Take Five: Middle Grade Novels Featuring Ghosts

As part of our Mind the Middle project focusing on middle grade books, I’m going to try to do weekly Take Five lists, which is to say, five books on a certain theme. 

Given that October means endless talk about spooky stuff, Halloween ideas, and all things ghostly, I figured why not round up a few booooks featuring ghosts?

These Take Five lists can help you with collection development, displays, reading lists, and more. I have a pretty giant list of potential Take Five themes, but if there’s something you’re desperate for a list for, let me know!

All descriptions come from the publishers.

Ghost Book by Remy Lai (ISBN-13: 9781250810410 Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) Publication date: 08/15/2023, Ages 8-12)

Perfect for fans of Spirited Away, Coco, and Ghosts comes a spooky fantasy graphic novel about the friendship between a girl who can see ghosts and a boy who is stuck between the worlds of the living and the dead.

An Indie Bestseller! An Amazon, School Library Journal, and Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year!

Twelve years ago, the boy and the girl lived. But one was supposed to die.

July Chen sees ghosts. But her dad insists ghosts aren’t real. So she pretends they don’t exist. Which is incredibly difficult now as it’s Hungry Ghost month, when the Gates of the Underworld open and dangerous ghosts run amok in the living world. When July saves a boy ghost from being devoured by a Hungry Ghost, he becomes her first ever friend. Except William is not a ghost. He’s a wandering soul wavering between life and death. As the new friends embark on an adventure to return William to his body, they unearth a ghastly truth—for William to live, July must die.

Inspired by Chinese mythology, this dark yet resoundingly hopeful tale about friendship, sacrifice, and the unseen world of ghosts is a dazzling heir to beloved Studio Ghibli classics.

Taxi Ghost by Sophie Escabasse (ISBN-13: 9780593565988 Publisher: Random House Children’s Books Publication date: 09/03/2024, Ages 8-12)

In this hilarious and heartwarming graphic novel, a young girl’s first period brings an unexpected gift: the ability to see ghosts! As she meets these spectral visitors, she uncovers her family’s secret lineage of mediums, while learning about the power of compassion and community.

Adèle just wants to spend her winter break at the library, cozied up with her favorite books, and completely forgetting abut her friends who are all traveling to warmer climates. Unfortunately, life has other plans…not only does Adèle get her first period…but she learns she comes from a long line of mediums!

And if seeing ghosts wasn’t enough of a surprise, Adèle learns that not only can she interact with them, but apparently, they’ve been using her sister’s car to get around the city for years! When the ghosts won’t leave her alone Adèle starts to get to know about them and their problems. Maybe helping them out will be just what she needs for an exciting winter break!

From Sophie Escabasse, the author of the beloved Witches of Brooklyn, comes a brilliant graphic novel that explores growing up and the importance of standing up for what you believe in.

Jasmine Is Haunted by Mark Oshiro (ISBN-13: 9781250337290 Publisher: Tor Publishing Group Publication date: 10/01/2024, Ages 8-12)

A novel of ghosts, grief and the friends who make it all ok by #1 New York Times bestselling co-author Mark Oshiro!

“Heartfelt, funny, fast-paced, and spooky—this book will indeed haunt you in all the best ways. I was hooked from page one!”

—Rick Riordan, New York Times #1 best-selling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series

Jasmine Garza has a problem: a ghost has been following her for years, ever since her Papi died. Not that Mami will admit anything supernatural is going on. But even the ghost she won’t acknowledge makes real trouble, so Jasmine and her mami are moving (again) to a new apartment in East Hollywood. This time Jasmine is committed to living a normal life with normal friends.

Enter: Bea Veracruz and Jorge Barrera. They’re the only two members of Jasmine’s middle school’s Gay Straight Alliance and they’re already obsessed with all things supernatural. Bea wants to prove herself to her paranormal investigator parents and Jorge is determined to overcome his fear of the beyond. And when Jasmine confesses she’s been tormented by a ghost for years, they not only believe her, they’re thrilled!

Together they set out to prove that Jasmine’s not just acting out after her father’s death–ghosts are real and Jasmine is haunted. But not everyone agrees how to deal with the departed. As Jasmine’s hauntings increase in intensity, her resentment builds. Why is her Mami so secretive about her past? Why is she the center of such a terrible vortex of supernatural activity? And why hasn’t her Papi ever reached out to her since he passed?

In order to face her ghosts—both internal and external—Jasmine must come to terms with her own history.

Freedom Fire: Jax Freeman and the Phantom Shriek by Kwame Mbalia (ISBN-13: 9781368064736 Publisher: Disney Publishing Group Publication date: 10/01/2024, Ages 8-12)

The award-winning author of the best-selling Tristan Strong trilogy has created a secret world where kids can wield magic by summoning the power of their ancestors

What do you get when you combine Kwame Mbalia’s incredible imagination and world-building talent with trains, history, and ghosts? Nothing less than middle grade magic.

On his twelfth birthday, Jackson “Jax” Freeman arrives at Chicago’s Union Station alone, carrying nothing but the baggage of a scandal back in Raleigh. He’s been sent away from home to live with relatives he barely knows. But even worse are the strangers who accost him at the train station, including a food vendor who throws dust in his face and a conductor who tries to steal his skin.

At his new school, Jax is assigned to a special class for “summoners,” even though he has no idea what those are . . . until he accidentally unleashes an angry spirit on school grounds. Soon Jax is embroiled in all kinds of trouble, from the disappearance of a new friend to full-out war between summoning families.

When Jax learns that he isn’t the first Freeman to be blamed for a tragedy he didn’t create, he resolves to clear his own name and that of his great-grandfather, who was a porter back in the 1920’s. By following clues, Jax and his schoolmates unlock the secrets of a powerful Praise House, evade vengeful ghosts, and discover that Jax may just be the most talented summoner of all.

A unique magic-school fantasy from the best-selling and award-winning author of the Tristan Strong trilogy has just pulled into the station.

Hungry Bones by Louise Hung (ISBN-13: 9781338832587 Publisher: Scholastic, Inc. Publication date: 10/01/2024, Ages 8-12)

A chilling middle grade novel about a girl haunted by a hungry ghost.

Molly Teng sees things no one else can.

By touching the belongings of people who have died, she gets brief glimpses into the lives they lived. Sometimes the “zaps” are funny or random, but often they leave her feeling sad, drained, and lonely.

The last thing Jade remembers from life is dying. That was over one hundred years ago. Ever since then she’s been trapped in the same house watching people move in and out. She’s a ‘hungry ghost’ reliant on the livings’ food scraps to survive. To most people she is only a shadow, a ghost story, a superstition.

Molly is not most people. When she moves into Jade’s house, nothing will ever be the same—for either of them. After over a century alone, Jade might finally have someone who can help her uncover the secrets of her past, and maybe even find a way out of the house—before her hunger destroys them both.

Filed under: Take 5