Just Scary Enough
(Slightly Scary Stories for Preschoolers)

All books are located in the Picture Book section (XXF), unless otherwise noted.

Bollinger, Peter.  ALGERNON GRAEVES IS SCARY ENOUGH
Algernon Graeves wants to wear the darkest, scariest Halloween costume ever to go trick-or-treating and finally thinks of just the right thing.

Brown, Ruth.  A DARK, DARK TALE
Journeying through a dark, dark house, a black cat surprises the only inhabitant of the abandoned residence.

De Groat , Diane.  GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT, DON’T LET THE BEDBUGS BITE
Gilbert is excited about his first overnight at sleep-away camp, but anticipation turns to apprehension when he hears about the camp’s ghost, Lost Leonard.

Galdone, Paul.  THE TEENY TINY WOMAN  (XX398.242 GALDONE)
Retells the tale of the teeny-tiny woman who finds a teeny-tiny bone in a churchyard and puts it away in her cupboard before she goes to sleep.

MacDonald, Margaret Read. THE SQUEAKY DOOR  (XX398.2729 MACDONALD)
When Little Boy is frightened by a squeaky bedroom door, his grandmother brings in various animals to help him feel secure enough to sleep.

Michelson, Richard.  OH, NO, NOT GHOSTS!
An older brother "reassures" his younger sister about all the creatures that she imagines lurking in the dark bedroom, but his words only scare her more.

O’Malley, Kevin.  VELCOME
A narrator invites children into his creepy abode, where, in more comical than scary fashion, he entertains with goofy stories and jokes that have been told around campfires for years.

Stone, Jon.  THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK
Sesame Street’s Grover begs the reader not to turn the page…for a monster is at the end of the book!

Wahl, Jan.  KNOCK! KNOCK!
A little witch sitting alone at her spinning wheel hears a knock at her door, but the various body parts that enter are not much company.

Wheeler, Lisa.  ONE DARK NIGHT
Mouse and Mole feel afraid one dark night crossing a mush-mucky swamp and a marsh-misty wood.

Williams, Linda.  THE LITTLE OLD LADY WHO WAS NOT AFRAID OF ANYTHING
A little old lady who is not afraid of anything must deal with a pumpkin head, a tall black hat, and other spooky objects that follow her through the dark woods.

Winters, Kay.  WHOOO’S HAUNTING THE TEENY TINY GHOST?
The teeny, tiny, very timid ghost tries to be brave when he suspects that his house is haunted.

Bunting, Eve.  IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE
A little girl and her father tour a dark, mysterious house, eventually revealved to be a "Halloween House."

Friedman, Laurie B.  I’M NOT AFRAID OF THIS HAUNTED HOUSE
Who could ask for more in a Halloween book than full-color illustrations oozing goo, eyeballs, and hideous creatures, and a funny story besides?

Krosoczka, Jarrett.  ANNIE WAS WARNED
Annie isn't scared of haunted places. After all, she was born on Halloween.

Stutson, Caroline.  BY THE LIGHT OF THE HALLOWEEN MOON
In this cumulative story, a cat's pursuit of a toe sets off a chain of events.

Alborough, Jez.  WATCH OUT! BIG BRO’S COMING!
Terror spreads through the jungle as animals hear the news that rough, tough Big Bro is coming.

Baker, Ken.  BRAVE LITTLE MONSTER
A little monster has trouble falling asleep one night because he fears little boys and girls are hiding under his bed and in his closet.

Bergman, Mara.  SNIP, SNAP! WHAT’S THAT?
Three siblings are frightened by the wide mouth, long teeth, and strong jaws of the alligator who has crept up the stairs – until they decide they have had enough.

Bunting, Eve.  GHOST’S HOUR, SPOOK’S HOUR
When Jake wakes up at midnight, strange shapes loom large and frightening sounds are everywhere, but the reassuring appearance of his parents sets everything right.

Edwards, Michelle & Phyllis Root.  WHAT’S THAT NOISE?
Alex calms his younger brother when they hear strange noises at bedtime, but is he brave enough to cross the cold floor of their dark room when a feet-grabbing, toe-eating, noise-making "something" might get him?

Emberley, Ed.  GO AWAY, BIG GREEN MONSTER
Lets children construct and then deconstruct a big green monster so they can take control over their own “monsters” or nightmares.

Gackenbach, Dick.  HARRY AND THE TERRIBLE WHATZIT
When his mother goes to the cellar and doesn't return right away, Harry goes down to search for her and confronts the terrible two-headed Whatzit.

Howe, James.  THERE’S A MONSTER UNDER MY BED
Simon is sure there are monsters under his bed in the night – he can even hear them breathing.

Pumphrey , Jerome and Jarrett. CREEPY THINGS ARE SCARING ME
This book takes on the perennial topic of nighttime jitters in a direct but relatively mild way.

These books are located in the Easy Reader (XXE) section.

Cushman, Doug.  DIRK BONES AND THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE
"Daily Tombs" newspaper reporter Dirk Bones, who also happens to be a skeleton, investigates when a family of ghosts fears that they are being haunted.

Hood, Susan.  PUP AND HOUND SCARE A GHOST
Hound finds out what the white, flapping thing is that scared the chickens and Pup on a stormy night.

Ross, Pat.  M & M AND THE HAUNTED HOUSE GAME
Best friends Mimi and Mandy set up a haunted house as part of a game and end up scaring themselves.

Stamper, Judith Bauer.  FIVE CREEPY CREATURES
A collection of five easy-to-read stories about creepy creatures.

Thiesling, Lisa.  A DARK AND NOISY NIGHT
Peggy wants to sleep, but spooky noises keep her awake. Then she is scared further by a knock at the door.