something to scare the white into their tails.

Upon finding the dark old fox they sit in nervous anticipation as the old fox begins their tales, all focusing on young foxes like themselves. With each tale filled with more fright than the next, its sure to send shivers down your spine. Recommended for courageous kids ages 9+.

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Read At Your Own Risk by Remy Lai

Hannah never wanted to skip school assembly, let alone make contact with a spirit in an abandoned classroom, but now she has and is being forced to live with the consequences.

Cursed by the ruthless spirit she and her friends attempted to speak with, Hannah suffers from increasingly unnerving misfortunes, varying from the eerie to the downright horrific. Despite everyone ignoring her pleas, Hannah is determined to avoid being the curse's next victim.

Will Hannah be able to cure her curse before it’s too late?

This tense thriller is downright bone-chilling. Recommended for brave kids, ages 10+.

Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag

Born into a long magical family, Aster is destined to become a shapeshifter tasked with protecting the witches. Aster doesn’t want to be a shapeshifter, he’s always wanted to be a witch – but he knows that witchcraft is only taught to girls, not boys.

While Aster seeks answers as to why, more and more trouble occurs at the family home.

Will Aster be able to keep his family safe, and can he do this while balancing his family’s expectations and be true to himself?

This magical coming of age story is both thrilling and heartwarming; it will enchant readers age 8+.

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulson

Happy tending to the garden and market stall, these sentient vegetables live happily with the witch in their cozy cottage home. Even deeply nervous Garlic is content. Until they discover that the old Vampire’s castle is inhabited again!

Despite not really knowing what a vampire is, the gourd group is terrified for their safety, and so, after discovering the vampire’s infamous allergy, Garlic is chosen to journey to the castle.

Though it’s filled with suspense, this is an ultimately sweet and cheery story packed with autumnal atmosphere and delightful characters, sure to charm any reader.

Impossible Things by Dan Schrieber

Are you looking for a book filled with esotericism and oddities that will leave you giggling rather than hiding under the covers? Follow renowned podcaster and Bigfoot enthusiast Dan Schrieber as he investigates the impossible.

Filled with tales of cursed airplanes, time-travelling tourists, chicken hauntings, and magical bums, Impossible Things is filled with all the strange happenings you’ve never heard of.

A great read for anyone fascinated or terrified by the occult!

Illustrated History of Urban legends by Adam Allsuch Boardman

The third book in the Illustrated History series, this comprehensive timeline of hugely varied urban legends, does exactly what it says on the tin.

Including many legends you’ll recognise and many you won’t, the beautiful illustrated guide takes you through cryptic creatures sharing all you need to know. From the basics of Bigfoot, to entire lost world, and my personal favourite; haunted video games, The Illustrated History of Urban Legends has something strange for everyone.

Secrets of the Vampire by Elsa Whyte and Julie Légère

For the blood thirsty, this holistic guide explores vampires – their history, lore, and manifestations throughout the world.

In equal parts chilling and fascinating, this book takes on both general vampiric folklore and individual tales of notable vampires throughout multiple times and cultures.

These terrifying tales, complete with hauntingly beautiful images, are sure to have you sucked in, making it impossible to put the book down.

Secrets of the Vampire is sure to quench anyone’s thirst for creepy!