Horror Titles for Tweens

Sarah ButtsKelly Gregor Hartlaub

LIBR 264Genre Project

Defining the genre…

Bunnicula

Chester, the family cat, being very well-read, finds something familiar and sinister in the way the family’s new bunny sleeps all day, and seems to have tiny fangs instead of typical bunny teeth. Harold the dog thinks he’s being ridiculous, until all of the vegetables in the house begin turning up white and dry, drained of all their juice.

Awards and accolades:• 1981 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book

Award • 1982 Young Reader's Choice Award • 1982 Land of Enchantment Book Award • More…

1979By Deborah and James HoweISBN 0-689-30700-4Ages 8-1298 Pages

The House with the Clock in its Walls

Lewis’ Uncle Jonathan has been trying for years to find the source of the interminable ticking coming from the walls of his house. When Lewis releases the ghost of an evil witch from her tomb, the search becomes urgent. Lewis, Uncle Jonathan, and Mrs. Zimmerman (their neighbor and also a witch) must find the clock and destroy it as it ticks away the moments before doomsday.

Awards: American Library Association Children's Books of

International Interest Award 1973 New York Times Outstanding Books of 1973 Award

1973By John BellairsISBN 0-14-036336-XAges 8-12179 pages

Coraline

Coraline is a bored 12-year-old girl who longsfor parents who aren’t too busy with theirwork to have time for her. But when Coralinefinds a secret passageway to an alternatereality with alternate parents who lavishattention on her, she rethinks what she wants.

Awards:• School Library Journals Best Books

(2002)• Best Books for Young Adults (YALSA,

2003)• Children’s Choices (International Reading

Assoc., 2003)• Great Middle School Reads (ALSC, 2004)

2002By Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Dave McKeanISBN 9780380977789Ages 9-12162 pages

The Seer of ShadowsA young photographer’s apprentice stumbles

upon what seems like a valuable opportunity,

but instead may be propelled into a home of

cruelty, abuse, and perhaps even ghosts.

Awards:

Cybil Award Finalist (2008)

Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars (2008)

School Library Journal Best Books (2008)

Best Children’s Books of the Year (Bank Street College of Education, 2009)

Choices (Cooperative Children’s Book Center, 2009)

2008

By Avi

ISBN 9780060000165

Ages 8-12

Skeleton Man

A stranger takes Molly to live in his house after her parents disappear, claiming to be her uncle. But when it becomes clear that she is his prisoner, Molly must trust the ancestors she meets in dreams to help her escape from the ghoulish creature who reminds her eerily of a Mohawk folktale her parents told when she was younger…

Awards and Accolades• 2001 School Library Journal Best Books of

the Year • 2002American Library Association Notable

Books for Children• And many more …

2001By Joseph BruchacISBN: 0-06-029076-5Ages 9-14112 pages

The Dead BoysA giant sycamore tree, monstrous from many years of absorbing radiated water through the parched desert soil, seeks the life force of young boys to keep it alive and strong. When Teddy moves into town, he realizes that he is in danger of being the tree’s next victim..

2010By Royce BuckinghamISBN 978-0-399-25222-8Ages 9-14201 pages

The Ribbajackand Other Curious Yarns

2005

By Brian Jacques

ISBN 9780399242205

Ages 9-14

167 pages

Brian Jacques, the acclaimed author of the Redwall series, presents six chilling stories that are perfect for telling ‘round a campfire. Subjects range from monsters to the “dark arts” to haunted schools.

Awards:

Best Books, Middle and Junior H.S. Library Catalog (H. W. Wilson, 2006)

In the Land of the Lawn Weeniesand Other Warped and Creepy Tales

David Lubar writes these creepy and funny tales which are all tied together by a common thread – being a kid can be scary! Some stories feature child-monsters, and others feature the horrors children can inflict on themselves, but all of them are funny.

2003By David LubarISBN -13 978-0-7653-4570-7Ages 9-14240 pages

Dracula

2010By Nicky Raven, illustrated by Anne Yvonne GilbertISBN 9780763647933Ages 10 and up96 pages

Illustrated and abbreviated retelling of the classic story by Bram Stoker. This shortened versions makes some changes to the original, but the result is an appealing story for tweens.

Ghostopolis

2010By Doug TenNapelISBN 9780545210287Ages 10 and up288 pages

Garth Hale is accidentally trapped in Ghostopolis, a ghost world, where he tries-with the aid of his grandfather’s ghost--to get back to the land of the living. TenNapel tells this tale in graphic novel form.

Full Tilt

Blake follows his daredevil brother Quinn to an otherworldly carnival, where the attractions are tailored to exploit each rider’s darkest fears and insecurities. Blake must survive the deadly rides, all the while trying to convince his ambivalent brother to choose life over an eternity in the service of the carnival’s demonic proprietress, Cassandra.

Awards and Accolades: ALA’s Popular Paperbacks, 2005 International Reading Association – Young

Adult Choice, 2005 New York Public Library Best Books for

Teenagers Award List. 2005

2003By Neal ShustermanISBN 0-689-80374-5Ages 10 and up199 pages

Raven’s GateMatthew Freeman, a troubled orphan with psychic powers, finds himself trapped in a tiny town, serving a year of probation in foster care. He soon finds that everyone in town belongs to the same evil coven, bent on destroying the world; and that they need his blood to do it.

Awards and Accolades : 2008 – ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young

Readers 2006 – ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young

Adult Readers

Cirque du Freak

2002

By Darren Shan

ISBN 9780316603409

Ages 10-14

When Darren Shan enters the Cirque du Freak (circus of freaks), he does not know that he will never be the same again. This is the first installment of the captivating series about a young boy who makes a deal with a vampire that costs him his human existence.

Awards:• Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and

Horror (VOYA, 2000)• Children’s Book Sense 76 Picks

(Books Sense 76, 2001)• Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media

(2001)• Best Children’s Books of the Year

(Bank Street College of Education, 2002)

What Happened to Cass McBride?

2008By Gail GilesISBN 9780316166386Ages 12 and up211 pages

Cass McBride didn’t think twice about rejecting David Kirby. Now she finds herself buried alive in retaliation. This title is suitable for older tweens, or those who are capable of more mature content.

Awards:• YALSA Best Books for Young

Adults (ALA, 2007)• Young Adults’ Choices

(International Reading Association, 2008)

The Seer of Shadows

New York skyline, 1800s

“In short I had two hopes: One, no one would be tricked into believing ghosts existed, and two, the fraudulent scheme would not touch me in any way.

“As it turned out, both hopes were to be completely dashed.”” (35)

Newbery Award-winner Avi

Skeleton Man

“Trust your dreams. Both my parents said that. That’s our old way, our Mohawk way. The way of our ancestors. Trust the little voice that speaks to you. That is your heart speaking. But when those feelings, those dreams, those voices are so confusing, what do you do then?”

“Help,” I whisper. “Help.” (p. 48)