If you’ve got some younger readers looking for spooky books to put them in the Halloween mood, check out our collection of scary (and not-so-scary) Halloween reads for different ages.

FRIGHTENING TALES FOR 5 AND UNDER

For readers under five you might not be looking for something quite as scary as The Exorcist, so these picture books all feature plenty of ghosts and ghouls while promising not to give them nightmares.

In Winnie’s Haunted House, everybody’s favourite scatterbrained witch is convinced her house is haunted when things start mysteriously breaking. But is it ghosts, or does her cat Wilbur have something to do with it?

Emu’s Halloween puts an Aussie spin on the Halloween festivities. Emu and friends get together to plan a Halloween party, with scary costumes, frightening food, and the most terrifying Australian thing of all: a redback spider!

Brad is one unlucky bunny. He was just minding his business, chewing on some cables, and that’s how he became the titular character of My Dead Bunny. Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without at least one zombie, even if it is a zombie rabbit. This is a hilarious rhyming book that will appeal to both kids and adults.

FRIGHTENING TALES FOR 7-9

The Ghosts Who Danced shouldn’t just be saved for Halloween, it’s a book that deserves to be read all year round. Between the covers are ten spooky stories from around the world, including Russia, Brazil, Ireland and China. This is a fascinating tour of the things that give us shivers across the globe.

Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods is a sight to behold: glow-in-the dark illustrations bring to life this retelling of the 1910 book of the same name. Hal Johnson introduces us to a catalogue of weird and wonderful creatures, like the Snoligoster which feeds on the shadows of its victims.

For many adult readers of a certain age, R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books are the very definition of the horror genre for kids. Now the hit of the 90’s is making a comeback with a film starring Jack Black as R.L. Stine making its way to cinemas in January, which means it’s the perfect time to introduce a whole new generation of readers to classics like Night of the Living Dummy and lots, lots more!

FRIGHTENING TALES FOR 10-11

Holly Black’s fans are rabidly loyal for a reason – as an author she’s endlessly inventive, injecting all of her books with her trademark gothic sensibility. Doll Bones is a great example of her superior storytelling, weaving together themes of friendship and growing up with eerie touches like a haunted doll made from ground-up bones.

A Very Unusual Pursuit by Catherine Jinks follows young Bridie, who catches monsters called bogles for a living. She sits with her back to a bogle’s lair and sings sweetly, waiting for the terrifying creatures to strike so she can spring her trap. Jinks is one of Australia’s finest writers, and this spooky Victorian-era tale is sure to put readers ten and up in the Halloween mood!

Of course, no list of horror books would be complete without a nod to the master himself: Edgar Allan Poe. Introduce young readers to classics like ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ and ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ in the illustrated and unabridged Stories of Edgar Allan Poe.

Holly Harper