There’s an awkward age between 10 and 14, where picture books don’t seem to be enough anymore, but some kids (or maybe their parents or teachers) aren’t quite ready for the intensity and content of YA fiction. There are some great books for kids this age, though, with pivotal scenes that take place at Halloween, so if you’re looking to mix it up a bit and add some books for this age group to your Halloween display, check the shelves for these titles.

Bunnicula by James Howe

This will fall at the lower end of the age range in terms of reading level, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed by older kids. Really, how can anyone resist a cute, cuddly vampire bunny? There are several sequels and another spinoff series, Tales from the House of Bunnicula, for younger readers.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

This book starts with a major character, Turtle Wexler, taking a dare to enter a haunted house on Halloween. Of course, the dead body she finds inside is just the beginning of a complicated puzzle of a mystery. The Westing Game is an award winning book, and rightfully so. Kids who liked Chasing Vermeer will probably also like The Westing Game.

Horror at the Haunted House by Peg Kehret

When Ellen Streeter signs up to participate in the historical society’s haunted house fundraiser, she doesn’t expect to encounter a real ghost. Kids who like fast-paced horror and mystery will love this book. Peg Kehret is a fantastic writer who has written dozens of books with plenty of mystery and suspense, including a series called Frightmares, so once kids are hooked, they can keep going with her books for a long time!

The Ghost Witch by Betty Ren Wright

Jenny moves into a house haunted by the ghost of a local witch, who is delighted to have the opportunity to scare children again at Halloween.  This book falls in the lower end of the age range, as it is aimed at grades 3-5, but Betty Ren Wright has written some gems of ghost stories for kids who are slightly older as well, including The Dollhouse Murders and Crandall’s Castle.

Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck

There aren’t too many narrators in children’s literature that are as memorable as Blossom Culp. Blossom is from the other side of the tracks, too smart and outspoken for her own good, with a crazy mother who works as a psychic. Also, she can see ghosts. On the Titanic. Peck hits all the right buttons to grab kids this age with this book, and the outhouse scene that takes place on Halloween is hysterical. There’s a previous book, The Ghost Belonged To Me, where she plays a secondary role, and a sequel, The Dreadful Future of Blossom Culp, which is terribly dated now (although still a fun read), but this is Blossom Culp at her best.

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keately Snyder

When April moves into Melanie’s apartment building the two girls form an unlikely friendship as both are swept away by April’s imagination. Together they find an abandoned yard where they can create their own world of ancient Egypt as authentically as possible. If that doesn’t sound scary, just imagine it at night, on Halloween, with a killer on the loose. The main characters here are mostly middle schoolers, so it’s probably best to hand it to kids reading at that level. The story does feel a little dated, but that answers the obvious question of why the kids aren’t carrying cell phones.

The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson

The six Herdman children are a constant source of chaos for their town. They’ve caused so much trouble on Halloween in the past that the mayor cancels trick-or-treating in favor of a Halloween celebration at the elementary school. Of course, nothing can slow down the terrible Herdmans…  can Halloween be saved after all? This is the third book starring the Herdmans, who first appeared in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, followed by the less well-known The Best School Year Ever. All three books are funny and suspenseful, and this one also has some scares. The Best Halloween Ever is a good choice for kids reading on a lower level, and older kids may enjoy it too.

The Grey King by Susan Cooper

Most of the books I’ve mentioned are solidly set in the “real world”, be it contemporary or historical. The Grey King is far removed from anything resembling that. This is the story of Will, a boy who is sent to convalesce with relatives in rural Wales after a serious illness. Except that Will is much more than a boy, and he’s in Wales to do much more than heal. The Grey King is the fourth book in Susan Cooper’s high fantasy series The Dark is Rising, but stands alone beautifully, and of all the books, I think this is the most readable and most memorable.  I was assigned it in sixth grade, and it has always stuck with me, maybe because of the riddle that begins it:

On the day of the dead when the year too dies

Must the youngest open the oldest hills…

It’s part of a long, cryptic, and graceful poem that foreshadows the entire plot of the book… if you can figure it out. The day of the dead part, though, should be obvious. This is not the easiest read, as there is a lot of Welsh in the text, and it’s impossible to identify or pronounce most words in Welsh, but it is completely worth it.

Set these out for your 10-14 year old readers, and give them a chance at a spooktacular Halloween read!