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Ghosts Books for Kids

21 books in ghosts. Every book rated for reading level and content intensity.

Ghosts 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 ghosts 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 21 ghosts titles, books span Grade 1–10. About 100% 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.

Haunted houses

Patricia D. Netzley

Cover of Haunted houses

Haunted houses

Patricia D. Netzley

Level 9-10 Mild

The ghost of flight 401

John Grant Fuller

Cover of The ghost of flight 401

The ghost of flight 401

John Grant Fuller

Level 7

Gotcha!

Nola Buck

Cover of Gotcha!

Gotcha!

Nola Buck

Level 1-2

America's most haunted places

Nancy Roberts

Cover of America's most haunted places

America's most haunted places

Nancy Roberts

Level 3

Attila the Pun

Daniel Manus Pinkwater

Cover of Attila the Pun

Attila the Pun

Daniel Manus Pinkwater

Level 3

Encyclopedia Horrifica

Joshua Gee

Cover of Encyclopedia Horrifica

Encyclopedia Horrifica

Joshua Gee

Level 4-5

Strange Unsolved Mysteries

Phyllis Raybin Emert

Cover of Strange Unsolved Mysteries

Strange Unsolved Mysteries

Phyllis Raybin Emert

Level 4-5

101 creepy creature jokes

Robert Lawrence Stine

Cover of 101 creepy creature jokes

101 creepy creature jokes

Robert Lawrence Stine

Level 3

Ghosts Ghouls & Other Horrors

Bernhardt Hurwood

Cover of Ghosts Ghouls & Other Horrors

Ghosts Ghouls & Other Horrors

Bernhardt Hurwood

Level 4-5

Spooky Spinechillers

Andrew Donkin

Cover of Spooky Spinechillers

Spooky Spinechillers

Andrew Donkin

Level 2

Bayou Blues (Dawson's Creek Suspense Trilogy)

Anna Fricke

Cover of Bayou Blues (Dawson's Creek Suspense Trilogy)

Bayou Blues (Dawson's Creek Suspense Trilogy)

Anna Fricke

Level 4-5

Real Ghosts

M. J. Wayland

Cover of Real Ghosts

Real Ghosts

M. J. Wayland

Level 4-5

Attila the Pun

Daniel Manus Pinkwater

Cover of Attila the Pun

Attila the Pun

Daniel Manus Pinkwater

Level 3

Star Ghost

Brad Strickland

Cover of Star Ghost

Star Ghost

Brad Strickland

Level 5

Haunted America

Michael Norman

Cover of Haunted America

Haunted America

Michael Norman

Level 5

Are you my friend?

Dick Dudley

Cover of Are you my friend?

Are you my friend?

Dick Dudley

Level 1-2

The Pit and the Pendulum

Edgar Allan Poe

Cover of The Pit and the Pendulum

The Pit and the Pendulum

Edgar Allan Poe

Level 2

Ghostly Songs & Stories

Matthew L. Swayne

Cover of Ghostly Songs & Stories

Ghostly Songs & Stories

Matthew L. Swayne

Level 4-5

Ghostly Songs & Stories

Matthew L. Swayne

Cover of Ghostly Songs & Stories

Ghostly Songs & Stories

Matthew L. Swayne

Level 4-5

Ghosts

Orlin Richard

Cover of Ghosts

Ghosts

Orlin Richard

Level 2

Creepy Castle

Hawkins, Colin.

Cover of Creepy Castle

Creepy Castle

Hawkins, Colin.

Level 2

Questions parents ask about ghosts books

What are the best ghosts books for kids?
HootRated catalogs 21 ghosts children's books spanning Grade 1–10. 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 ghosts books appropriate for sensitive readers?
21 books (100%) 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 ghosts books?
Ghosts books in our catalog span Grade 1–10. 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.