Retro horror is making a surge in the media, reaching new audiences every day. Some of us were born into the ’90s horror era and grew up reading the books that many are now revisiting and remaking into movies and TV series. The spine-chilling horror novels that we read in our middle-grade years still make the hair stand up on the back of our necks when we think of them. We found ourselves in these books during simpler times with no internet and only party lines to keep us company. In the spirit of nostalgia, enjoy this list of the best middle-grade horror books from the ’90s that had all the teens jumping at the newest release.
Welcome to Dead House by R.L. Stine
We’re starting this list off strong with none other than the powerhouse himself, R.L. Stine. His writing exploded in the ’90s with Fear Street and all the Goosebumps tales, and Welcome to Dead House was the first. In the story, Amanda and Josh think the new house is haunted and that their new town is creepy. Their parents insist that they just need to make some new friends, but when they do, their fears are solidified. Some of the children confess to having lived in the house previously, and after the Benson family dog escapes to the cemetery, they discover the names of the kids on the tombstones.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz, Illustrated by Stephen Gammell
My family owned all three books from the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series, which, as the title suggests, tell short, scary stories, and some of these will stay with me for my whole life. The first one has 29 stories divided into five sections: jump scares, ghost stories, folktales, urban legends, and humorous stories. I remember always needing to read one of the stories from the final section after each story. Admittedly, I was a chicken, but the illustrations by Stephen Gammell (the original) accompanying the stories were equally eerie and significantly contributed to my overactive imagination.
The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural by Patricia C. McKissack, Illustrated by Brian Pinkney
This compilation of stories is set between the special half-hour of twilight before nightfall, when tales of the supernatural are told. Featuring tales inspired by Black history, these stories range from slavery to the civil rights era, with the ominous twist of monsters and ghosts. My favorite story is The Woman in the Snow, a ghost story about the bus driver of the Blackbird Express. Definitely a great read for cozy blankets and a crackling fire, or if you’re anything like younger me, in the middle of the day with everyone home.
The Midnight Club by Christopher Pike
In a converted mansion turned hospice where teenagers with terminal illness went to die, a group of five decide to form the Midnight Club. Every night, they meet up at midnight to exchange stories — some suspenseful, some romantic — and the teens form relationships with one another as they wait for the inevitable. One fateful night, they decide that whoever dies first has to attempt to reach the others from beyond the grave. Hauntingly real, this light thriller hooked me into Christopher Pike’s books, and I knew I was a lifelong fan.
The Ghost of Popcorn Hill by Betty Ren Wright
Martin and Peter love their family’s new cabin in the woods on Popcorn Hill. That is, until they hear some creepy laughter in the night. Hoping to get a big dog, they’re disappointed when their father tells them they have to get a dog more reasonably sized for the house. The boys don’t take long to attempt to lure in a sheep dog they have seen in a neighboring orchard. But as it turns out, things aren’t always what they seem, and they end up with some unintended consequences while learning that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B. Cooney
Janie Johnson stares at the face of a three-year-old who was kidnapped on a milk carton and feels an overwhelming sense of dread. She knows that little girl is her. As she tries to piece together the puzzle, Janie is afraid to find out the truth. Could her loving parents really have kidnapped her? I remember reading this one in middle school, not long after they stopped printing faces on milk cartons, and just thinking about seeing my own face on a milk carton gave me chills while I was reading.
Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales by Brian Jacques
Another collection of short stories for the list, Seven Strange and Ghostly Tales, is filled with lighthearted haunts and bizarre tales of the supernatural. Great to read around a campfire or just for fun, these freaky stories are enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck. The first one, The Fate of Thomas P. Kanne is probably the most memorable for me. It follows Thomas P. Kanne, who graffiti’s “Phantom Snake” (an anagram of his name) on anything he can. His newest target is the Egypt exhibit of the local museum, but he’s in for a surprise when he’s locked in the museum by Bausin, an anagram for Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of the afterlife.
Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan
Laurie has a great life with her loving parents, two siblings, and boyfriend. One day, she begins to feel like someone is constantly watching her and starts being accused of being in places she wasn’t. She struggles to figure out how this could be possible until she discovers that she has a twin sister, Lia, who has been using astral projection to visit her and the town. In an attempt to regain her life and save her friends, Laurie finds there are some supernatural thrills along the way. I love all stories about supernatural powers and stories like these are where the love began.
My Secret Admirer by Carol Ellis
The new girl in town, Jenny, is left alone in an empty house while her parents are out of town. The town is scary enough —with looming mountains surrounding it and the townspeople guarding the secret of what happened to Diana Benson — even when Jenny isn’t alone. Then she starts getting phone calls and gifts from a secret admirer. Initially, this is welcomed, but then the gifts begin taking a gruesome turn . Filled with mystery and a hint of romance, I remember this novel vividly; the descriptions really transport you to the town that feels perfectly spooky.
Trick or Treat by Richie Tankersley Cusick
Martha and her father are moving into a creepy old house with her father’s new wife and son from a previous marriage. From the moment they stepped inside, she knew that there was something that felt wrong in the house. Her new friends, Blake and Wynn, validate this feeling by telling her that last year on Halloween night Blake’s ex-girlfriend, Elizabeth, was murdered in the house. In classic murder-mystery fashion, Martha is on the hunt for whodunit, and some chilling events happen to her and her step-brother while they figure it out.
Prom Date by Diane Hoh
Margaret spends her afternoons working in her mother’s dress shop as prom draws near. One evening, a strange package arrives in the alley behind the store, filled with three prom dresses that are completely ruined. A few days later, Margaret sneaks away from the senior picnic to enjoy the view from an old lighthouse, but then she hears a scream and sees one of the popular girls, Stephanie, dead at the bottom of the cliff. When the popular boy, Mitch, takes an interest in Margaret, she becomes the latest target of these attacks. Someone is out for the high schoolers with prom dates, but who?
Final Exam by A. Bates
Keller is terrified of her final exams, but something strange has been happening the week leading up to finals. Someone is playing pranks, trashing her locker, stealing her purse, and now the pranks are getting dangerous. Keller can’t seem to pin down who is out to stop her from graduating and life itself. One of my favorite horror books from the 1990s, Final Exam, will likely remain in my heart as some of the fiction that sparked my love for mystery novels.
Let Me Tell You How I Died by Sinclair Smith
Delia finds herself obsessed with reading a diary that appears in her locker, accompanied by a note that says, “Maybe this will help you remember.” As she reads the diary, Delia starts acting differently. She’s skipping class and stealing; she even cuts her hair and changes her style. As she gets more engrossed in the life of Laura, she finds out that she died the day Delia was born. At the same time, someone is following her around, determined to see her life end. This story is very eerie with plenty of jump scares that make for a wonderfully spooky read.
These ’90s middle-grade horror books hit their stride with some fantastic titles that still hold up 30+ years later. As retro horror makes its way into pop culture, we can delve back into books that keep us checking over our shoulders and switching on a nightlight for bedtime.
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Find these books and more on our Middle Grade Novels for the Inquisitive Teen bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
