Children's Books discussion

You might want to check out the Kitty Slade series. They are pretty scary :) and they aren't too long. They are about a girl that can see ghosts.

Look them up on Amazon to read more about them.

Ruth Manning-Sanders has several themed collections like A Book Of Ghosts And Goblins. I loved the illustrations by Brian Jacques when I was a kid.

edit - that's Robin Jacques I mean!

Marianne Dreams is rather creepy, but it might still be a bit long for Izzy. I also really loved Antonia Barber's The Ghosts as a child, but again, this is a bit longer (both are novels and not short stories). With regard to Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side, I think some of the stories would work for Izzy, but I would agree that for others, she is still a bit young (I think you could get away with reading a story like "The Girl at the Gate" or "Davenport's Story" but I would consider stories like "Some Fools and a Saint" "The Red Room" or the one about the house party at Muskoka a bit too adult-themed for Izzy).

Skeleton Creek (and the rest of the series) are great books! They have a scary feeling to them. And - there's videos that go along with the story that can be watched online! Really cool. Definitely check them out. Author: Patrick Carman

Skeleton Creek

My 7 & 9 yo daughters and I just listened to Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn. It is scary, but not over the top scary. I remember reading and really loving most of Hahn's books when I was about 9 or so. I also read a lot of books by Betty Ren Wright during the same time period. I would also second Abigail's suggestions of Blue Balliet's mysteries. I think you mentioned in the Newberry club that you've already read The Westing Game with her, haven't you?

What about The Egypt Game and The Gypsy Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder?

I will echo many of the previous suggestions: Mary Downing Hahn, particularly Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story and add Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story. The Alvin Schwartz Scary Stories are great! There are also some easier Beginning readers by Schwartz that adapt some classic tales - In a Dark Dark Room and Other Scary Stories and Ghosts! Ghosts! Ghosts! I second the recommendations of Blue Ballinet art mysteries and Snyder's The Egypt Game and add The Headless Cupid. I love The Westing Game! Though it's a higher maturity level I liked The London Eye Mystery. You might try The Chronicles of Harris Burdick: Fourteen Amazing Authors Tell the Tales. I haven't read but have heard praise of {book: Scary Story Reader].

My niece is 9 and loves the Goosebumps series. I know she loved this book . I recently read a 60 pg middle grade novella that I loved called The Realm of the Lost . It is a paranormal adventure story and there are some very creepy moments. Best of luck!

-Hanna

What about Roald Dahl's The Witches. I have not read it yet, but one reason I have put it off is that many GR reviewers say it scared the dickens out of them.

Two suggestions:

I agree with Jenny and Chandra regarding the author Mary Downing Hahn. She has quite a few scary books for kids that are not too long and kids at my school love them. I think of it as more 9-years old and up, but I have had 2nd graders read a few of them:
Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story
Deep and Dark and Dangerous: A Ghost Story
The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story
The Doll in the Garden
All the Lovely Bad Ones
Several of these books have been on Illinois state awards lists.

I have several spooky books by the author Peg Kehret in my school library that are fairly popular as well. I have not read any myself, but they move off the shelf and are not terribly long.

Also, there is a quirky series that kids like at my school that isn't really scary, but has a ghost and is a bit of a mystery. The first book is Dying to Meet You.

You might look at books by Ray Bial:
Shadow Island: A Tale of Lake Superior
is a humorous novel with girl protagonists, while
The Fresh Grave and Other Ghostly Stories
Dripping Blood Cave And Other Ghostly Stories
are short-story collections featuring two boys.
Bial is a well-known Illinois author.

I used to Love Robing Jarvis, the alchemists cat was one of my all time favourites. Also Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy.

Of course there's also the ever popular Mr Neil Gaiman.