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6 Best Not-Too-Spooky Tales for Ages 0-12

July 14, 2009

Whether it's around a campfire on a family camping trip, snuggled in the living room for a sleepover, in the middle of a power outage, or on special days and holidays, every now and again it's just right for a not-too-spooky story. These are the six fantastic books to either get inspiration from or read to your kids for those spooky-but-not-too-spooky times. From a friendly and fun spooky board book to a creepy Roald Dahl collection of stories, this list of book should satisfy a family even with a broad mix of age.

Ages: Baby to 5

Bright Baby Touch & Feel Spooky
Roger Priddy
Interactive board book for babies and toddlers, featuring images and simple text on a spooky theme. Touch and feel patches on every spread encourages child to interact with the book. Aids in the development of early vocabulary.

The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree (Bright & Early Book)
by Stan Berenstain
Children's 4-8
Three terrified little bears explore the inside of a mysterious old tree and go "into, up, through, over, down, and "out." Described as humorous, fun, and including favorite characters.

Ages: 5 to 8 and up

Seriously Spooky Stories
Super Shorts
Grade Range: k to 3, Age Range: 5 to 8
There are thrills and chills galore in this spine-tingling collection of stories about ghosts, ghouls, and haunted happenings. Young readers will shiver with delight at stories by favorite writers such as Ruskin Bond, Adle Geras, and Tony Ross. With a winning combination of contemporary original stories and retellings of traditional ghost tales, this is an irrestible blend of scary and fun.

The Kingfisher Treasury of Ghost Stories
Kenneth Ireland; Editors of Kingfisher
Grade Range: k to 3, Age Range: 5 to 8
This spooky anthology provides a shivery thrill on every page. Frightening and friendly, menacing and mischievous, here are tales about ghosts and ghouls for any occasion. Atmospheric black line illustrations on every spread add to the eerie mood. Featuring stories by high-profile contributors such as Dick King-Smith, Joan Aiken, Robert Swindells, and Catherine Storr, this collection is perfect for children who enjoy having their spine tingled. From folktales to original stories, there are ghost stories for everyone...Black-and-white illustrations complete these ghostly grim tales that will haunt and delight children of all ages.

The Kingfisher Book of Scary Stories
Chris Powling; Peter Bailey
Grade Range: 2 to 5, Age Range: 7 to 10
Here are ghouls, goblins, and ghosts galore! With its chilling mix of contemporary stories and retellings of old favorites, this anthology is illustrated with haunting detail and offers a satisfying, spooky read. The tales from top-notch writers make this an ideal read-aloud for Halloween, and a must-have gift book for all young fright fans.

Ages: 10 and up

Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories
Roald Dahl
Grade Range: 6 to 12, Age Range: 12 and up
Who better to investigate the literary spirit world than that supreme connoisseur of the unexpected, Roald Dahl? Of the many permutations of the macabre or bizarre, Dahl was always especially fascinated by the classic ghost story. As he realtes in the erudite introduction to this volume, he read some 749 supernatural tales at the British Museum Library before selecting the 14 that comprise this anthology. "Spookiness is, after all, the real purpose of the ghost story," Dahl writes. "It should give you the creeps and disturb your thoughts." For this superbly disquieting collection, Dahl offers favorite tales by such masterful storytellers as E. F. Benson, J. Sheridan Le Fanu, Rosemary Timperley, and Edith Wharton. Roald Dahl has selected fourteen of his favorite ghost stories that will deliver chills and goose bumps.

"This is the best book of its kind in years."-The Washington Post Book World

Creepy Crawlies at Children's Museum

by Rachel Mosteller

October 20, 2008

You don't need a bunch of plastic spiders, though they are fun, to make Halloween spooky. In fact, all you have to do is look towards nature for inspiration. If you're looking to give your kids a glimpse into some Halloween spooks, I suggest trying out the Creepy Creatures WonderWeek at the Children's Museum of Houston. What's there to do? Well...a lot. The science station will show your kids  Read more...