Children's Books Featuring Ghosts

Looking for some not-so-spooky stories? Dive into this collection of ghost books that not only feature endearing characters, but are packed with humor, friendship, and life lessons. Whether you’re preparing for Halloween or just in the mood for a new ghostly adventure, these tales are sure to delight and entertain young readers.

You can click on any of the titles below to learn more about each ghost book, or you can shop for these books on Amazon.

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Children’s Books Featuring Ghosts

Dive into a world of friendly ghosts and whimsical tales! This collection is packed with ghosts who are more charming than spooky and ready to take you on adventures full of giggles, friendship, and heartwarming lessons.

How to Make Friends with a Ghost

by Rebecca Green

What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren’t looking! If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you’ll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you.

Gustavo the Shy Ghost

by Flavia Z. Drago

Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves?

Sir Simon: Super Scarer

by Cale Atkinson

Meet Sir Simon, Super Scarer. He’s a professional ghost who has been transferred to his first house. And just in time! He was getting tired of haunting bus stops and forests and potatoes. And to top it off, this house is occupied by an old lady — they’re the easiest to haunt!

But things don’t go as planned when it turns out a KID comes with this old lady. Chester spots Simon immediately and peppers him with questions. Simon is exasperated . . . until he realizes he can trick Chester into doing his ghost chores. Spooky sounds, footsteps in the attic, creaks on the stairs — these things don’t happen on their own, you know!

After a long night of haunting, it seems that maybe Chester isn’t cut out to be a ghost, so Simon decides to help with Chester’s human chores. Turns out Simon isn’t cut out for human chores either.

Gilbert and the Ghost

by Heather Pierce Stigall

Gilbert often feels invisible, just like the ghost living at 632 Savannah Street. Despite his family’s disbelief, Gilbert leaves gifts for the ghost: a friendship bracelet, a plate of cookies, even a drawing with a note. When each disappears one by one, Gilbert finds that believing and friendship are worth the effort.

I Hate Everything!

by Sophy Henn

A ghost is having a very bad day. He feels like he hates EVERYTHING! Lucky for him, he has a good ghost friend to talk it through with. Because if he doesn’t really hate sweets or flowers or dressing up, and he definitely doesn’t hate his friend, then maybe he doesn’t hate everything after all…

Poultrygeist

by Eric Geron

A little spring chicken crosses the road but quickly gets flattened under a semitruck. The barnyard beasts who’ve gone before break the news: now that Chicken’s fried—dispatched to the Other Side—Chicken has a job, an unwanted job, as a noisy troublemaking ghost. This fowl may be weak in the beak, but Chicken knows that scaring people isn’t nice. There is such a thing as a friendly ghost, after all—isn’t there?

Aggie and the Ghost

by Matthew Forsythe

Aggie is very excited to live on her own—until she finds out her new house is haunted. But no fear, the situation is nothing that can’t be fixed with a carefully considered list of rules: No haunting after dark. No stealing socks. No eating all the food.

But the ghost doesn’t like playing by the rules and challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe—winner gets the house.

Wolfgang in the Meadow

by Lenny Wen

Everything in the meadow, from hugging the trees to stargazing with friends, fills Wolfgang with joy.

His ambition, though, is to become the great spirit of the Dark Castle. So Wolfgang strives to perfect his spooking skills, practicing day and night. When Wolfgang wins the honor of haunting the shadowy halls, he is very good at it…but if being a great spirit means leaving his beloved meadow behind, is it good for him?

Leonard Builds a Haunted House

by Mike Ciccotello

Leonard the cheerful, can-do ghost is building his family members a new haunted house. It needs to be the scariest house EVER! Except the more Leonard builds, the less creepy their new home looks. From the un-scary cellar to the snug roof that doesn’t leak, it’s nothing like the house of horrors his family imagined . . . or is it?

The Teeny Tiny Ghost

by Kay Winters

Each day the teeny tiny ghost goes to haunting school to try to become scarier. It’s hard work, though — especially since he’s frightened by his own screams! Then, one bat-black October night, the teeny tiny ghost is floating in his teeny tiny home when he hears a RAP TAP TAP on the door. And then he knows it’s up to him to keep himself and his teeny tiny cats safe. But what are the chances that a teeny tiny timid ghost will really be able to scare someone away?

Little Ghost Makes a Friend

by Maggie Edkins Willis

Little Ghost and his mom have been happily haunting their creaky old house for years, just the two of them. When a new girl moves in next door, Little Ghost wants to introduce himself. But making friends can be scary…until he comes up with the perfect plan: he’s going to invite her over for a Halloween party! But what costume will make her want to be friends with him?

To Catch a Ghost

by Rachel Michelle Wilson

Show-and-tell isn’t for the faint of heart, so grab your camera, flashlight, and backpack — it’s time to catch yourself a ghost! Once you find a good one, spend some quality time together. This will provide all the information you need to build the perfect ghost trap. It will also probably complicate things. So, when the moment finally arrives, you may be confident you can catch a ghost…but can you catch a friend?

Cam Jansen and the Ghostly My s tery

by David A. Adler

Cam, Eric, and Aunt Molly are in line to buy concert tickets when a person in a ghost costume starts scaring people. The ghost scares an old man, and he falls down. Then the woman in the ticket booth is robbed. Can Cam find the connection–and the thief? You can grab some activities to pair with this book here.

Ghosts

by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce

When Jack and Annie got back from their adventure in Magic Tree House Merlin Mission #14: A Good Night for Ghosts, they had lots of questions. What are some of the most famous ghost stories? Why do people believe in ghosts? Do most cultures have ghost stories? What are ghost hunters? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Jack and Annie track the facts.

Ghost Town at Sundown

by Mary Pope Osborne

Is this town HAUNTED? Jack and Annie wonder when the Magic Tree House whisks them to the Wild West. But before they can say “Boo!” they rush headlong into an adventure filled with horse thieves, a lost colt, rattlesnakes, and a cowboy named Slim. Will Jack and Annie have time to solve the next Tree House Riddle? The answer may depend on a ghost! You can grab some activities to pair with this book here.

A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time

by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie must help the famous writer Charles Dickens! The brother and sister are whisked back in time to Victorian England and the foggy streets of London. There, Jack and Annie discover that Charles Dickens has been thrown in jail! How can they help him? They will need all their magic-and help from three ghosts-to keep the great writer from ruining his life! You can grab some activities to pair with this book here.

A Good Night for Ghosts

by Mary Pope Osborne

Jack and Annie are on a mission to find—and inspire—a musician that brings happiness to millions of people. After traveling to New Orleans, Jack and Annie come head to head with some real ghosts, and discover the world of jazz when they meet a young Louis Armstrong. You can grab some activities to pair with this book here.

Ghosts Don’t Eat Potato Chips

by Debbie Dadey

Eddie’s Great-aunt Mathilda is sick and he has to help take care of her. But when Eddie and his friends visit Mathilda’s house, strange things start to happen. Howie sees someone staring at him from the attic window and, when his back is turned, his garlic potato chips are used to spell the word ATTIC on the ground. During later visits the kids hear noises from the attic, but Great-aunt Mathilda swears there’s nothing up there. Could the ghost of Eddie’s Great-uncle Jasper, who died years ago, be haunting his aunt’s home? The Bailey School kids will find out! You can grab some activities to pair with this book here.

Ghosts DO Splash in Puddles

by Marcia Thornton Jones

Gurgle. Splat. Gurgle. Splat. Is something wrong with the plumbing or is there really a puddle ghost in the school bathroom? You can grab some activities to pair with this book here.

Jigsaw Jones and the Case of the Glow-in-the-Dark Ghost

by James Preller

Glow-in-the-dark footprints, eyewitness accounts of a ghost haunting school grounds―something doesn’t add up! Ghosts don’t have feet, do they?

Either way, Jigsaw Jones and his partner Mila Yeh are on the case, and they’ll do whatever it takes to solve this spooky new mystery . . . even if it means they have to be at school extra late!

A Friend for Ghost

by Suzanne Kaufman

It isn’t always easy for a ghost to make friends; even a rosy-cheeked ghost with big glasses. Ghost lives in a noisy, diverse city where children play and laugh, and longs to join in. But most people look right through Ghost.

When a bright red balloon wanders Ghost’s way, the connection is instantaneous. Together they try everything Ghost had ever hoped to share with a friend. But when Ghost’s balloon gets lost, Ghost learns that when you’re looking for a friend, a friend might find you.

Boo Who?

by Ben Clanton

Boo is new. And even if the other kids are welcoming, it can be scary being new, especially for a shy ghost who can t play any of their games. Can Boo find a way to fit in and make friends with the rest of the group?

The Baddies

by Julia Donaldson

Oh no! The Baddies are coming! They’re the meanest and nastiest ghost, witch, and troll in all the land, and they just love being bad. When a little girl moves into a nearby cottage, the Baddies can’t wait to scare her out of her wits. But little girls are much braver than they thought, and baddies don’t always win…

We Are Already Haunting Here!

by Gideon Sterer

A little ghost sets out into the world to find a place of his own to haunt, but it’s not so easy! Every place he goes is already haunted by someone else. He perseveres and finally finds it—a dusty, creaky home, perfect for haunting. But then he hears a knock at the door. It’s another little ghost in need of a place to roam. Will he scare the other ghost away or make room for a new friend?

The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs

by Mamiko Shiotani

A little ghost lives in the attic of a big house. All alone: just how he likes it. Until one day a curious girl disturbs his peace and quiet. Why won’t the annoying and slightly scary child go away? So he decides to do what ghosts do best…

Little Boo

by Maddie Frost

When the antics of their little sibling start to get to Big Boo, they decide to trade for a friend’s younger sibling, Little Howl. At first this seems like a great idea, but soon enough Big Boo finds that the grass isn’t always greener and Little Howl is a whole new level of monster.

The Scariest Book Ever

by Bob Shea

Reader beware! This is the scariest book ever! Or so claims its melodramatic ghost narrator. Go ahead and turn the page, but don’t expect him to come with you. Anything might pop out of that black hole in the middle of the forest! What do you mean, it’s just a bunny? Well, it’s probably a bunny with big fangs! Despite the ghost’s fear-mongering, none of the animal characters seem very scary at all…. What’s up with that?

There’s a Ghost in This House

by Oliver Jeffers

A young girl lives in a haunted house, but she has never seen a ghost. Are they white with holes for eyes? Are they hard to see? Step inside and help the girl as she searches under the stairs, behind the sofa, and in the attic for the ghost.

How to Haunt a House

by Carolyn Crimi

Groana, Moana, and Shrieky are three little ghosties learning the tricks to giving a good scare. They stomp around, spook family pets, and slam toilet seats. They’re all set to pass their Halloween test, until they find a family that doesn’t scare easily. In fact, they LOVE everything the ghosties send their way―especially the bats and rats! What does it take to horrify a household like this one? Sometimes you have to think outside the box (or casket!) to find a way around a problem.

The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything

by Nadia Ahmed

Finn, a spooky little ghostie, is too afraid to leave the comfort of his attic to enjoy trick-or-treating with his family. He’s afraid of everything–the color orange, trees, people, even flying! But then he realizes that if he wants his favorite Halloween candy, he’ll need to overcome his fears. Through incremental exposures to the things he’s afraid of, Finn finds courage to do things he enjoys with the people he loves.

Gracie Meets a Ghost

by Keiko Sena

Gracie hasn’t been able to see very well recently, so she decides to get some glasses. But, after playing on the mountain one day, she realizes that night that her glasses are missing. She heads straight out to look for them on the mountain–where a bored ghost is hiding in the darkness, waiting for someone to scare. Although Ghost tries to scare her, Gracie doesn’t react by being frightened, not even little–because she can’t see Ghost well enough to be scared without her glasses! Ghost really wants to see Gracie scared, so he helps in her search all night long and finally finds her glasses. But what happens when Gracie puts them on…

Little Ghost House Hunts

by Lucy Branam

Can Little Ghost move in? Little Ghost lives in a very cozy, very crowded attic with his big family. He can’t find any peace and quiet for reading his books or practicing his booos. So he sets out to find somewhere a little more quiet with a little more space. But it isn’t long before Little Ghost starts to feel a little lonesome. Luckily, his family isn’t far behind.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Ghost

by Lucille Colandro

The Old Lady is back in an all-new Halloween-inspired title! Read along as she swallows a ghost, a mask, and other spooky items.

The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo

by Elaine Bickell

Poor Little Ghost has lost her scary BOO, so she sets out on a nighttime hunt to find it. She searches high and low, but it’s nowhere to be found! Will she ever find her lost BOO?

Ten Timid Ghosts

by Jennifer O’Connell

Young trick-or-treaters learn to count down from ten to one as each ghost flees from the witch’s silly costumes and homemade props. When the homeless ghosts gather in the woods, their fear turns to determination and they plot to get their house back. Will the ghosts frighten the witch away in time for Halloween night?

The Little Ghost Who Was a Q u ilt

by Riel Nason

Ghosts are supposed to be sheets, light as air and able to whirl and twirl and float and soar. But the little ghost who is a quilt can’t whirl or twirl at all, and when he flies, he gets very hot.

He doesn’t know why he’s a quilt. His parents are both sheets, and so are all of his friends. (His great-grandmother was a lace curtain, but that doesn’t really help cheer him up.) He feels sad and left out when his friends are zooming around and he can’t keep up.

But one Halloween, everything changes. The little ghost who was a quilt has an experience that no other ghost could have, an experience that only happens because he’s a quilt . . . and he realizes that it’s OK to be different.

Leo: a Ghost Story

by Mac Barnett

You would like being friends with Leo. He likes to draw, he makes delicious snacks, and most people can’t even see him. Because Leo is also a ghost. When a new family moves into his home and Leo’s efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin.

Do you have a favorite ghost book that didn’t make the list? Let me know so I can check it out!