The Best Usborne Spooky Reads for Halloween

Halloween reading doesn't have to mean choosing between cute pumpkins and full-on horror. For kids ready for something a little creepier, there are ghost stories to unravel, paranormal mysteries to investigate, and dangerous fantasy quests where the reader gets to decide what happens next.

Whether your child wants classic spooky stories, strange-but-true questions, or a Halloween adventure they can play, these Usborne books offer three very different ways to step into the shadows.

For kids who want a whole collection of ghost stories: Illustrated Spooky Stories

Sometimes one spooky story simply isn't enough.

Illustrated Spooky Stories brings together eight tales featuring haunted places, strange discoveries, and things that aren't always quite what they seem. The collection includes a haunted castle, a mysterious diary, a creepy tree house, and a ghostly mummy, giving readers plenty of different kinds of chills to choose from. 

It's an especially good Halloween pick for readers who enjoy dipping in and out of shorter stories. Read one before bed, save another for the next dark October evening, or see who can make it through the whole collection without glancing suspiciously at the nearest shadow.

Best for: Kids who love traditional ghost stories, mysterious happenings, and bite-sized scares.

For curious ghost hunters: See Inside The Paranormal

Ghost stories are fun.

But what if your child immediately follows up with: “Could that actually happen?”

That's where See Inside The Paranormal comes in.

This lift-the-flap book by Alex Frith and Andy Prentice explores all things eerie and unexplained, from ghosts and poltergeists to telepathy, cursed objects, haunted locations, spirit boards, alien abduction, and mysterious creatures. Young readers join a group of ghost hunters as they investigate strange phenomena and explore some of the possible explanations behind them. Usborne recommends the US edition for ages 7+.

And this isn't a book that simply declares every mysterious tale to be true.

Alongside the spooky stories and strange phenomena, it also looks at how scientists search for evidence and test possible explanations for reported paranormal experiences. With more than 100 flaps in the See Inside format, there's always another clue, question, or surprise waiting underneath.

Best for: Curious kids who want to investigate ghosts instead of simply running away from them.

For middle grade readers who want to enter the adventure: The Goblin's Revenge

What if, instead of reading about the hero, you were the hero?

The Goblin's Revenge by Andy Prentice combines fantasy fiction, puzzles, and dice-based combat in an Adventure Gamebook best for ages 9+.

An evil sorcerer has seized control of the kingdom, undead warriors are hunting you down, and a dangerous quest stands between the rebels and disaster.

There’s just one slight complication.

You're a goblin.

The story features menacing monsters, ghostly magic, picture puzzles, and a dice-based combat system, so readers have to do more than turn the pages. Their choices and puzzle-solving become part of the adventure. The book also includes access to an online dice roller through Usborne Quicklinks.

For middle grade readers who love games as much as books, it's a Halloween read with a difference: instead of waiting to see whether a character makes the right decision, they get to make it themselves!

No pressure. There are only undead warriors after you.

Best for: Ages 9+ who enjoy fantasy adventures, monsters, puzzles, gaming, and stories where the reader is in control.

Which Halloween book should you choose?

These three books approach the spooky season from completely different directions.

• Choose Illustrated Spooky Stories for a reader who wants to curl up with ghosts, haunted places, and mysterious tales.
• Choose See Inside The Paranormal for the child who hears a ghost story and immediately starts asking questions about whether ghosts, poltergeists, or other strange phenomena could really exist.
• And choose The Goblin's Revenge for a middle grade reader who would rather charge straight into the danger — preferably with some dice nearby.

The common ingredient is curiosity. One book asks, What happens next? Another asks, Could this be real? And another asks, What are you going to do about the undead warriors currently chasing you?

All excellent Halloween questions.

Your next frightfully good read

Choose your spook factor here!