Ghost stories Books for Kids
93 books in ghost stories. Every book rated for reading level and content intensity.
Ghost stories books for kids span a wider readiness range than parents usually expect. The same genre category contains gentle picture books and high-intensity middle-grade novels — Lexile and grade-level scores measure text complexity, not what's actually in the story. A ghost stories title appropriate for a confident 8-year-old reader could still cover themes a sensitive 12-year-old isn't ready for.
Across HootRated's 93 ghost stories titles, books span Grade 1–7. About 89% are rated Gentle or Mild — safe picks for sensitive readers and kids reading ahead of their emotional readiness. 0% sit at the Intense or Very Intense end. Average content intensity is 1.8/5.
Use the intensity badges (green → red, low → high) to filter by emotional readiness rather than just age. For deeper detail on how we rate, see our rating methodology.
BOO YEAR'S EVE (Graveyard School)
Tom B. Stone
BOO YEAR'S EVE (Graveyard School)
Tom B. Stone
The phantom of the theater
Elisabetta Dami
The phantom of the theater
Elisabetta Dami
Never say boo!
Robin Pulver
Never say boo!
Robin Pulver
Picture the dead
Adele Griffin
Picture the dead
Adele Griffin
Spooks
Hawkins, Colin.
Spooks
Hawkins, Colin.
The Wyndcliffe
Louise Lawrence
The Wyndcliffe
Louise Lawrence
The creature double feature
Susan Saunders
The creature double feature
Susan Saunders
Scary tales to tell in the dark
Anthony Masters
Scary tales to tell in the dark
Anthony Masters
Summer's end
Lawrence, Ann
Summer's end
Lawrence, Ann
The Haunting of Hiram C. Hopgood
Eva Ibbotson
The Haunting of Hiram C. Hopgood
Eva Ibbotson
Georgie goes West.
Robert Bright
Georgie goes West.
Robert Bright
God bless America.
Johnson, Stanley
God bless America.
Johnson, Stanley
The moon lamp
Mark Smith
The moon lamp
Mark Smith
Cattail moon
Jean Thesman
Cattail moon
Jean Thesman
The haunted cottage
Harriette Sheffer Abels
The haunted cottage
Harriette Sheffer Abels
Small shadows creep.
Andre Norton
Small shadows creep.
Andre Norton
Horror Tales: Spirits, Spells & the Unknown
Roger Elwood
Horror Tales: Spirits, Spells & the Unknown
Roger Elwood
The haunting of Chas McGill and other stories
Robert Westall
The haunting of Chas McGill and other stories
Robert Westall
Ghost story
Genevieve Gray
Ghost story
Genevieve Gray
Night spell
Robert Newman
Night spell
Robert Newman
The Phantom Cyclist
Ruth Ainsworth
The Phantom Cyclist
Ruth Ainsworth
The Ghost's Companion
Peter Haining
The Ghost's Companion
Peter Haining
Mystery of Maggoty Mill
Skip Skwarek
Mystery of Maggoty Mill
Skip Skwarek
The Headless Horseman
Emma Harding, Washington Irving
The Headless Horseman
Emma Harding, Washington Irving
A-haunting we will go
Lee Bennett Hopkins
A-haunting we will go
Lee Bennett Hopkins
Five little ghosts
William Boniface
Five little ghosts
William Boniface
The haunting of Holmescroft
Rudyard Kipling
The haunting of Holmescroft
Rudyard Kipling
The inexperienced ghost
H. G. Wells
The inexperienced ghost
H. G. Wells
Aunt Matilda's ghost
Mignon F. Ballard
Aunt Matilda's ghost
Mignon F. Ballard
Cave spirits
Foster, Tony.
Cave spirits
Foster, Tony.
Wisconsin's Ridgeway ghost
William Horner
Wisconsin's Ridgeway ghost
William Horner
Spooks
Colin Hawkins
Spooks
Colin Hawkins
How to Catch a Ghost
Martin
How to Catch a Ghost
Martin
Haunted
Meg Cabot
Haunted
Meg Cabot
Fortunately, the milk ...
Neil Gaiman
Fortunately, the milk ...
Neil Gaiman
Ghost Ship
Sefton
Ghost Ship
Sefton
Dare You Go...Under the Sea
Cathy Shuttleworth
Dare You Go...Under the Sea
Cathy Shuttleworth
Fearful Lovers and Other Stories
Robert Westall
Fearful Lovers and Other Stories
Robert Westall
The Silly Silly Ghost
H. E. Todd
The Silly Silly Ghost
H. E. Todd
Lost Boy
Linda Newbery
Lost Boy
Linda Newbery
The ghost-maker
Kathleen Kilgore
The ghost-maker
Kathleen Kilgore
Georgie
Robert Bright
Georgie
Robert Bright
There's a dead person following my sister around
Vivian Vande Velde
There's a dead person following my sister around
Vivian Vande Velde
Haunted Kids "True Ghost Stories"
Allan Zullo
Haunted Kids "True Ghost Stories"
Allan Zullo
Canadian hauntings
Norman, Michael
Canadian hauntings
Norman, Michael
The Shadows of Owlsnap (Dent Duckling Series)
Angela Bull
The Shadows of Owlsnap (Dent Duckling Series)
Angela Bull
Wait till Helen comes
Mary Downing Hahn
Wait till Helen comes
Mary Downing Hahn
Can You See What I See? On a Scary, Scary Night
Walter Wick
Can You See What I See? On a Scary, Scary Night
Walter Wick
Scary stories 3
Alvin Schwartz
Scary stories 3
Alvin Schwartz
Truth or dare-- You're Invited to a Creepover #1
P. J. Night
Truth or dare-- You're Invited to a Creepover #1
P. J. Night
The Ghost of Graylock
Dan Poblocki
The Ghost of Graylock
Dan Poblocki
Ready for a scare?
P. J. Night
Ready for a scare?
P. J. Night
Abe Liincoln's Dream
Lane Smith
Abe Liincoln's Dream
Lane Smith
The Mirror Image Ghost
Catherine Storr
The Mirror Image Ghost
Catherine Storr
Chilling Ghost Stories
Bernhardt J. Hurwood
Chilling Ghost Stories
Bernhardt J. Hurwood
Ghost That Came Alive
Vic Crume
Ghost That Came Alive
Vic Crume
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Washington Irving
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Washington Irving
The bump in the night
Anne F. Rockwell
The bump in the night
Anne F. Rockwell
Ghosts of Departure Point
Eve Bunting
Ghosts of Departure Point
Eve Bunting
The Haunting of Grade Three (Lucky Star)
Grace Maccarone
The Haunting of Grade Three (Lucky Star)
Grace Maccarone
Browse all 93 ghost stories books
- The Return of the Third-Grade Ghosthunters
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- The Ghost Comes Calling (Little Apple)
- The ghost witch
- Little Ghost
- Haunting of Holroyd Hill
- Night Mare (Bullseye Chillers)
- Gus was a gorgeous ghost
- True Ghost Stories
- Gussie Ghost (Monster Madness) (Monster Madness)
- There's a ghost in my house
- Wait Till Helen Comes (Avon Camelot Books)
- Rogers, Gregory
- Spooky Tales
- The Ghost Belonged to Me
- Boober Fraggle's ghosts
- Noogamich and Other Stories (Newwaves)
- Don't let the deadbugs bite!
- Stories of Ghosts
- Beware of the Blabbermouth!
- Creeper Man
- Gap Year in Ghost Town
- Who Is Frances Rain?
- Pioneer Ghost
- Ghosts
- Sally gets silly
- Plop!
- Abracadabra!
- The moonlit road
- The room of Woe
- The Turbulent Term of Tuke Tiler
- Strange Spirits of St. Ignace (Michigan Chillers, 6)
- Tidy Ghost
Questions parents ask about ghost stories books
- What are the best ghost stories books for kids?
- HootRated catalogs 93 ghost stories children's books spanning Grade 1–7. Each is rated on reading level and content intensity. The picks above are sorted by quality signals — hook factor, discussion potential, and content appropriateness.
- Are ghost stories books appropriate for sensitive readers?
- 83 books (89%) are rated Gentle or Mild — safe for sensitive readers. 0 (0%) are rated Intense or Very Intense. Average intensity is 1.8/5. Filter by intensity badge to match your child's emotional readiness.
- What reading level are ghost stories books?
- Ghost stories books in our catalog span Grade 1–7. The typical reading level lands around Grade 5. Reading level measures text difficulty — separate from content intensity, which measures emotional weight. The two often don't track together for gifted readers — the Gifted Kid Paradox.