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Quick answer: If you loved RL Stine, read Neil Gaiman's Coraline and The Graveyard Book, then Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood, then Lois Duncan's I Know What You Did Last Summer, Killing Mr. Griffin and Down a Dark Hall, and Holly Black's Doll Bones and Katherine Arden's Small Spaces. All are spooky, fun horror for young readers.
R.L. Stine's Goosebumps and Fear Street are famous for kids' horror. These picks share the fun.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coraline | Neil Gaiman | 8-12 | readers who like gothic fantasy |
| The Graveyard Book | Neil Gaiman | 9-13 | readers who like ghosts with heart |
| Anna Dressed in Blood | Kendare Blake | 14+ | readers who like horror romance |
| I Know What You Did Last Summer | Lois Duncan | 12+ | fans of the story |
| Killing Mr. Griffin | Lois Duncan | 12+ | more Lois Duncan |
| Down a Dark Hall | Lois Duncan | 12+ | readers who like gothic suspense |
| Doll Bones | Holly Black | 9-13 | readers who like friendship stories |
| Small Spaces | Katherine Arden | 9-13 | readers who like gentle horror |
| Serafina and the Black Cloak | Robert Beatty | Ages 9-13 | Biltmore mystery |
| The Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons | Troy Cummings | 6-9 | monster fans |
| The Name of This Book Is Secret | Pseudonymous Bosch | 9–13 | jokey narrators |
| A Tale Dark & Grimm | Adam Gidwitz | 8-12 | readers who like fairy tales |
| Wicked Fox | Kat Cho | Teen | gumiho romance |
| The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide | Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi | 7-11 | younger fantasy fans |
| Spider's Bite | Jennifer Estep | Adult | assassin heroines |
1. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Coraline finds a door to a world where her other mother has button eyes. Eerie but loving, and a modern classic.
Best for: readers who like gothic fantasy.
2. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Bod grows up in a graveyard raised by ghosts after his family is killed. Winner of the Newbery Medal.
Best for: readers who like ghosts with heart.
3. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Cas, a ghost hunter, meets Anna, a murderous ghost. Creepy and romantic.
Best for: readers who like horror romance.
4. I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan
Four teens hide a secret about an accident, until someone threatens them. The book is more subtle than the movie.
Best for: fans of the story.
5. Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
A group of teens plans to scare a strict teacher, and their prank goes terribly wrong. Duncan's classic of peer pressure and guilt.
Best for: more Lois Duncan.
6. Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan
Kit is sent to a mysterious boarding school where the students begin to channel the voices of long-dead artists. Spooky and gripping.
Best for: readers who like gothic suspense.
7. Doll Bones by Holly Black
Zach, Poppy and Alice take a road trip to bury a doll said to be made from a dead girl. Haunting and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like friendship stories.
8. Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
Ollie, a girl who finds a spooky book, is warned by a stranger to avoid smiling men on a school trip. Moody and atmospheric.
Best for: readers who like gentle horror.
9. Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
A girl who lives secretly in a mansion hunts a child-stealing figure. Mysterious and exciting.
Best for: Biltmore mystery.
10. The Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons by Troy Cummings
Alexander finds a notebook about monsters and sets out to stop them. Funny and spooky.
Best for: monster fans.
11. The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch
Two kids chase a mysterious sound-based secret. The narrator keeps telling readers not to read it.
Best for: jokey narrators.
12. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Hansel and Gretel continue their story through other Grimm tales. Violent, witty and unusual.
Best for: readers who like fairy tales.
13. Wicked Fox by Kat Cho
A teenage fox spirit in Seoul meets a boy with secrets. Sweet and dark.
Best for: gumiho romance.
14. The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi
Three kids find a field guide to faeries in their attic. Short and richly illustrated.
Best for: younger fantasy fans.
15. Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep
Gin Blanco is an assassin in a fantasy city. Action, food and fast plotting.
Best for: assassin heroines.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with RL Stine: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to RL Stine. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For spooky fun, read Coraline. For ghosts, try Anna Dressed in Blood. For teen scares, pick I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Related: 15 Books Like RL Stine for Kids You’ll Love · 15 Books Like RL Stine for Adults You’ll Love
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is R.L. Stine?
An American author.
What is his best-known series?
Goosebumps.
What age is it for?
About 8 to 12.
Which book here is best for assassin heroines?
Try Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep, which suits readers looking for assassin heroines.
Which book here is best for younger fantasy fans?
Try The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, which suits readers looking for younger fantasy fans.