8 Creeptastic Middle Grade Novels

The Jumbies (Jumbies Series #1), by Tracey Baptiste
Drawing from Caribbean folklore, author Tracey Baptiste weaves a spooky supernatural tale about jumbies, ancient shape-shifting tricksters that eleven-year-old Corinne La Mer believes were just invented by parents to scare kids. But one night when the fearless young girl chases an agouti into the forbidden forest, she realizes there may be more to the jumbies than just a story. The next day, Corinne runs into Severine, a beautiful newcomer to her village. As Corinne soon learns, Severine has a plan—and the power—to take over the entire island for the jumbies unless Corinne can put a stop to it.

The Darkdeep, by Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs
This suspenseful, page-turning Goonies-like series kickoff from bestselling authors Ally Condie and Brendan Reichs delivers an eerie and action-packed story set in the Pacific Northwest, where 12-year-old Nico Holland is sent over a cliff and into the icy waters of Still Cove. Fearing the stories of a beast lurking in the cove, his friends Tyler, Emma, and Opal rush to rescue him only to discover a water portal that sucks you in, spits you out, and brings both your dreams and your darkest nightmares to life.

Coraline, by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
When Coraline and her parents move into a big, creepy, old house, she discovers a door that leads to a flat decorated exactly like her own—but weirdly different—in this chilling tale from Neil Gaiman. She even finds a more interesting, nicer version of her parents, though they have bizarre black button eyes. This alternate version of her mom and dad want to keep Coraline as their own. And when she returns to her own world, she finds that her real parents are gone, now imprisoned by the other parents. It’s up to Coraline and a talking cat to rescue her mom and dad in this suspenseful classic.

The Stonekeeper (Amulet Series #1), by Kazu Kibuishi
The first book in Kazu Kibuishi’s extraordinary Amulet graphic novel series finds siblings Emily and Navin having just lost their father and moving with their mother to the strange home of her late great-grandfather. Soon, the house shows its sinister self as the mother is kidnapped by a dangerous, tentacled beast. Emily and Navin are determined not to lose their mother, too, so they are forced to follow her into the unknown and navigate a dark underground world of demons, robots, and talking animals.

Doll Bones, by Holly Black and Eliza Wheeler
In this haunting and spooky Newbery-honored tale, twelve-year-olds Zach, Poppy, and Alice are lifelong friends who have been playing one continuous game of make believe with dolls and action figures as pirates, thieves, mermaids, and heroes for as long as they can remember. Ruling over all the toy characters is the Queen, a creepy, antique bone-china doll who Poppy swears is made from the bones of a murdered girl named Eleanor. One day after Zach’s dad decides it’s time for his son to stop the imaginative play and throws away the action figures, Zach abruptly leaves the girls to their game. But Poppy and Alice implore him for one final quest: The trio must journey to Ohio, find Eleanor’s grave, and bury the Queen once and for all.

Whichwood, by Tahareh Mafi
The stunning companion novel to Tahereh Mafi’s bestseller Furthermore delves into the village of Whichwood, where a 13-year-old girl named Laylee spends her days cleaning the bodies of the dead in preparation for the afterlife. Having lost her beloved mother, she is lonely, cold, and color is draining from her life, quite literally, as her hands and hair are turning silver. But then two strangers, Alice and Oliver, familiar to fans of Furthermore, arrive to help her in ways she can’t imagine in this magical Persian fantasy tale.

Nightlights, by Lorena Alvarez
In this beautifully eerie and imaginative graphic novel, Lorena Alvarez introduces readers to a young artist named Sandy, who has the ability to create a colorful world of fantastical creatures on the page. One day, Morfie, a strange new girl with lavender hair, turns up at Sandy’s parochial school, gushing over Sandy’s artwork. And then Morfie turns up once again in Sandy’s bedroom, transformed into a sinister creature dictating what Sandy must draw. Can Sandy save herself and her own individual creativity?

Spirit Hunters, by Ellen Oh
Twelve-year-old Harper Raine has just moved to a new home in Washington, D.C., with her family in this chilling middle grade mystery, and she just doesn’t trust her new dwelling. There are rumors the house is haunted, but Harper doesn’t believe the hearsay until her little brother starts acting strangely and violently lashing out. Harper’s new friend, Dayo, helps her explore the house’s troubled history, while Harper herself is forced to delve into her own past experiences, including a school fire and an accident of which she has no memory.