The best Usborne middle grade and YA reads for Halloween

Halloween is the perfect time for stories that send shivers down your spine. For confident readers, middle grade and YA books offer everything from haunted schools and ghostly mysteries to dark thrillers, ancient monsters and supernatural adventures.

Not every spooky story is out to terrify. Some balance eerie moments with humour and friendship, while others focus on puzzles, mysteries or fantasy. And for older teens looking for something darker, there are gripping YA thrillers and horror stories that make ideal October reads.

Below are some of the best Usborne middle grade and YA books to enjoy this Halloween…

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Halloween books at a glance

Not all Halloween stories deliver the same kind of spooky experience, so it's worth choosing a book that matches your child’s tastes.

For readers aged 9+, we’ve got plenty of ghost stories, supernatural mysteries and magical adventures, including the Aveline Jones, Shadowhall Academy and Spooksmiths Investigate series, as well as standalone stories like The Spirit Snatcher, The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright and The Goblin's Revenge.

For older readers, there are darker mysteries and thrillers to explore. Mondays Are Murder is recommended for readers aged 12+, while It's For Your Own Good, Where Sleeping Girls Lie, The Heirs, Old Wounds and Nightcurse are all suitable for readers aged 14+.

Whether they love ghostly adventures, supernatural mysteries or edge-of-your-seat thrillers, there's a Halloween read to match.

Ghost stories for middle grade readers aged 9+

Enter the world of Aveline Jones

If Halloween means proper ghost stories, Phil Hickes's Aveline Jones books are an excellent place to begin.

Start with The Haunting of Aveline Jones, then continue with The Bewitching of Aveline Jones and The Vanishing of Aveline Jones.

Recommended for readers aged 9+, these atmospheric stories combine ghostly encounters with gripping mysteries. In The Bewitching of Aveline Jones, Aveline becomes fascinated by the mysterious Witch Stones and the secrets surrounding them. In The Vanishing of Aveline Jones, an unexplained family disappearance leads her towards an ancient burial mound, long-forgotten legends and powerful dark magic.

With memorable characters, spine-tingling moments and mysteries to unravel, it's an ideal series for readers who enjoy stories that are creepy without being too frightening.

Go to a boarding school where the ghost stories might be true

Boarding schools have always made the perfect setting for mysterious stories, and Shadowhall Academy is full of secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Shadowhall Academy: The Whispering Walls and Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society are both recommended for readers aged 9+.

In Ghost Story Society, Lilian and her friends create a club dedicated to sharing ghost stories. But when Lilian discovers a mysterious book with the power to reveal people's darkest secrets, the stories begin to feel unsettlingly real.

Perfect for readers who enjoy school settings, friendships and supernatural mysteries, the Shadowhall Academy books blend spooky atmosphere with plenty of adventure.

Meet the Spooksmiths

Some people prefer to avoid spooky mysteries. The Spooksmiths investigate them.

Alex Atkinson's Spooksmiths Investigate: The Cinderman and Spooksmiths Investigate: Circus of Shadows are recommended for readers aged 9+.

Alongside ghostly mysteries and creepy folklore, the series celebrates friendship, family, bravery and resilience, balancing genuinely spooky moments with plenty of humour and adventure.

If your child enjoys solving mysteries, meeting unforgettable characters and exploring the strange side of the world, the Spooksmiths are ready to take the case.

Ghost girls, magical threats and a very lonely lighthouse

For readers who love ghost stories with a generous helping of magic and adventure, Reece Carter's Elston-Fright books are a brilliant choice.

A Girl Called Corpse and The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright are both recommended for readers aged 9+.

In The Lonely Lighthouse of Elston-Fright, Flip Little comes from a family of Lightkeepers, whose job is to protect their town from magical creatures and ancient threats. When his spider friend Simon is kidnapped by weather ghouls known as Poltergusts, Flip teams up with two ghost girls on a mission to rescue him and restore the missing Light to the town's lighthouse.

Filled with memorable characters, magical creatures and plenty of spooky atmosphere, the Elston-Fright books are perfect for readers who enjoy adventures where danger and humour go hand in hand.

Try a supernatural mystery with monsters…and mouldy cheese

If your child enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of laughs as well as chills, The Spirit Snatcher by Cat Gray is well worth picking up.

Pip lives in a neighbourhood where ghosts, vampires and banshees are just part of everyday life. But when a mysterious spirit snatcher begins stealing people's personalities—including those of Pip's parents—he and his friend Fliss must stop it before anyone else falls victim.

Along the way they'll encounter ghouls, werewolves and one particularly memorable piece of mouldy cheese. Best for kids aged 9+, it's a funny, spooky adventure packed with mystery from beginning to end.

More magical middle grade mysteries

For readers who enjoy fantasy alongside their Halloween reads, The Midnight Switch by Samuel J. Halpin is another excellent choice. Recommended for readers aged 9+, it combines magic, mystery and adventure in a story that's full of unexpected twists.

If your child prefers exploring the mysteries behind ghost stories rather than reading fiction, there are some fascinating non-fiction options too.

The World of the Unknown: Ghosts, recommended for readers aged 10+, explores ghost stories, haunted places and paranormal sightings in the much-loved World of the Unknown series.

New for 2026, Strange and Mysterious: Ghosts takes a closer look at famous ghost stories, haunted houses and ghost-hunting, while also exploring hoaxes, scientific investigations and the evidence people have gathered in search of the paranormal. Recommended for readers aged 9+, it's ideal for curious readers who love asking questions as much as they enjoy a good ghost story.

Choose your own spooky adventure

Some Halloween books ask you to follow the hero. The Goblin's Revenge makes you the hero.

This interactive gamebook, recommended for readers aged 9+, combines fantasy storytelling with picture puzzles, dice-based combat and plenty of choices along the way. You'll also find Quicklinks to an online dice roller and a printable log book to help you on your quest.

For readers who enjoy action-packed adventures, Graveyard Gladiators offers another exciting Halloween read. Recommended for readers aged 8+, it's packed with high-stakes action, memorable characters and plenty of larger-than-life adventure.

YA Halloween reads for mystery lovers

Ready to swap mischievous ghosts for murder, betrayal and considerably darker secrets?

Welcome to the YA shelf.

Mondays Are Murder (12+)

In Mondays Are Murder by Ravena Guron, seventeen-year-old Kay returns to her hometown after the death of her friend Ivy — and receives an anonymous letter.

It lays out a deeply unappealing schedule: escalating threats throughout the week, ending with her murder on Monday.

Kay needs to discover who's behind the messages before the calendar catches up with her. 

Suddenly Monday morning at school doesn't seem quite so bad.

It's For Your Own Good (14+)

For older YA readers, It's For Your Own Good by Kate Francis takes the locked-room idea somewhere much bigger: into the wilderness.

Liv Walker is taken from her bedroom and sent to Camp Smiling Skies, supposedly a wilderness therapy camp for troubled teens. Behind the brochure, however, are dark secrets, cruel counsellors and little chance of escape.

Then people start dying.

A remote camp, worsening weather, secrets and a murderer in the group? Pack a torch. Possibly two.

Old Wounds (14+)

Old Wounds by Logan-Ashley Kisner pushes Halloween firmly into horror territory.

Erin and Max, two trans teens travelling towards California, become stranded in an isolated rural town. There they encounter a creature said to feed on girls and locals searching for a sacrifice.

This is one for readers who actively want Halloween reading to be frightening rather than merely ghostly.

Dark academia, deadly families and unsettling secrets

For readers who like a mystery wrapped in an ominous atmosphere, there are several more YA titles worth stacking beside the bed.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is perfect for readers aged 14+. So is the author's newer book The Heirs.

Add And Then We Screamed to the Halloween TBR (to be read) for another darker YA option from the selection.

The appeal here isn't necessarily ghosts jumping from cupboards. It's the creeping feeling that somebody is hiding something — and the irresistible need to find out what.

A Halloween Romantasy for older teens

For readers who would like their supernatural Halloween book with a romantic twist, Nightcurse by Emma Hinds is one to watch.

Emrys Swift has been dead for 157 years and is cursed to remain seventeen forever, hidden away in a magical library without knowing how he died. When ancient spellbooks disappear, he has to work with shapeshifter Aubrey Vale to uncover the mystery.

The resulting adventure involves ghosts, mermaids, ancient magic and the secrets surrounding Emrys's death, alongside an enemies-to-lovers romance. Frankly, being seventeen for 157 years may be the most frightening concept in this entire article.

Bonus spooky books for younger readers

A few of the supplied Halloween picks sit below Usborne's usual middle-grade age range, so they're better thought of as stepping-stones for younger readers — or useful options if you're choosing books for siblings of different ages.

Anisha, Accidental Detective: Fright Night! belongs to our younger fiction range, while Spooky Stories is great for ages 7+.

There are also several new 2026 choices. Seriously Creepy Stories, recommended from age 5+, is an illustrated collection mixing creepy beings and supernatural events with humour. 

See Inside The Paranormal, for ages 7+, uses flaps to explore haunted houses, ghosts, poltergeists, telepathy, cursed objects and other paranormal mysteries, while also looking at attempts to test and explain strange experiences. 

And Escape from the Haunted House is an Escape Puzzle Book is great for ages 6+, making it a lighter route into Halloween problem-solving.

How to choose a Halloween read for older children and teens

There isn't one perfect level of Halloween scariness. The better question is: what kind of spooky does your reader enjoy?

• For ghost-story fans, start with Aveline Jones, Shadowhall Academy or the Elston-Fright books.
• For readers who want creepy adventures with humour and friendship, try Spooksmiths Investigate or The Spirit Snatcher.
• For puzzle solvers and gamers, The Goblin's Revenge puts the reader inside the adventure.
• For children fascinated by the question “Are ghosts real?”, try The World of the Unknown: Ghosts, Strange and Mysterious: Ghosts or See Inside The Paranormal.
• For teens who prefer murder mysteries and thrillers, look towards Mondays Are Murder, The Heirs or It's For Your Own Good.
• And for older readers who want Halloween to be properly dark, Old Wounds and Nightcurse move into distinctly more mature supernatural territory.

Your next frightfully good read

Choose your spook factor here!