Fears and Frights: 10 of the Best Scary Stories for Young Readers

For a spooky story of a girl who can enter the world of the spirits after her own brush with death, a dangerous city full of ghosts, and a new friend that has the same abilities, pick up City of Ghosts. The first of a series, there are more books for your young reader to read if they love this one! 

Alex loves all things spooky and scary, but what happens when he gets trapped in a real-life nightmare? After being lured into a neighboring apartment by a young witch, he teams up with fellow prisoner Yasmin to find a way out of the enchanted home while also writing scary stories to keep the witch (and apartment) entertained. Peppered with Alex’s chilling short stories, this fun tale is the perfect read for “spooky season” (or any season for that matter). 

Find all the original Scary Stories books in this hardcover edition! For collections of frightening stories of horror, revenge, and supernatural events complemented by classic artwork done by Stephen Gammell, this book is the perfect option for spooky campfire story times or just your everyday reading experience.   

For a fully fearful adventure, pick up this book of a chilling ghost story, the girl who reads the tale, and the discovery that it might just be real. At the discovery, there’s also a countdown clock that starts followed by the message, RUN. Oh, and we can’t forget the reminder to stick to small spaces. This story is certain to keep even the bravest readers up until the sun comes up.  

This cover does its job because it 100% gives us the creeps, and the book’s plot is certain to provide the same chills you get when you look at it. A malicious hand puppet that becomes a part of the body, a school that prepares its students for death rather than life, and a dead kid who lends his baseball glove to a different kid every spring, this book is certain to send the heebee jeebees down the spines of everyone who picks it up. 

Drawing inspiration from horror greats like Bram Stoker, H. P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Allen Poe, these stories will both send shivers down your spine and warm your heart. Following 2 young foxes separated from their litters through eight interconnected stories with illustrations that bring the stories to life, this book is the perfect introduction to scary stories! 

A haunting ghost story about reclaiming an abandoned segregated cemetery, Forgotten Girl is both chilling and important. It follows Iris who sneaks to a clearing in the woods with her best friend Daniel where they make snow angels. When Iris finds the gravestone of a young girl underneath her, strange things immediately start happening, and the two start to investigate and learn more about the cemetery. When they discover that they’ve awakened a jealous and demanding ghost, they find that their plans for gaining recognition for the segregated cemetery isn’t enough for the ghost.  

Otherworldly forces trying to destroy a small town, a young boy and girl trying to protect it, and zombie kids with eyes removed all make this story one that will keep hearts pounding in this adventure story that takes place in the abnormal small town of Whispering Pines. Be prepared for a hair-raising adventure! 

We would be remiss if we didn’t include the classic story of Coraline on this list! Neil Gaiman’s modern classic horror story follows a young girl who steps through a door to find a house eerily similar to her own except better, well, excluding the fact that the mother and father there never want her to grow up and want to change her. A fight of wit and courage, this story will captivate young readers!  

Pick up this book for a story involving a new, and very haunted house in Florida, a young drama queen trying for a fresh start without theatrics, and a swamp creeping closer daily. With what’s lurking in the shadows waiting to come out, readers must beware of the fears and frights that await them!