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Great Children’s Books that Feature Haunted Houses
Growing up, my aunt and uncle owned a haunted mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. The house (although house is a bit of a misnomer in this case–estate? manor?) was dark and drafty even in the hottest days of August. Painted a deep red, it was rumored that something terrible happened there a long, long time ago. (This was pre-Google, so whatever terrible thing happened there sprung entirely from our imaginations and only grew with the vague and changing details that were available.) Needless to say, as a morbid child obsessed with anything spooky, I totally loved it there. My cousins and I would try and stay up all night listening for sounds coming from the attic where the maids’ quarters used to be. To my great disappointment, I never saw a ghost, but if, late at night, you venture to read these five books featuring some of children’s fiction’s great haunted houses, you just might think you have…
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, collected by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Brett Helquist
One of the spookiest stories in this book chock full of creepy tales collected by folklorist Alvin Schwartz is “The Haunted House.” Best told out loud, in the dark, with a flashlight, under a pile of blankets, this nail-biting fable is the story of a preacher who wants to rid a local haunted house of its ghostly inhabitant. He decides to stay for the night, and at midnight, the priest meets the ghost lady who was murdered there many years before and was buried in the cellar. Is he brave enough to solve the crime? If you’re brave enough to get through this story, there are dozens of other scary tales to keep you awake and flipping the pages.
Ghost in the House, by Ammi-Joan Paquette and illustrated by Adam Record
A sweet, mildly spooky, picture book (not to be confused with Ghosts in the House!), is perfect for the little scaredy cat in your life. We meet a ghost, a witch, a mummy, a monster, a skeleton, and BOO…a little boy! In a funny turn of events, this boy turns out to be way more scary to the creatures, than the creatures are to him. This morbid gang makes a run for it, and the boy is left shrugging in the window, unsure of what he did wrong, calling after them “Goodnight.”
Ghosts in the House!, by Kazuno Kohara
For preschoolers who would rather be smiling than shrieking, this book is the perfect Halloween treat. My favorite part is the old-fashioned yet timeless orange, black, and white illustrations which are the perfect visual backdrop for this adorable tale of a girl who lives in a big old house, which happens to be haunted. Luckily, this girl also happens to be a witch, and she knows just what to do with the ghosts haunting her house—put them in the wash! This little witch gets crafty and transforms her ghosts from spooks into tablecloths, curtains, and bed sheets. Halloween a la a tiny Martha Stewart!
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In the Haunted House, by Eve Bunting and ilustrated by Susan Meddaugh
“This is the house where the scary ones hide. Open the door and step softly inside.” Dare to turn the page? You should! Follow the footsteps of two brave children through the pages of a haunted house, which your young reader can get a perfectly creepy visual through Susan Meddaugh’s detailed, dark, and darling illustrations of ghosts, ghouls, and werewolves. This fast-paced book is just the right amount of spooky.
The Dollhouse Murders, by Betty Ren Wright
The only thing scarier than a haunted house is… a haunted dollhouse! Aaa! I read this book as a kid and it scared the bejesus out of me. Like many young girls, I had a dollhouse in my bedroom, which I played with obsessively, and was absolutely convinced that every time I went to sleep the dolls came alive and would continue playing without me. Betty Ren Wright turns this fantasy into a nightmare with this page-turning middle grade book. 12-year-old Amy discovers that the dolls in the dollhouse in the attic (which is an exact copy of the house she is living in!) have something to tell her about her family’s history—something that involves murder, secrets, and lies. Oh my! Leave on the nightlight for this suspenseful and scary read.
What are your favorite haunted house-themed books for kids?