Looking for some spooky stories to share with your kids this season? This list of 13 Chilling Tales for Teens is just what you need.
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Who doesn’t love a spooky story?
Here is a list of 13 spine-tingling tales perfect for Halloween or any time you want a good scare.
These are listed by age starting from youngest to oldest. Be advised, some of these books contain graphic content and/or language. I recommend reading them first before giving them to your kids if you are concerned about the content.
Table of Contents
13 Chilling Tales for Teens:
1. Out to Get You
By: Josh Allen
A collection of thirteen short stories to scare you good. These stories are perfect for tweens. They’re more spooky than scary. No language and not graphic. Ages 9-12 years.
2. Dare to Be Scared
By: Robert San Souci
Another collection of 13 spooky stories that really are frightening. This is the first in a series of 4 books which all include 13 stories. These stories take place in a more modern setting than some making them more relate-able. No language. Illustrations are definitely spooky. Ages 9-12 years.
3. Nightmares!
By: Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
The first book in this trilogy about the things that haunt us in our sleep. This story deals with many of the issues tweens and teens may be dealing with in their lives currently. The book does offer positive ways to cope with the nightmares presented in the story, however. Ages 10+
4. Doll Bones
By: Holly Black
A story of three kids who get together and go on imaginative adventures. The creepy factor in Doll Bones is that it’s often hard to tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. Ages 10-14.
5. Ghost Girl
By. Steve Schatz
This is a tale of a young girl ghost who is looking for her body. She convinces Nate to help her find it before it’s too late. This book has some gross situations. Some may find certain aspects disturbing(her father tries to kill her with an ax). Ages 10-14.
6. Lockwood & Co. – The Screaming Staircase
By: Jonathan Stroud
This is the first book in a 5 book series. Based in the U.K., this series tells of a “problem” that is spreading throughout the city. Ghosts are returning from the dead and seriously haunting the living. Only the young can see them so they are tasked with extinguishing them. Mild language. Ages 10+ (I love this series!)
7. Tales of The Peculiar
By: Ransom Riggs
Based in the same universe as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children takes place before the peculiar are given a home. It contains gore and violence. Ages 12+
8. Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein
By: Mary Shelly & Gris Grimly
A full-length graphic novel of the classic tale. Includes a good amount of violence. Definitely for older teens. Ages 14+
9. The Girl From The Well
By: Rin Chupeco
This book is based on the Japanese folklore surrounding the ghost of the handmaiden Okiku. It includes tales of everyday objects that can kill. It’ll definitely give you a good scare. This book is fairly violent and contains some language. Best for Ages 14+.
10. Shutter
By: Courtney Alameda
A story of the last descendants of vampire hunters. This is the tale of their action-packed monster-hunting adventures. It contains some language and violence. Ages 14+
11. Bloody Mary Sage: Book 1: Mary, The Summoning
By: Hillary Monahan
A twist on the classic tale of Bloody Mary. Four friends decide to summon Bloody Mary and end up becoming the targets of Mary’s wrath. Book one of two in the series. Ages 15+
12. Rules for Vanishing
By: Kate Alice Marshall
This is a creepy tale about a road in the forest that only appears once each year. A beckoning ghost lures people in to play a deadly game with her. Ages 15+
13. One of Us Is Lying
By: Karen M. McManus
“Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club”
The story of 5 students who enter detention and only 4 come out alive. Can you unravel their lies and find out the truth?
Ages 15+
Enjoying a good book is awesome!
If you want to turn the reading into a novel study, I have created a simple packet just for this purpose.
The packet includes 5-pages of activities to go along with any novel. I am offering a standard version and a spooky version.
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With so many spine-tingling yarns to enjoy, it’ll be difficult to choose which of these 13 Chilling Tales for Teens to read first.
I hope you and your kids savor each of these amazingly creepy stories.
Looking for more ways to get a good scare? Check out these posts:
Spooky Halloween Writing Prompts
Until Next Time…
