There's also 'The Monkey's Paw'. It's about a family who comes into possession of a magical monkey's paw that can grant wishes, but with terrible consequences. The slow build - up of dread as the wishes start to go wrong is quite effective for kids who like a bit of a fright. It's a long - enough story to keep them interested and on the edge of their seats.
One great scary story for kids is 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. It tells the tale of Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the Headless Horseman in a spooky town. The descriptions of the dark forest and the eerie happenings at night can give kids a good scare while also being engaging.
One popular scary long story for kids could be about a haunted house. In this story, a group of kids are dared to enter an old, dilapidated house on the outskirts of town. As they enter, they hear strange creaking sounds. The doors seem to close on their own. Shadows move in the corners. Eventually, they find an old diary that reveals the sad story of a family who once lived there and met with a tragic end. This makes the kids feel a sense of unease and they quickly leave the house, vowing never to go back again.
One scary kids short story is 'The Red Room'. It's about a person who is very confident in their lack of fear and decides to spend the night in a supposedly haunted red room. As the night progresses, they start to experience all kinds of strange and terrifying things, like cold drafts and strange noises that seem to come from nowhere.
One well - known German scary kids story is 'The Pied Piper of Hamelin'. It tells of a piper who lures the children away with his music when the town fails to pay him. Another is 'Hansel and Gretel' which has elements of scariness as the children are lost in the forest and come across a witch who wants to eat them. And there's also 'The Juniper Tree' which has some rather dark and spooky elements in it.
Sure. There's 'The Graveyard Book' which is kind of a spooky story. It's about a boy named Nobody Owens who is raised by ghosts in a graveyard. It has elements of danger and the unknown that can be a bit scary for kids. Also, 'Coraline' is a well - known horror - ish story for kids. Coraline discovers a parallel world through a small door in her new house, but the other world has some really creepy things like the 'Other Mother' who wants to keep her there forever.
One scary long story is 'The Shining' by Stephen King. It tells the tale of a family who becomes caretakers at an isolated hotel during the winter. Strange and terrifying events start to occur as the father descends into madness, haunted by the hotel's dark past. The long build - up of suspense and the detailed descriptions of the hotel's spooky corridors and rooms make it a truly chilling read.
One such story is 'The Tell - Tale Heart' by Edgar Allan Poe. It's relatively short. It's about a man who is haunted by the old man's 'vulture - like' eye and his descent into madness as he tries to deal with this obsession. Despite being a bit spooky, it's not overly long.
The 'Amityville Horror' is also a well - known long scary story. Based on a supposed true story, a family moves into a house with a violent past. They experience all sorts of paranormal activity, from strange noises and apparitions to objects moving on their own. The family's psychological and physical torment in the face of the unknown is what makes this story so terrifying.
For kids, a more toned - down version of 'Dracula' might be suitable. There are some illustrated children's books that tell the story in a less scary way. They focus more on the adventure aspect rather than the gory details. For example, there are books that show Dracula as a misunderstood character who just wants to find a place in the world, but still has some spooky elements like his ability to turn into a bat.
One such book is 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark'. It has a collection of spooky tales that are perfect for kids who like a bit of a fright. The stories range from haunted houses to creepy creatures.
One long and scary ghost story is 'The Turn of the Screw' by Henry James. It's about a governess who starts seeing strange apparitions around the children she is taking care of in a large, old house. The ambiguity of whether the ghosts are real or just a product of the governess's overactive imagination makes it truly terrifying.