5 Spooky Books To Read This Halloween Season

There’s something deliciously dangerous about cracking open a spooky story after dark. Each page turns with the kind of suspense that makes you half-expect the monsters inked on the paper to crawl off the margins and skulk down your hallway. Shadows suddenly feel a little too curious, the air gets a shade too quiet, and even the hum of your fridge sounds like a lurking presence. It’s the sort of atmosphere that sends gummy worms flying across the room, leaves you vowing to sleep with one eye open, and promising—cross your heart—you’ll never pick up another scary book again. But of course, we both know that’s a lie. Because if we actually listened to that little survival instinct, you’d miss out on the five wickedly creepy reads we’ve dug up just for you.

Goodnight, Broom: A Spine-Tingling Spoof

Young witches, dust off your crystals, rev up those broomsticks, and prepare for the coziest coven bedtime yet. This cheeky ode to Margaret Wise Brown’s Goodnight Moon comes bewitchingly channeled by Deb Adamson and illustrated by Ma Pe. Our pint-sized spellcaster spends her moonlit night saying goodnight to all the magical MVPs in her room: broom, wand, pointy hat, and yes—even a frog (because cat sidekicks? Please, that’s like nine lives ago). Equal parts spooky and sweet, this board book is perfect for baby witches-in-training and grown-ups who still can’t resist a little hocus pocus before bed.

Buy Goodnight, Broom: A Spine-Tingling Spoof here!

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Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party

Thinking of cosplaying as Agatha All Along’s Death this Halloween? While you stitch up that cloak, you can tuck your little ghoul into this wickedly fun tale by Aubrey Plaza and Dan Murphy. Enter Luna Lopez, a witch-in-training who may not have Agatha Harkness’s sadistic flair (or the knack for snapping someone straight into a ghost), but she’s got big ambition—and a pact with her spectral BFF, Pheenie. The deal? Throw the best spooky bash of the season, and she earns her way into Spells 101. Sounds simple… until you remember parties and the paranormal go together about as well as bobbing apples and cobwebs. Luna’s night is about to get a whole lot creepier than she bargained for.

Buy Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party here!

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The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay

Cue the best ghostly friendship since Hilary Duff’s Casper Meets Wendy. Mary Averling delivers on every supernatural team-up fantasy with Maudie, a forever-12 ghost who’s turned haunting a woodland cottage into her afterlife hobby—scaring off unsuspecting vacationers like Gianna and roping Kit and little brother Scratch into all kinds of mischief. But playtime takes a terrifying turn when Longfingers—a spidery, needle-toothed nightmare—traps them. To escape, Maudie has to summon her inner puzzlemaster and uncover the key to a mysterious door… or risk losing her friends forever. The only problem? The one person who might help her is also the person she’s been gleefully haunting. Equal parts creepy and cheeky, this is spectral hijinks with real shivers baked in.

Buy The Ghosts of Bitterfly Bay here!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MARY AVERLING:
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Gloam

Picture the creepiest house you can imagine: creaking floorboards, waves crashing on all sides because it’s stranded in the middle of the ocean on an island, and the unsettling knowledge that it’s a family heirloom gifted to you by your now-graveyard-haunting grandmother. That’s exactly what author Jack Mackay drops Gwen into. As one of four siblings (a younger brother and twin sisters), Gwen’s stuck under the watch of Esme Laverne—the new babysitter everyone seems to adore. Everyone except Gwen, that is, who can’t shake the feeling Esme is less Mary Poppins and more monster-in-disguise. Between the mould spreading through the walls and the chill crawling down her spine, Gwen has one pressing question: can she save her family before the house—and whatever’s lurking inside—claims them all?

Buy Gloam here!

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Millie Fleur Saves the Night

Written by Christy Mandin, Millie Fleur is that kid who’d gladly clip pegs to her eyelids if it meant staying awake for the best part of the day—night. Forget schoolwork, Millie lives for the nighttime crawlies and all the enchanting little wonders that only come out under the glow of the moon. But when she finds herself in Garden Glen—a town practically allergic to darkness—her world turns upside down. To bring back the night she loves, Millie channels her inner celestial dreamer, whipping up moon pies and planting a fragrant moon garden. With a little magic and a lot of determination, she just might convince the town to dim the lights… so her nighttime friends can finally come back to play.

Buy Millie Fleur Saves the Night here!

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHRISTY MANDLIN:
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So tell us—what spine-tingling book are you trying to race through without a little midnight jumpscare? We want to know which story’s been keeping you clutching the covers, so share it with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. And don’t stray too far, because all through October we’ll be lurking with more hauntingly good articles for you to read… if you dare.