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Artist & Author Stevie Russell shares her experiencing of self-publishing 3 children’s books from the small coastal QLD town of Tannum Sands.
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Best Spooky Stories for Halloween – A children’s book list
Fiona's Spooky Story Recommendations:
Hi! I’m Fionna. Now, I may be a little biased, but I love a spooky book, a spooky movie, a spooky tv show, and spooky people in general. So it came as no surprise that my mini loved the same things.
At first I was a little unsettled – a three year old watching the Corpse Bride on repeat? But I’m happy to report that seven years later, she’s a kind, generous and gentle human being showing no tendencies for raising the dead. Oh, and she’s still a massive Tim Burton fan.
The Spooky Author - Fionna Cosgrove
in 2024, Fionna featured on The Indie Author Diaries where she candidly shares her experience of self-publishing
In our travels we have come upon a number of age appropriate spooks that I would love to share with the world.
Broken down into 5 age group categories…
👻 1. Picture Books
👻 2. Early Readers 4-7 years old
👻 3. Young Readers 6-8 years old
👻 4. Middle Grade 8-12 years old
👻 5. Upper Middle Grade 10-14 years old
Picture Books
Every Night at Midnight by Peter Cheong
A delightfully illustrated tale of feeling other and that deep need to feel seen and belong, with the wonderfully (but appropriately) backdrop of midnight and shapeshifters. This book is low on the scares but high on the world of paranormal and a winner in our household.
Scary Night by Lesley Gibbes
My daughter picked this book as a kid, and it’s not hard to see why. The cover is a spooky illustration of three animal friends off on a dark, moonlit walk. The story feels ominous and spooky, leaning into its setting and leading you to believe we are about to unravel some dark and dastardly revelation… I won’t spoil it, but let me just say it’s entirely age appropriate and that dastadrly revelation I spoke of? It’s more festive than traumatic. This is a great book for kids that like that lingering sensation of danger, but the flip at the end leaves you with nothing but good vibes.
Early Readers 4-7 years old
School of Monsters by Sally Rippin
A wonderful entry point for emerging readers with each book around 300 – 500 words. The school of monsters features an array of monsters as they navigate life, including friendship troubles, sharing, dealing with big feelings etc. Super low on the scares, but obviously high on the monsters. While some might not call these books spooky, but to that I’d say that anything that embraces monster-hood and the supernatural/paranormal leans to spooky, and is often enough of a touch point for young readers. With simple vocabulary and rhyming text, these books are a winner for young kids that are just starting to read on their own.
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Young Readers 6-8 years old
Eerie Elementary by Jack Chabert
(Jack Chabert is the pen name for Max Brallier – author of The Last Kids on Earth series)
This series is a brilliant stepping stone for young readers that are interested in the creepier side of life. There’s about 6000 to 7000 words per book, bringing it in at about half of a Goosebumps book. The stories are weird and wild and drag you to the basements of Eerie Elementary’s school, tunnelling inside lockers, through science fairs and out of a frozen tundra. There are ten books to keep your mini happy, and each one explores themes of friendship, bravery and the supernatural. The books pump up the suspense while still managing to keep the tone and humour rolling. A big part of that is the friendships that carry through the whole series. The main trio are determined, loyal, courageous but also silly, scared, and endlessly funny. A perfect choice if your child wants to dive into some spooky content on their own – or if you want to dive in there with them.
Middle Grade 8-12 years old
Twisted Trails Series by Fionna Cosgrove
Look… is this a shameless self plug? Perhaps, but it’s also a good recommendation. Choose your own adventures have been around forever, but we often forget just how brilliant they are for younger readers and specifically reluctant ones. Twisted Trails is a spooky choose your path book with a minimum of ten endings in each book. That’s significantly less endings than some other books like You Choose by George Ivanoff (brilliant series!) or the original Choose Your Own Adventure (where it all started), but that can also be a good thing. There’s enough steady rhythm to the chapters to keep kids interested, but not so many twists and turns of choices that you spend more time flicking the pages than you do actually reading. I’ve set each book (of which there are currently three) at the creepiest of settings: A run down manor on the middle of a deserted hill at midnight, a ghastly grotto in a deserted seaside town, and a bizarre summer camp where the camp counsellors are curiously cryptic… Each story throws you into midnight chases, graveyard romps, worm burger eating and sea witch confrontations, and there are PLENTY of dead ends. However… the beauty of a choose your path, is that the stakes are low, because you can turn right back and pick another path – design your story how you see fit. Trust me when I say there’s enough creepy content to keep your spooky loving kids content, minus those pesky nightmares.
The Small Spaces Quartet by Katherine Arden
These books are ca-reepy – in a totally age appropriate way. There are four in the series based on seasons: Small Spaces in Autumn (heavy on USA fall vibes with scarecrows and pumpkins and corn mazes), Dead Voices in Winter (a haunted ski lodge and ghostly warnings), Dark Waters in Spring (a lake monster, a shipwreck and a deserted island full of secrets) and Empty Smiles in Summer (a sinister carnival with the ultimate showdown). These stories are a step up from previous recommendations with dread and menace lingering in each page, and also the main character Ollie having lost her mother shortly before the first book, which tends to give the story a more sombre tone, at least early on. All that said, it’s a perfect next step into the horror/spooky genre for kids wanting that little bit more. Katherine Arden is a brilliant author and these books are not only beautiful to look at, but they are super easily digestible.
Goosebumps by RL Stine
Does this series even need an introduction? They’ve been around since we were little and have continued to see huge success across generations. There’s a reason that this series is as big as it is, and I would say it’s without a doubt due to RL Stine’s wild imagination. His stories are short and sharp with each chapter ending on a cliff hanger, whether that be a case of mistaken identity, an actual horrid ending, or a tree branch that acts like a hand (cause lets be honest… the majority are always bogus cliff hangers, but we still love them!). And one thing that Stine is the best at – the twist. I pride myself on being an excellent twist picker, but Stine has got me on more than one occasion, and that ALWAYS leaves me wanting more. Oh, to pick his brain! While some stories are darker than others – book one for example is a little more macabre – your kid will never be short of a next read if they get into this series. My daughter has just started reading Goosebumps and she gives me a play by play each chapter, absolutely loving how wild and twisted the stories get.
Upper Middle Grade 10-14 years old
Josh Allen's short story collections, Only if You Dare, Out to Get You, Once They See You.
I will forever be repping these books! These are my Twilight Zone for kids. Each collection has thirteen short stories that range from bizarre to unsettling, to curious to macabre. They run the spectrum and are perfect for slightly older kids that want to dip into a few unhinged stories that range from, but are definitely not limited to, couches that slowly swallow you, genies and wishes that don’t go as planned, a black hole in the cafeteria, kittens that quietly enact their revenge and the devil himself coming to visit. These books have a darker tone, less humour filtering through the pages, and a little more substance on the takeaway, making them, in my opinion, a perfect read for upper MG kids that are in the mood for something ‘more’.
It Came from the Trees by Ally Russell
Ally Russell is a powerhouse in upper MG horror and this was her debut. With two other books out at the end of this year, your kid will have a few to traipse through soon enough. It came from the trees is Ally’s tribute to Bigfoot, and it doesn’t disappoint. The big bad is revealed very early on, meaning there’s no shotty, off in the distance, did I see him? did I not?, going on here. You see him. You hear him. You smell him. But as well as diving into Bigfoot lore, Ally explores themes like racism, predation and friendship all expertly woven into a tapestry of dread. This book is a little darker, a little more meaty and a whole lot tasty. A perfect choice for kids over 10 that want to immerse themselves into some cryptid folklore, missing friends and girl guide vibes.
These are just a taster to get you on your way as there are MANY, MANY other spooky books available for your kiddos.
Don’t be scared if you begin to notice your mini has a penchant for the peculiar, a desire for the dark, or a curiosity in the cryptic, often times it comes from an exploration of identity, an interest in the unknown and a way to feel those scary, fearful emotions, from the safety of their very cosy, and comfortable bed.
There are an endless amount of books out there that explore the weird, wonderful and scary all at an age appropriate level. And coming from an almost forty year old that has grown up on a steady stream of creepy content, I’m no more messed up than the rest of us!
🎉Support my Kickstarter!
Speaking of horror books for all ages, my new short story collection “All That Slithers” will be launched in a Kickstarter Campaign on October 5th.
I’m using a Kickstarter this time to help me build pre-orders and help with the cost of the book production. I’ve opted for colour interior and a deliciously velvety matte hardcover to make the illustrator, Stiff Ive’s, illustrations really pop! It’s a collection of bubble-gum horror short stories for kids 10 and over (and adults that love a little nostalgic horror), that lives in the vein of the Twilight Zone, Wednesday, Coraline, Monster HIgh, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Goosebumps and Josh Allen’s collections such as Out to Get You.
There are multiple tiers with a little something for everyone and each story has been endorsed by an author, podcast host, and even a former prison guard at the iconic Fremantle Prison. Thirteen stories that will take you from ghostly transmissions on the ocean, to eye-scream parlours with a cryptid twist, to science class and bedtime routines, and all the way back to tree house pizza party sleepovers.
Before October 5th you can join the pre-launch page and follow along, giving you first dibs on the rewards when they launch, or if joining after October 5th you can pledge straight away! https://www.kickstarter.
Follow along in Instagram to get all the endorsements, tiers and behind the scenes info! https://www.instagram.
Article by Aussie Indie Author – Fionna Cosgrove
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Spooky stories for Halloween
Have a spooky loving child that you want to encourage but not traumatise? There's a book for that.
This article has been written by author Fionna Cosgrove – the writer of the spooky middle grade, interactive series, Twisted Trails, as well as the spooky mystery Sadie and the Secret of the Swamp. To learn more about Fionna, visit her socials & website👇🏼
The Indie Author Diaries
If you’re interested in sharing your self-publishing story for our Indie Author Diaries blog series, get in touch today!
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