Looking to get spooky this Halloween?
Whether you’re into horror, love a good thrill, or prefer a gothic themed read that’s fun for the whole family, we’ve curated a shortlist of some of our favourite spooky reads:
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
What our staff have to say about it:
“An ethereal and unsettling classic!” - Ella
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National Library's holdings of 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' by Joan Lindsay and 'Unbelievable!' by Paul Jennings
The House with the Green Shudders by Amelia Reynolds Long
What our staff have to say about it:
“Published in the 1940s, this book has the most nostalgic spooky cover” - Anon
Unbelievable! by Paul Jennings
What our staff have to say about it:
“I used to read books by Paul Jennings under my doona by torchlight as a child, which only exacerbated how freaked out I was!” - Ella
Is it Halloween yet? by Susannah Chambers and Tamsin Ainslie
What our staff have to say about it:
“A sweetly illustrated book about a young girl’s obsession with jack-o-lanterns, vampire bats, witch’s cats, and all things spooky” - Anon
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National Library's holdings of 'Emu's Halloween' by Anne Mangan and David Cornish and 'Is It Halloween Yet?' by Susannah Chambers and Tamsin Ainslie
Emu’s Halloween by Anne Mangan and David Cornish
What our staff have to say about it:
“A children’s book full of beautifully illustrated Australian native animals (and a bit of fun really). My Nan was my very best friend and she was born on 31st October, so this story of friendship also reminds me of her” – Nicole
Wake in Fright by Kenneth Cook
What our staff have to say about it:
“Not really horror, but oh my god, does it fill you with an extreme sense of horror indeed…” - Konrad
Meg and Mog by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pieńkowski
What our staff have to say about it:
“A fun witchy classic for the whole family” – Stephanie
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National Library's holding of 'Meg and Mog' by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pieńkowski
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
What our staff have to say about it:
“I read this book when I was 12 or 13, staying with my grandmother (in an old, dark house), and the story still haunts…” - Alison
Haunted & Mysterious Australia: Bunyips, Yowies, Phantoms and Other Strange Phenomena by Tim the Yowie Man
What our staff have to say about it:
“This is something that terrifies me but isn’t a novel – it is a collection of the most haunted places in Australia! Buildings like the National Film and Sound Archive here in Canberra are featured – places that you might visit without realising that something spooky may be hiding in wait!” – Michela
