October 2023

With Halloween at the end of the month, I thought I should feature something morbid. In each of these twelve short stories, small events have huge consequences.

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather when a talking cat demands the teenager’s help in saving books with him. Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey.

A funny, gossipy and ultimately poignant novel about four Gen X teen friends turned 21st-century adults who awkwardly come back together to confront an influential teacher whose brutal remarks have haunted them all for years.

Paranormal novel for teens about dark family secrets, deep-seated vengeance and the horrifying truth that evil often lurks in the unlikeliest of places. This one will send shivers down your spine – just in time for Halloween.

Graphic novel version of the New York Times bestselling series Five Nights at Freddy's includes three novella-length horrifying comic stories, sure to keep any teen up at night.

It’s all fun and games until a prank goes fatally wrong. Book 28 of 36 in the immensely popular Stine’s Fear Street series, I included this pick because there is nothing better than discovering a series kids enjoy and telling them there are 35 more books!

I got a kick out of this book. The world can feel like a dumpster fire to many teens, with endless things to be afraid of. But Jones – bestseller of books, sorceress of side-eyes and critic of culture – gives teens the permission they might need to be the troublemakers they are, or wish to be. This is the book she needed when she was the kid who got in trouble for her mouth when she spoke up about what she felt was not fair. This is the book she needed when kids made fun of her Nigerian accent. This is the book that she needed when it was time to call herself a writer, but she was too scared. And this is the book I think all too many teens can relate to. Funny, motivating and touching – all in one.

Haunted houses, prowling monsters, vengeful ghosts, and more are waiting for you. Inside you’ll find 35 original short scary stories for kids, including a room where everything is wrong and you can never leave, a forest guide who leads people on a walk they won’t forget and a monster dining in a graveyard. Fun scares that won’t give kids nightmares.

Part of the wildly popular National Geographic Weird But True series, this treasure trove includes freaky facts, stats, tidbits and trivia about Halloween. Perfect for boys and ghouls.

The first pumpkin Tim ever carved was fierce and funny, and he named it Jack. When Halloween was over and the pumpkin was beginning to rot, Tim set it out in the garden and throughout the weeks he watched it change. By spring, a plant began to grow! Kind story with beautiful illustrations, giving an intimate look at the cycle of life.