Small Towns and Spooky Stories: Grabbing Young Readers and Never Letting Go, a guest post by Heather C. Morris

You may be asking yourself – and you’d be right to do so – what do small towns and spooky stories have in common?

Many middle grade titles from the past few years do an outstanding job of hooking and entertaining young readers, while also introducing them to places they may never visit in person…or meeting them exactly where they are…

In a small town or seldom-visited state.

After all, what better setting for a mysterious or spooky story than a small town or remote setting? (For classic adult examples, see The Hound of the Baskervilles or Rebecca or And Then There Were None)

And who doesn’t love a good mystery or scary story?

As a writer, but also as a parent of teens and tweens, and as a friend of librarians and booksellers, I can confirm that kids ages 8-12 still get excited about mystery and adventure stories. Many of you would probably say the same.

At the same time, small towns in America are shrinking. Most public-school students these days live in a medium to large city (70% in 2019), but that means approximately 10 million students were still enrolled in public schools in small towns and rural areas[1].

The following books not only offer a collection of spine-tingling or brain-challenging or pulse-pounding stories, but also feature unique settings that can help small-town students feel understood and appreciated. While these books mostly rely on fictional towns, they include accurate descriptions of various states and so can be used as one more tool in a teacher’s toolbox to spark conversations and to review geography.

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley is a classic whodunit that will have students guessing the culprit up until the final reveal. Although the plot revolves around a murder, it happens before the book begins and nothing gruesome is described. Set in a fictional, remote Colorado town at a notoriously haunted hotel, the setting sparks readers’ imaginations and enhances the mystery. With short chapters designed to keep kids turning pages, this ghost-filled book is perfect for beginning sleuths and thrill-seekers alike.

Lora Senf’s novel The Clackity is set in the very haunted, fictional town of Blight Harbor. In this tiny town, everyone knows everyone and almost every building has a resident ghost. Full of riddles and fantastical elements that will remind readers of the spookiest fairy tales, this book will be impossible for middle grade readers to put down as they cheer for the main character, Evie. When her beloved Aunt Desdemona is captured by an evil and dangerous killer, Evie follows her into an alternate magical world and rescues her with the help of unexpected friends. This book also prominently features an abattoir, another name for a slaughterhouse (but without any gore or graphic descriptions), which could be the basis for a number of classroom discussions.

In Coop Knows the Scoop, author Taryn Souders cleverly crafts a classic mystery, but set in a small Georgia town. When a skeleton is discovered buried under the slide at the old town playground, Cooper (Coop) Goodman and his friends set out to uncover the secret of what happened years ago. Ms. Souders does an excellent job of capturing the feel of a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business…or at least, they think they do.

Jessica Vitalis writes a haunting novel of resilience and courage with a hint of magic in Coyote Queen. While this story may not be a classic mystery, Ms. Vitalis weaves interesting magical elements into her novel, as the main character, Fud, suspects that she is transforming into a coyote. This is one of the few middle grade novels that features a main character who lives in Wyoming in a trailer with her mom and her mom’s boyfriend. The author takes an unflinching look at life in very rural parts of our country, and she captures the longing to escape blended with intense local pride that people who live in small towns feel.

Finally, the upcoming middle grade anthology, Haunted States of America, features 52 stories from 52 states by 52 different authors. My own story, “White Thing,” is set in a rural part of Alabama – Sand Mountain – and combines a local legend with themes of family and true bravery. Many of the other stories in this collection feature remote settings in their states, providing an opportunity to tie into geography standards and local legends in a way that engages students. Also, anthologies are an excellent way to introduce many authors and writing styles. Students may find a new favorite!

By choosing books that combine the thrill of a mystery with a unique setting, educators can review geography, address differences in the ways people live and work, and still engage young readers.

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[1] https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/lcb/school-choice-rural?tid=1000

Meet the author

Heather C. Morris is the grateful author of a variety of books and stories – some for kids, others for adults. Her writings for kids include the story selected to represent Alabama in The Haunted States of America Anthology (Godwin Books/Macmillan, 2024), and multiple titles for the educational market. Her short stories and poetry for adults have appeared in various arts journals and anthologies. Follow Heather on Twitter/X, @morrwriting, on Instagram, @morr_writing, or on her website – heathercmorris.com.

Filed under: Guest Post