Boo! Spooky Middle Grade Titles to Share All Year, a guest post by Adrianna Cuevas

Social media offers authors and librarians the incredible opportunity to interact, fostering community and connection. It allows writers the chance to market their books to the gatekeepers who will pass them on to their target audience. Librarians can receive recommendations that let them diversify and expand their shelves, giving their patrons access to meaningful and representative stories.

Recently, an interaction between an author and librarian on a particular social media platform missed the chance to expose readers to a broader spectrum of stories.

The author was presenting their latest spooky book and a librarian, in a bit of hyperbolic praise, commented and encouraged the author to keep writing because she had no idea where else her students could find spooky stories.

Rather than take the opportunity to highlight and uplift other authors writing in this genre, particularly queer and BIPOC authors who face growing obstacles such as book bans and historic lack of publisher support, this author had a simple reply:

“I’m writing as fast as I can.”

Since there are indeed ample books that exist in this genre, I’d like to present seven middle grade titles by queer and BIPOC authors that will satisfy young readers as we approach spooky season. And, don’t forget, these stories can be enjoyed year-round as the fast pace, high tension nature of middle grade horror and spooky books is perfect for reluctant readers of all backgrounds and shouldn’t be relegated to just one month.

The Skeleton Flute- Damara Allen

A magical flute given to Sam by a mysterious stranger solves his parents’ dissolving marriage. But it comes with consequences. Sam’s beloved siblings no longer exist in his new, supposedly perfect reality. Sam must band together with friends to solve the mystery of the skeleton flute and the stranger who upended his world. This tale of what ifs and multiverses is full of creepy, fast-paced action that will have you guessing until the last page if Sam will risk undoing his new, perfect life to go back to his old, imperfect one.

The Curse of Eelgrass Bog- Mary Averling

Kess lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum with her best friend, a shrunken demon head in a jar- a setup that will immediately intrigue young readers. When new girl Lilou approaches Kess for help in breaking a curse, the two venture straight into Eelgrass Bog, full of witches, demons, and long-buried secrets. The mysterious world Averling creates will enthrall young readers as the twists keep them guessing. And, full disclosure, one particular plot surprise in this book made me blurt out a very non-middle grade word. It’s that good.

Benny Ramirez and the Nearly Departed- Jose Pablo Iriarte

When Benny’s family moves across the country into his recently deceased grandfather’s house, Benny discovers he’s the only one who can see Abuelo’s ghost. Benny and Abuelo quickly strike up a deal because Abuelo, a famous trumpet player, is barred from the afterlife and Benny has been enrolled into a performing arts school despite not being able to play the trumpet… at all. Abuelo believes doing the good deed of teaching his grandson to play the trumpet will gain him entrance to the great beyond. Will their plan work? Of course not! Young readers who like a heavy dose of humor with their spooky stories will love this fun and joyful story from Iriarte.

The Creepening of Dogwood House- Eden Royce

When Roddie moves into Dogwood House with his aunt and uncle after his mother dies, he misses the tradition of sitting at his mother’s feet as she would braid his afro. So when strange things begin to happen as Roddie and his aunt and uncle repair the dilapidated house, particularly as rotted, creeping vines begin to remind Roddy too much of hair, Roddy must learn long held secrets about his family before he’s lost in Dogwood House forever. Royce masterfully crafts a tale that incorporates hoodoo and Black hair into the horror elements of a story that explores grief, family, and moving on.

It Came From the Trees- Ally Russell

You’ll never go camping again! When Jenna’s friend is taken from their tent during an Owlet camping trip by a Bigfoot-esque creature, no one believes her about what really happened. Jenna returns to the scene of the crime with another Owlet troop to search for Reese and is forced to protect new friends from threats she never expected. Russell embodies all the spooky tales told around campfires that make you determined never to leave your tent at night to pee outside. Fans of cryptids, creepy chills, and villains both real and imagined will love this one.

The School For Wicked Witches- Will Taylor

When Ava Heartstraw begins school at the West Oz Witch Academy, her magic is misunderstood and she is soon banished to the School for Wicked Witches as a prisoner! But Ava discovers the school harbors secrets of its own and readers are in for a wild ride as she plots a daring escape with her new friends. Quirky, vibrant, and imaginative, this story is perfect for spooky season and fans of witchy fun. This series joins Witchlings, Shad Hadid, and Amari and the Night Brothers in providing inclusive and joyful magic school books that are an alternative to that other series. Ava’s adventure continues in a sequel, Wicked Never Waits.

The Last Rhee Witch- Jenna Lee-Yun

When Ronnie goes to summer camp with her best friend Jack, strange things start to happen. Because of course they do! The counselors only speak in rhyme, ghosts haunt the grounds, and witch-hunters prowl the woods. Will Ronnie survive the summer? The Last Rhee Witch draws from Korean folklore to craft a massively creepy tale involving gwishin and dokkaebi, but is surprisingly heartfelt as Ronnie learns truths about herself and her family. Despite all the spooky happenings, Ronnie decides it’s a good idea to return to Camp Foster for winter break as Lee-Yun has crafted a sequel, The Last Rhee Witch and the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Meet the author

Adrianna Cuevas is the author of the Pura Belpre honor book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, the Edgar Award winning The Ghosts of Rancho Espanto, and many other popular middle grade titles. She is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida. A former Spanish and ESOL teacher, Adrianna currently resides outside of Austin, Texas with her husband and son. For weekly queer and BIPOC book recommendations, follow Adrianna on Instagram, @adriannacuevas.

About The No-Brainer’s Guide to Decomposition

In Pura Belpré Honor–winning author Adrianna Cuevas’s new spooky middle grade novel. Frani must fight to stop the undead from rising in her father’s body-farm laboratory—that is, if she can embrace the true nature of her brain and its ADHD. 

No one has ever called Frani Gonzalez squeamish. Seriously, whether it’s guts (no big deal), bugs (move aside, she’s got this), or anything else that you might find at the Central Texas Forensic Anthropology Research Facility, to her and her dad, the university’s body farm is just home.

Having bodies buried in her backyard doesn’t exactly make Frani the most popular kid in school, and the imaginary spider that lives in a web in her brain isn’t helping either. Arañita’s always to blame for the distracted thoughts weaving through Frani’s mind. But when a hand reaches out of the ground and grabs her ankle, Frani realizes that she’s got bigger problems.

Not everything is as it seems at the body farm, and now Frani must help the teenage zombie that crawled out of the dirt…before he gets too hungry. But as more and more zombies begin to appear—and they seem to get less and less friendly—can Frani embrace the true nature of her brain and count on new friendships to solve the body farm’s mystery before it’s overrun with the undead? 

ISBN-13: 9780063285545
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 09/24/2024
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post