Hidden Strings by K. J. Mist

2 stars After the death of her grandmother, Tessa’s family takes over the Fairy Tale Family Fun Park & RV Campground. They hire a new puppeteer to run the puppet show, but instead of cute stories like her grandmother told, Liza tells spinechilling ones. As strange things start happening on the campground, Tessa wonders if…

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Seven Ghosts by Chris Priestley

4 stars Embark on a tour of Grimstone Hall and learn of the ghosts who reside there in this wonderfully creepy collection of ghost stories. The finalists of a ghost story writing competition visit the most haunted house in England where all the ghosts are children. But Jake can’t shake the feeling that there is…

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Hide and Don’t Seek: And Other Very Scary Stories by Anica Mrose Rissi

Illustrated by Carolina Godina 4 stars Delightfully creepy and well written. Nice variety of story structures including poetry, short stories, an epistolary, a play, chat fiction told through text messages, metafiction, and even stream of consciousness from a family dog. In terms of kid’s horror, I think this one hits the mark well for middle…

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Small Spaces (Small Spaces #1) by Katherine Arden

5 stars A delightfully spooky tale featuring a mysterious book, a class field trip to a farm, and an unexpected villain. Perfect for young readers looking for an engaging story that is thrillingly creepy. No gore or intense violence. This one uses unsettling elements to scare the reader. There’s an ominous vibe throughout the book…

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