Nic's friends laugh at him all the time: when he gets chased by a stray dog, when he spills juice on himself and when he gets into trouble at school. After a disastrous Halloween party, Nic can't risk giving them another excuse to laugh at him, so when the boys visit the local haunted house he accepts a dare to go inside. The trouble is, the boys don't realise that this party has a host, and he isn't very friendly... Bloomsbury High Low books encourage and support reading practice by providing gripping, age-appropriate stories for struggling and reluctant readers, those with dyslexia, or those with English as an additional language. Printed on tinted paper and with a dyslexia friendly font, The Host is aimed at readers aged 11+ and has a manageable length (80 pages) and reading age (9+). Produced in association with reading experts at CatchUp, a charity which aims to address underachievement caused by literacy and numeracy difficulties. Book band: Brown

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children", an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here - one of whom was his own grandfather - were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive. A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

Tsalagi should never have to live on human blood, but sometimes things just happen to sixteen-year-old girls. Making her YA debut, Cherokee writer Andrea L. Rogers takes her place as one of the most striking voices of the horror renaissance that has swept the last decade. Horror fans will get their thrills in this collection - from werewolves to vampires to zombies - all the time-worn horror baddies are there. But so are predators of a distinctly American variety - the horrors of empire, of intimate partner violence, of dispossession. And so too the monsters of Rogers' imagination, that draw upon long-told Cherokee stories - of Deer Woman, fantastical sea creatures, and more. Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe's homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period that will leave readers longing for more. Alongside each story, Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards delivers haunting illustrations that incorporate Cherokee syllabary. But don't just take it from us - award-winning writer of The Only Good Indians and My Heart is a Chainsaw Stephen Graham Jones says that "Andrea Rogers writes like the house is on fire and her words are the only thing that can put it out." Man-Made Monsters is a masterful, heartfelt, haunting collection ripe for crossover appeal - just don't blame us if you start hearing things that go bump in the night.

Enter the most terrifying place of all?.?.?.?the mind of R.L. Stine

The Nightmare Hour?.?.?.?the time when the lights fade, the real world slips into shadow, and the cold, moonlit world of evil dreams takes over your mind. What horror awaits a boy who has to spend Halloween in a darkened hospital? How do you outwit a ghost who wants your skin? What makes Nightmare Inn the most frightening place to visit?

In this spine-tingling collection of stories that inspired the hit TV show R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, bestselling author R.L. Stine spins a web of terror that will trap you in the world of nightmares. And there's more.?.?.?. In Nightmare Hour, the author shares the secrets behind his twisted tales. Where did the idea for each bone-chilling story come from? You may not want to know.?.?.?.

Haunting, fast-paced sequel to the New York Times bestselling photo-illustrated novel ASYLUM. Perfect for fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Featuring real found photographs from vintage carnivals, SANCTUM is a mind-bending reading experience that blurs the lines between past and present, genius and insanity. Dan, Abby, and Jordan were traumatised by the summer they shared at New Hampshire College, the former site of the Brookline asylum. They want to move on, but someone is determined to keep the terror alive by sending them anonymous photos of an old-time carnival. Forsaking plans to never to go back, the teens return during a weekend for prospective students, and realise that the carnival from the photos is not only real, it's here on campus... As Dan and his friends visit abandoned houses and hidden places of the surrounding town, they realise that Camford is hiding a terrible past, and the influence of the asylum runs deeper than they ever imagined.

The Master of Horror returns with another spine-tingling adventure in the fifth title of the Demonata series. Grubbs Grady has so far escaped the family curse, but when he begins to experience alarming symptoms at the onset of the full moon, he is scared that the jaws of fate are opening and about to swallow him whole. He has cheated death, defeated demons, moved on with his life. But Grubbs is torn between the world of magic and his wolfen genes. Can he fight the beast inside or will he fall victim to his tainted blood?

Soon to be a major Netflix series from Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) and Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) For more than fifty years, Britain has been terrorised by an epidemic of murderous ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy them - with mixed results . . . Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping to begin a shining new chapter in her career. Instead she finds herself joining Lockwood & Co., the most ramshackle agency in the city, whose ineptitude is matched only by the charisma of its owner. But Lockwood & Co. have one last chance for redemption. All they have to do is spend the night in one of the most haunted houses in England . . . and come out alive. The first book in an amazingly addictive, binge-worthy series, this is an electrifying, witty and brilliantly spooky thriller, perfect for fans of Rivers of London and Good Omens.

The second tall-but-true tale in the darkly comic new series SKELETON KEYS from the award-winning duo behind STITCH HEAD... Greetings! My name is Skeleton Keys and these fantabulant fingers of mine can open doors to hidden worlds... Join me for the strange tale of Luna Moon, whose family is disappearing before her very eyes... Luna is the only one to mourn the death of her grandfather Old Man Moon - the rest of her family couldn't be happier to see the back of the bad-tempered old miser. But as they celebrate his demise with a giddy jig, Aunt Summer vanishes ... only to reappear as a painting. While Luna is convinced her grandfather has kept his word to haunt them from beyond the grave, Skeleton Keys is certain that this is the work of an unimaginary. Can he get to the bottom of the mystery before the whole of Luna's family disappears? Read Skeleton Keys' first unbelievably true tale: THE UNIMAGINARY FRIEND! Perfect for fans of David Walliams, AMELIA FANG and THE NOTHING TO SEE HERE HOTEL. Praise for SKELETON KEYS: "Guy has mixed cleverly-created characters with his trademark humour and wit to give us his best book yet. This is one spooky series I'm going to devour!" Authorfy

The Temptation is the spellbinding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author L. J. Smith's YA Secret Circle series, perfect for fans of the Beautiful Creatures series. As the leader of the Secret Circle, Cassie is faced with impossible choices and new dangers at every turn ...and one wrong move can break the Circle apart forever. Now, as Cassie battles her evil half sister, she faces a new and terrible danger. Black John's curse has been unleashed on the Circle, and it is up to Cassie to set things right. As Cassie's heart is tested once more, she is forced to finally choose between Nick and Adam, and she faces the ultimate test of her power in this gripping showdown between good and evil.

When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.

But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.

Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

Lush and chilling, with razor-sharp edges and an iron core of hope, this bewitching, powerhouse novel of two girls fighting back against the violence the world visits on them will stun and enchant readers. Girls have been going missing in the woods... When Natasha's sister disappears, Natasha desperately turns to Della, a local girl rumored to be a witch, in the hopes that magic will bring her sister home. But Della has her own secrets to hide. She thinks the beast who's responsible for the disappearances is her own mother-who was turned into a terrible monster by magic gone wrong. Natasha is angry. Della has little to lose. Both are each other's only hope. From the author of Ghost Wood Song, this eerie contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of Wilder Girls and Bone Gap. Praise for Ghost Wood Song: "A gorgeous, creepy gem of a book." -Claire Legrand, New York Times bestselling author of Furyborn and Sawkill Girls "It will make your heart dance." -Jeff Zentner, Morris Award-winning author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days "Strikes the perfect balance of atmospheric chills, dark familial secrets, and a yearning for the warm comforts of home." -Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows "Waters' debut features a bisexual lead with both male and female love interests, an atmospheric southern gothic setting, and, for the musically inclined, lots of folk and bluegrass references." -Booklist "Haunting and alluring." -Kirkus

Ally arrives from England with her brothers to stay for a month in Africa - weeks of running wild on an unspoiled, untamed coast amid mangrove creeks, vast white sandy beaches, coral reefs and warm seas. But on their first walk through the forest to the beach, Ally is swamped by a sense of an unseen presence close to her - of being spoken to. The feeling increases as a local teenager, Leli enthusiastically sweeps her into the world of his village and their offshore island (Kisiri - the place of secrets). It's the beginning of a friendship that swiftly becomes an intense, overwhelming bond between them. Kisiri is a place of local legend, protected and feared: village youngsters dare each other to go there. Village elders forbid it. Ally and Leli feel drawn to it, and land on its shores. At once Ally feels again that invisible presence, a whispered voice. But fear can change things, divide people. The bond between Ally and Leli feels unbreakable. But suddenly everything, everyone, conspires to drive a wedge between them. She is, after all, an outsider - a visitor, no more. Only weeks away, she will leave for England, simply walk away, never to return, how can she possibly share, or help?

"New York Times" bestseller Maureen Johnson takes on Jack the Ripper in this captivating paranormal thriller
The day that Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school is also the day a series of brutal murders breaks out over the city, killings mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper spree of more than a century ago. Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him--the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target. In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drac are heading off to Transylvania on Araminta's birthday--without Araminta. To make matters worse, Araminta will have a babysitter. When that sitter turns out to be Araminta's supercool cousin, Mathilda, things start to look up--except Mathilda shows up with two rowdy ghosts who destroy the house and ignore all the rules. Can Araminta come up with a Plan to get rid of these two bad ghosts once and for all?

The Super Secret Monster Patrol goes up against a team of speedy monsters! Pick a book. Grow a Reader!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!Alexander, Nikki, and Rip can't wait to build their race cars for the Stermont Derby! In fact, everyone in town is excited to enter the big race -- even a speedy, hungry monster! The Super Secret Monster Patrol follows skid marks, claw marks, and an awful rotten-egg smell to the monster's hiding place... But can they beat this monster to the finish line? New York Times bestselling author Troy Cummings keeps the action coming!

For fans of Libba Bray, this first book in a gothic suspense trilogy is inspired by H. G. Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau and has been hailed by New York Times bestseller Carrie Ryan as having "beautiful writing, breakneck pacing, a pulse-pounding mystery, and an irresistible romance."

Following accusations that her scientist father gruesomely experimented on animals, sixteen-year-old Juliet watched as her family and her genteel life in London crumbled around her--and only recently has she managed to piece her world back together. But when Juliet learns her father is still alive and working on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the old accusations are true. Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward, Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's insanity. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius--and madness--in her own blood.

**One of BuzzFeed's Great LGBTQ+ YA novels to Warm up Your Winter * A Kid's Feb/March IndieNext pick** From New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand comes a new, bone-chilling YA horror novel about a girl who joins a coven to root out a vicious evil that's stalking her village. Perfect for fans of The Handmaid's Tale and The Grace Year. Her name is unimportant. All you must know is that today she will become one of the four saints of Haven. The elders will mark her and place the red hood on her head. With her sisters, she will stand against the evil power that lives beneath the black mountain-an evil which has already killed nine of her village's men. She will tell no one of the white-eyed beasts that follow her. Or the faceless gray women tall as houses. Or the girls she saw kissing in the elm grove. Today she will be a saint of Haven. She will rid her family of her mother's shame at last and save her people from destruction. She is not afraid. Are you? This searing and lyrically written novel by the critically acclaimed author of Sawkill Girls beckons readers to follow its fierce heroine into a world filled with secrets and blood-where the truth is buried in lies and a devastating power waits, seething, for someone brave enough to use it.

The heart-stopping third book in the New York Times bestselling Asylum series follows three teens as they take a senior-year road trip to one of America's most haunted cities, uncovering dangerous secrets from their past along the way. With all the thrills, chills, and eerie found photographs that led Publishers Weekly to call Asylum "a strong YA debut," Catacomb is perfect for fans for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Sometimes the past is better off buried. Senior year is finally over. After all they've been through, Dan, Abby, and Jordan are excited to take one last road trip together, and they're just not going to think about what will happen when the summer ends. But on their way to visit Jordan's uncle in New Orleans, the three friends notice that they're being followed ...and photographed. Then Dan starts receiving messages from someone he didn't expect to hear from again-someone who died last Halloween. When the trio arrives in New Orleans and the strange occurrences only escalate, Dan is forced to accept that everything that has happened to him in the past year may not be a coincidence but fate-a fate that ties Dan to a group called the Bone Artists, who have a sinister fascination with notorious killers of the past. Now Dan's only hope is that he will make it out of his senior trip alive. Don't miss Madeleine Roux's all-new gothic horror novel, House of Furies.

Get ready to be swept away, seduced, and swindled in the wickedly vicious third and final installment in the Bloodleaf series that Laura Sebastian called "enchanting, visceral, and twisty." When Aurelia awakens from her magic-induced sleep, it is to the face of a rescuer she didn't expect, in a body she doesn't understand, and into a world she no longer recognizes. Desperate to know what happened to Conrad, Zan, and Kellan after the events at Greythorne Manor, Aurelia follows the threads they left behind straight into the forest. Suddenly she finds herself caught in a web of magic, intrigue, passion, and betrayal that stretches across centuries and ultimately reveals that Aurelia is the final piece of a deadly apocalyptic plan that is only days away. All Aurelia wants is to reclaim her life and reunite with those she loved and lost; but with the end of the world looming, she's forced to unravel the dark secrets of the distant past before she can get that chance. With the fate of mankind on her shoulders, Aurelia must venture into the heart of the Ebonwilde and face the darkest parts of the forest-and of herself. Ebonwilde is the thrilling conclusion to the epic Bloodleaf series, which Laura Sebastian called "a phantasmagorical wonder" and Sara Holland described as an "eerie, immersive, and fascinating" read.

In this hilarious and heartwarming sequel to the bestselling and critically acclaimed graphic novel, The Okay Witch, half-witch Moth Hush uses magic to boost her confidence with disastrous results-perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Molly Ostertag! Moth Hush is starting to settle into her newfound witch heritage and powers, but life at school continues to be rough. Even her best friend, Charlie, doesn't entirely understand what it's like for her to always be the one who gets mocked, and things only get worse when Moth's mom starts dating one of the dorkiest teachers in the school! Then Moth gets hold of a mysterious charm that can unleash another version of herself-one who is confident, cool, and extremely popular. What could possibly go wrong?

This #1 New York Times bestseller and deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion. Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life. Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world. The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling, #1 New York Times bestselling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.