What are the scarriest books for kids?

Question

I read some as a kid that are scarrier that the adult horror books!

Answer 1

Coraline by Neil Gaiman is scary; so is The Thief of Always by Clive Barker. They both write great adult novels too. Jonathan Bellairs is great; I second that nomination. The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper. I read a couple of Goosebumps books when my younger daughter got interested in them; they weren't terrible, but they weren't great either. I don't think she read more than 3 or 4 before moving on.

Answer 2

Why would you want your kids to read scary books?

There's nothing wrong with a scary narrative in itself, but keep in mind that everyone--especially children--takes some lesson, some meaning from everything he puts in his head.

The Goosebumps series exist to do nothing more than paint a picture of a world beyond anyone's control--where there is really nothing that can be done about malicious horrors with irrational interests in the protagonists. That's the nature of the scariness of those books.

The Harry Potter books are also scary. But there is a difference. The protagonist is not helpless against the evil forces which menace him. Throughout the series, Harry can be seen to grow, to learn, and to mature into the young adult who, I'm sure, we will see face his nemesis with skill and courage. And whether he and his companions survive this final book, one of the lessons taught is that the fight of good against evil is worth it, no matter the cost.

There was a time when adults--parents and teachers--recognized the value of good literature, and the harm wrought by pulp novels, penny dreadfuls, and other assorted dreck fiction. Show a bit more consideration when choosing what to put into kids' heads, as well as your own.

Answer 3

The whole series of Goosebumps book are pretty scary. Also some of those books are very interesting because you get to pick the ending you want. For instance there are several versions of the ending within the book, and based on what you want the outcome to be or the next step the character to take, you will be instructed to turn to a corresponding page, so it's pretty interesting. They also have Goosebumps series on DVD.

Answer 4

I think the John Bellairs books are pretty good, like _The House with a Clock in its Walls_ or _The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring_. They're scary but also well written.

Of course, there's always the classic _Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark_!

Answer 5

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Answer 6

It depends on the age range you are looking for. In the 6th grade, we used to read Goosebumps, then in the 8th grade, we read more Fear Street. I think anything written by R.L. Stine is pretty scary and fun to read.

Answer 7

The Hardy Boys: mystery.
Goosebumps: legend.
Harry Potter: fantasy.