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Original poster

Horror stories for 11 year old

31 replies

lightswitchmoment · 11/11/2021 16:23

My 11 year old is a reluctant reader but has to read 20 minutes every night am for school. This is becoming a bit of a battle ground so was thinking of getting her some books that might be more to her taste than the ones she is bringing home from school.

She loves Stranger Things and The Quiet Place which are full of jumps but not too scary. I was thinking a horror story pitched at her age group may be suitable if anyone has any recommendations?

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BlueChampagne · 12/11/2021 15:05

The Owl Service

shangelawasrobbed · 11/11/2021 19:28

I used to love Christopher Pike's horror stories at that age.

Pashazade · 11/11/2021 19:28

The House with a Clock in its Walls

SummerHouse · 11/11/2021 19:21

Stranger with my face by Lois Duncan. I was utterly gripped as a child. Just looked and it's a 13 plus recommended age so I think I would pre read and see if she would be ready for it.

Original poster
lightswitchmoment · 11/11/2021 19:18

I like the idea of the short stories too as she may give up if it's a longer book. This drives me mad as I love to read. This thread has brought back memories of going to the library to get the latest point horrors and swapping them with friends.

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FlatterNow · 11/11/2021 19:15

My DS loved (and still loves) Skulduggery Pleasant at that age, with the bonus that there are loads of the books if she likes them.

Original poster
lightswitchmoment · 11/11/2021 19:13

The Red Eye books are now on my favourite list for her but she's gone for Fear Street to begin with. A lot of the suggestions are already in the school library so she's going to try them as she has to pick a library book as well as her own personal choice at home.

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2reefsin30knots · 11/11/2021 19:13

Anthony Horrowitz has a collection of horror stories called Horrowitz Horror (see what he did there?). Probably each could be read in 20 minutes, which would also help with motivation. Read some with my Y6s and they loved them.

Cotswoldmama · 11/11/2021 19:11

They're mainly quite short stories, which might be better for a reluctant reader too.

NannyR · 11/11/2021 19:11

Stephen King - the girl who loved Tom Gordon, it's quite a short novel and not as scary as his other books, more psychological than horror. Maybe read it first though, so you can judge whether it's appropriate or not.

Cotswoldmama · 11/11/2021 19:09

Not horror as such but Paul Jennings has some great books 'Round the Twist' TV show was based on his stories. I introduced my boys to the show on YouTube and then the books which I read as a kid too.

BeyondOurReef · 11/11/2021 19:07

The Darren Shan books are good.

Pippi1970 · 11/11/2021 19:05

I loved Stephen King at that age 😁

MakingTheBestOfIt · 11/11/2021 19:02

My reluctant reader loved the Red Eye books at that age. Simple language, fast moving and suitably trashy. Point Horror for the current generation!

TheSpiral · 11/11/2021 19:02

I used to like the Armada Ghost Stories books at that age, they are probably out of print but you can get them secondhand on Amazon. As far as I remember they were a mix of classic and new (for the time) ghost stories and some of them were pretty chilling. Then I went on to terrify myself with Stephen King a few years later.

Original poster
lightswitchmoment · 11/11/2021 19:01

Thank you for the suggestions, going to show her now

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TheLovelinessOfDemons · 11/11/2021 18:58

The Five Nights at Freddy's books?

TheYearOfSmallThings · 11/11/2021 18:56

Would she like Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury? It's not too long, creepy but not horrifying, and has a reasonably happy ending.

Pippi1970 · 11/11/2021 18:56

Scary Stories We Tell In the Dark

MazzleDazzle · 11/11/2021 18:53

Invisible Fiends series by Barry Hutchison!

So good and genuinely scary. We kept wanting to read more as every chapter is a cliffhanger. Loads of action too.

Original poster
lightswitchmoment · 11/11/2021 18:51

Ah point horror, loved them. I remember point romance too.

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Laquila · 11/11/2021 18:51

Wilkie Collins?

At that age I loved the Robin Jarvis Whitby witches series, which are creepy but not actually horror.

Toddleberry · 11/11/2021 18:50

Another vote for point horror! I used to read these around 12-14ish and I loved them. May dig them out again for a nostalgia read

MichelleScarn · 11/11/2021 18:49

How about starting on the short stories collections like these ones?

Horror stories for 11 year old