15 Spooky Middle-Grade Books for Halloween (+ Find Out Which Gracie Dix Character You Are!)
It’s October, and that means it’s time for spooky stories, fun costumes, and all the Halloween excitement! From parties and treats to dressing up with your pets, there’s so much to love about this season. But one of the best ways to celebrate Halloween is by diving into a good book.
If you love adventure and fantasy with a touch of ghosts, witches, and other chills, you’re in the right place. I’ve rounded up 15 must-read spooky middle-grade books that are perfect for your Halloween reading list. Whether you’re into magical mysteries or friendly frights, these stories will get you in the Halloween spirit.
And when you’re done, don’t miss the fun at the end of this post! Take the “Which Gracie Dix Character Are You?” quiz to find out which character matches your personality! Maybe you could bring your results to life by dressing up as your character for Halloween!
This is the first book in the Fright Watch series. Inside, a 13-year-old named Quinn realizes her neighbors are super old and very strange. She starts investigating with the help of another boy in her neighborhood, and they end up finding themselves in a terrifying mystery.
Seventh grade Abby is a teenage witch who starts to notice weird things happening in her hometown. Abby soon meets someone named Miss Winters and realizes she isn’t the only witch in Willow Cove after all! But can Miss Winters be trusted? Or does she have something evil planned for the young witches of Willow Cove? Read the book to find out!
This is definitely one of my favorite spooky middle-grade books. 11-year-old Ollie loves books because they’re the only place he can find comfort and peace. He stumbles on the graves of people he read about in one of his books and ends up in a real-life, hair-raising ghost story that he has to see through until the end. This is book 1 of 2 in the series!
Katherine and her siblings are sent to live in a strange castle while her dad is off at war. But inside the castle, there are terrifying noises, and people keep disappearing and reappearing again. When her classmates start to disappear, Katherine knows it’s time to figure out what is going on inside those castle walls.
Nightmares! By Jason Segel & Kirsten Miller
When Charlie’s nightmares start showing up in the real world, he needs all the help he can get to survive and get things back to normal! I really like these books because they’re both funny and frightening! This is book 1 of 3 in the series.
I’ve mentioned these books before, but had to add them in because they’re so great! In this five-book series, we meet three young operatives of a Psychic Detection Agency. (Yes, it’s just as crazy as it sounds.) In the book, they battle an epidemic of ghosts in London. You’ll be holding on to your seat as you read it!
Goosebumps books really are classic, and I love the twist of the Slappyworld series. This 14-book series is all about Slappy the Dummy, an evil dummy who comes to life and tells scary, twisted stories.
There is no better series of captivating scary stories for middle-graders than Goosebumps! There are currently 235 books! Each one follows kids who end up in scary situations, usually with monsters or other strange supernatural beings.
No one goes to Still Cove because of its danger and scary legends. But when a bullying incident takes Nico Holland there, a group of kids comes to his rescue. Strange things begin to happen, and it leads to a pulse-racing adventure.
In this two-book series, Brystal Evergreen learns she is a fairy who is capable of magic, and her life changes forever! She soon ends up trying to stop a plot that puts the fate of the world at risk.
Eight young boys head out to go trick or treating. But instead, a neighbor ends up introducing them to Halloween traditions from other parts of the world. I can’t wait to read this one!
Henry is the quiet kid at school. But few people know it’s because he’s being haunted by a ghost! With the help of a new friend, Henry tries to help the ghost finally move to the other side
Cass makes friends with a ghost after a near-death experience. But while in Edinburgh to film a show about haunted places with her parents, she realizes that not all ghosts are quite so friendly.
This book is a fun twist on the classic story of Frankenstein. I hear the Victorian-style story is super creepy, and I’m definitely adding it to my own personal list!
Last but not least, I love this book because it’s based on real history, which makes it extra spooky. The book centers around a haunting mystery in Chicago involving a ghost and one unlucky young girl named Claire. She’s being haunted and has to figure out why and how to make it stop.
Ready to keep the Halloween fun going? Take our “Which Gracie Dix Character Are You?” quiz to discover which adventurous, magical, or mischievous character you’re most like! No matter who you get, this quick quiz will reveal your literary alter ego!