Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly (Scaredy's Nutty Adventures, Book 4)

Written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Tundra Books

978-1-77488-884-1 (pb)

84 pp.

Ages 4–8 

July 2026

 

I didn't get a chance to review this book of Scaredy's Nutty Adventures when it was released as a hardcover in 2024, so I'm pleased to review it now that a paperback edition was just released this month. When Scaredy Squirrel was first released in 2006, he became a beloved character. Mélanie Watt brought us a little squirrel who was overwhelmed, seeing threats everywhere. Now the star of his own animated series, as well as picture books and this early reader graphic novel series, Scaredy Squirrel is a much beloved character to helps young children see beyond their worries by laughing with him.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

In Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, Mélanie Watt shares five short graphic stories about Scaredy and his relationship with Halloween. In the first chapter, titled "October 31st," our sciurine friend is actually looking forward to the un-scary aspects of the holiday. He likes the decorations and the lighting, but he's terrified of haunted houses, crows, vampire bats, and more. So, he's happy to stay in his cheerfully decorated tree, along with some unusual preventative measures.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

The next stories have Scaredy planning a cute, but not scary pumpkin carving activity with his friends, working on his costume, considering going trick-or-treating—hard candy, gummy worms, and chocolate all have drawbacks—before heading out in search of candy apples.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

It may seem a little early to be thinking of Halloween, but I suspect there are many for whom the holiday is a big deal and who are already planning their costumes and parties. Whether you get Scaredy Squirrel now in anticipation of the holiday or keep it to read in October, Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly will give young children a lot of laughs about his wacky but legitimate worries. Scaredy Squirrel may seem like an excessive bundle of anxiety, but he emulates the many children who have misgivings and fears about the familiar and the unknown. With a lighthearted approach and quirky and colourful illustrations, Mélanie Watt will let children see that many anxieties can be lessened and even alleviated with some friendly intervention and a new perspective.

From Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly, written and illustrated by Mélanie Watt

Mélanie Watt's Scaredy Squirrel will always charm. She has created him as sweetly guileless—check out his toothy grin—and oddly expressive. And with detailed illustrations that give young readers much to enjoy, from costumes to decorated homes, readers will be looking forward to their own nutty Halloween adventure and all that it entails.

 

🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 

 

This is Book 4 in Scaredy's Nutty Adventures series. Here are all published titles:

Scaredy Squirrel in a Nutshell (2021)
Scaredy Squirrel Gets a Surprise (2022)
Scaredy Squirrel Gets Festive (2023)

Scaredy Squirrel Scared Silly (2024) 

The Scariest House on the Street

Written by Joel A. Sutherland

Illustrated by Terry Pearson

North Winds Press (Scholastic Canada)

978-1-0397-1917-0

32 pp.

Ages 3–8

July 2026 

Author Joel A. Sutherland is known for scary. He has written the Haunted Canada series, the Haunted Canada Graphic Novel series (e.g., Haunted Canada Graphic Novel: Four More Terrifying Tales, 2025), titles in the Haunted series like Field of Screams (2020), and his standalone stories like Summer's End (2024) and Screamers (2022). He delights middle-grade readers and teens with stories that frighten, twist, and terrorize. Joel A. Sutherland is our Canadian version of R. L. Stine. And now he's ready to amuse our youngest readers with a story of monsters that will entertain without frightening.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

Monsters Willow and her friends Violet, Harry, and Gill love playing at the abandoned house at the end of Shivers Street. But they are aghast when someone moves in and cleans up the place. There are no spiderweb anymore, or rats, or holes. And it smells lemony fresh. 

It was much scarier than Willow could have imagined. (pg. 9)

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

They imagine who might have moved in. Could it be gnomes, or zombies, or perhaps a sasquatch? When they're invited to a Halloween Party at 13 Shivers Street and compelled to go—parents can be so unrelenting—they dress up in their most terrifying costumes, and head out to meet Bronwen, a bubbly swamp creature, a tiny vampire named Fiona, and a werewolf named Charles. But it is Halloween. And our monsters and their new neighbours may be surprised to learn they are not what the other expected.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

In a story about the scariest house on the street, Joel A. Sutherland won't scare little ones as much as amuse them with a story about monsters who think dressing as a doctor, astronaut, business person, and fisherman is scary. What will be funny to those readers will be monsters frightened of humans and vice versa, sort of. Without telling kids to accept others who might be different, Joel A. Sutherland twists their perceptions about those who are different—reminds me a lot of Frederic Brown's 1954 short story, Sentry—and shows them finding interest in their differences. Differences give richness to a community, and the new neighbours on Shivers Street definitely give it life. (Pun intended.) 

This is Joel A. Sutherland's first picture book, and he sets the tone perfect for young children. Nothing scary, lots to charm, and a story with an understated message about acceptance of those who are different. That same aspect comes through Terry Pearson's digital illustrations which give us not-so-scary monsters, a Halloween party of epic games and food, and characters that are colourful, a little naive, and sweetly distinct. Kids will definitely want to try to emulate those costumes and that party this Halloween, and, with Terry Pearson's artwork, they'll have all the visuals needed to pull them off.

From The Scariest House on the Street, written by Joel A. Sutherland, illustrated by Terry Pearson

I know it's a little early to be thinking about Halloween but, for many kids, the anticipation is part of the fun. Bring them some hilarity early with ideas for that holiday from The Scariest House on the Street and with a story that will remind them to see past differences and find the authentic, human or monster.

Night of the Living Zed

Written by Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester

HarperCollins Canada

978-1-4434-6920-3 

256 pp.

Ages 8–12

January 16 2024

 

Sure, everyone gets ready for Christmas. There's the tree decorating, the shopping, the baking. But what about the "super-duper-stupendousest of all holidays" (p. 3): Halloween! Zed Watson, star of Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester's highly-acclaimed first collaboration The Fabulous Zed Watson! (2021) is all about Halloween, so it's going to be a shame if they miss it because they're heading out of town with best friend Gabe to solve the mystery of Glyndebourne Manor, the house once owned by the rich and famous opera costume and set designer, Charlotte Scherrer. But it's all in support of a good cause: getting a reward that could help elevate the upcoming nuptials of Gabe's sister Sam and partner Jo.

So, determined to spend the required 3 days and 2 nights in the supposedly-haunted house and search for Charlotte's treasure, Zed and Gabe set off on October 29, hopeful of solving the mystery before Halloween. Well, Zed is convinced of it. Gabe is less sure about it, but the operatic flavour of decorations in Charlotte's century-old, 4-storey house gets him interested. Things become more complicated when the rules state that they must move from room to room but never exiting through the door they entered. Only by solving complicated clues related to Charlotte's life and memorabilia do Zed and Gabe have any chance of making it through this challenge. Of course, there's also the ghosts and copious booby traps to trick them, so solving the mystery is a lot less obvious than finding a pile of gold.

 

With humour and compassion, the two friends, face each challenge head on. They carefully scrutinize curious rooms filled with opera collectibles, they construct maquettes, they read personal journal entries, and they piece together Charlotte's life to help them uncover hidden means of egress. But, as long as the ghosts don't impede their progress and they don't runaway, they've got a good chance to find...something?

Night of the Living Zed has all the colour of Basil Sylvester and Kevin Sylvester's first book, The Fabulous Zed Watson!, but it's a fresh new mystery with a different set of characters. Readers will be pleased to visit again with the quirky Zed and Gabe, a pair of young friends with strong but different personalities.  There's non-binary Zed who approaches life at break-neck speed, enthusiastic about vampires and ghosts, eager to interact with the supernatural, and lover of all things Halloween. Gabe is less forward, but still fascinated by and knowledgeable about opera and plants, and loves playing the piano and wearing multi-pocketed clothes. And he's a little ghost-shy. In addition to a host of regulars, like Ph. D. candidates Sam and Jo, and a plethora of named inanimate objects–there's Sam's vehicle Carssandra, Zed's stuffed jackalope Aloysius, and their pumpkin nightlight Willoughby–readers meet Bertie and Hyacinth who are Charlotte's relatives, and a pair of treasure seekers called Soraya and Dean (often called Dan by Bertie).

The characters are wacky and the dialogue between them is priceless. It's this humour, including their gaffes that take Night of the Living Zed from mystery to a romping good time. From doing their Halloween-O-ween inspection–and learning Mrs. Gianelli is upgrading from licorice sticks to candy bars–or Gabe explaining to Zed that "i.e." is Latin for "Id est" and they answer, "You dest? What's a 'dest'?" (p. 80), there's a rich but underlying humour that will make readers smile and laugh out loud. And then there's the mystery. It is not easily solved, neither by Zed and Gabe nor the readers, so we have to hang in through all the ups and downs, and twists and turns, to get our "Aha!" moment.

I know it's a long way off until Halloween–maybe we can look at January as pre-pre-pre-Halloween-O-ween–but a mystery is a great read anytime, and Night of the Living Zed is a great one. With their open heart and enthusiasm for life and for exploring the unknown, Zed can take us and Gabe along on any new adventure they want, ghosts or no ghosts.

 

 • • • • • •

 

The Fabulous Zed Watson (2021)

Night of the Living Zed (2024)

 

Halloween Book Launch with Kenneth Oppel and Kevin Sylvester (Toronto and streamed)

If you're fortunate to be in and around Toronto this weekend, consider this extra special book launch with two of youngCanLit's favourite authors to start off your Halloween season.

 

📙📙📙📙📙 

 

Halloween Book Launch!

 

with authors 

 

Kenneth Oppel and Kevin Sylvester

 

for 

 

Ghostlight  and  Apartment 713 

On

 

 Sunday, October 16, 2022

 

there will be an Author Talk and Book Signing

 

 

at 2 PM

 

at the

 

Revue Cinema

400 Roncesvalles Avenue

Toronto

 

 

This will be followed by a free screening of 

the movie "Monster House" at 3 PM

RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/oppelsylvesterlaunch

(The author event will also be streamed at

 https://youtu.be/5l-UKFoL0Zg  

for those who can't attend in person.)

 

📙📙📙📙📙

 

Do check out my reviews of both books to see why you'll want to attend this event!

 

 

Apartment 713

Written by Kevin Sylvester
HarperCollins
978-1-4434-6094-1
240 pp.
Ages 8-12
September 2022 

Reviewed here

and

 

Ghostlight

Written by Kenneth Oppel
Puffin Canada
978-0-7352-7233-0
400 pp.
Ages 10+
September 2022

Reviewed here

 

📙📙📙📙📙

Halloween Mouse

Written by Philip Roy

Illustrated by Lisa Ferguson

Ronsdale Press

978-1-55380-653-0

32 pp.

Ages 2-6

October 2021

 

If the leaves are falling, then Halloween is on the horizon. Undoubtedly many children are already gearing up for the trick-or-treat holiday of costumes and candy, but there's one little mouse named Happy who's just learning of the spooky event and is ready to embrace it completely. 

From Halloween Mouse by Philip Roy, illus. by Lisa Ferguson

When Happy the Pocket Mouse, John's enduring purple-hued murine friend, sees the leaves falling and an elderly neighbour decorating her house with ghosts and such, he does what he always does: asks lots of questions. 

"Well, they dress up and go door-to-door to ask for treats."

"That sounds boring, John! I'm glad we don't do that. What are treats?"

"Candy."

"Candy? Treats are candy?"

Of course, with the intensity of a youngster, Happy decides they should dress up and go out for Halloween. Unfortunately, John is reluctant, claiming he's too old. But Happy, through a series of pointed questions, gets John to relent–after all, you're never too old for candy!–and helps with some surprise face-painting to make John scary-looking.

From Halloween Mouse by Philip Roy, illus. by Lisa Ferguson

Eager and impatient, Happy prods John into heading out before all the candy is gone. But being an adult going trick-or-treating, an activity generally limited to youth, John is not always welcomed with enthusiasm and is often questioned.

From Halloween Mouse by Philip Roy, illus. by Lisa Ferguson

Still, the friends return home with a cornucopia of candy and Happy dives in a little too enthusiastically, as children often do, and needs to recover while John discovers the nature of his disguise.

When Philip Roy introduced young readers to Happy the Pocket Mouse in Mouse Tales (2014), he gave us a unique friendship as the basis for positive messages about curiosity, adaptation, and sharing. John may act like the adult or even parent in the relationship, trying to educate Happy and help him understand so much of the human world but he's so much more, mixing companion, sidekick, and mentor into a congenial sage. And Happy is the bright spot of inquisitiveness and heart, eager to learn and experience new things, but always with John by his side for guidance.

This is the first Happy the Pocket Mouse book to be illustrated by Ontario's Lisa Ferguson (https://studioferguson.com/) who emulates the characters and landscapes of the original books with dexterity and feeling. Happy is still sweet and innocent and John is insightful and warm-hearted. Their touching relationship and honest explorations are portrayed with gentle colours and soft lines, even as related to potentially scary Halloween. 

 

But Halloween is anything but scary, something Happy is often concerned about, with Halloween Mouse because Philip Roy's words and Lisa Ferguson's art have given us the sweetness of a chocolate bar and the amusement that comes with dressing up wrapped up in a special friendship that the very young will appreciate. And, of course, there is candy!

🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃 🎃

There are now five books in the Happy the Pocket Mouse series from Philip Roy. Books 1 through 4 were illustrated by Andrea Torrey Balsara with Lisa Ferguson doing the artwork for Book 5.

Mouse Tales (2014)

Jellybean Mouse (2014)

Mouse Pet (2015)

Mouse Vacation (2016)

Halloween Mouse (2021)

When Pumpkins Fly

Written by Margaret Lawrence

Illustrated by Amanda Sandland and Margaret Lawrence

Inhabit Media

978-1-77227-249-9

32 pp.

Ages 4-8

September 2020

 

Though Halloween will be a very different holiday for many children this year, author Margaret Lawrence demonstrates for young readers how different it must always be in her territory of Nunavut when getting a pumpkin into the community is a very big thing.

From When Pumpkins Fly by Margaret Lawrence, illus. by Amanda Sandland and Margaret Lawrence

As always in remote communities like Margaret Lawrence's home of Sanikiluaq on Flaherty Island in Hudson's Bay, cargo flights play an important role in delivering much needed provisions. Getting a pumpkin is not as easy as heading to a field of thousands and picking out one.  When the pumpkins arrive and one becomes part of each class's celebrations, which includes carving and eating, a draw is held to select the lucky student from each who gets to take the carved pumpkin home.

As with all children who go out trick or treating, the children of the community dress up in the costumes but also in heavy coats and mittens and carry flashlights to ward off the darkness. But it's after the trick-or-treating and the community hall dance is over that young minds go to the dark places of the night.

From When Pumpkins Fly by Margaret Lawrence, illus. by Amanda Sandland and Margaret Lawrence

As I drift off, I think about the tunnaat who live out on the land. Halloween is a night to think about these ancient and wise beings that like to visit our community.

As the wind blows and temperatures drop, the child wonders about the pumpkin on the steps outside which may be appropriated by a fox or ravens but also perhaps tunnaat.

From When Pumpkins Fly by Margaret Lawrence, illus. by Amanda Sandland and Margaret Lawrence

The cargo planes may bring the pumpkins to Margaret Lawrence's home but When Pumpkins Fly brings all young readers to this Inuit community to experience a Halloween that is a little bit different. Though illustrator Amanda Sandland may live in the Toronto area, her artwork, with contributions from Margaret Lawrence, takes us to that cold climate for this annual holiday, ensuring authenticity of location with her landscapes and people. 

At its heart, Halloween is still an event of pumpkins and trick-or-treating for the children of Sanikiluaq and When Pumpkins Fly depicts it as such. But it is also a one-of-a-kind occasion for a community that enjoys the popular aspects of the holiday along with their own traditions. By allowing Inuit children the opportunity to see themselves and for non-Inuit children to learn about cultures other than their own, When Pumpkins Fly takes us all out on Halloween.

🎃🎃🎃🎃🎃

When Pumpkins Fly is also available in Inuktitut from publisher Inhabit Media.

Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round

Written by Rosanna Battigelli

Illustrated by Tara Anderson

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-092-5

24 pp.

Ages 3-6

September 2019

Get ready for some Halloween festivities with Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round and engage young children in the Halloween holiday with only the fun and delight, and none of the fear or creepiness so pervasive in the celebrations of older trick-or-treaters.

Whether you're a parent or teacher, you'll know of the annual October visit to the pumpkin patch to pick out a perfect pumpkin or two for Halloween night.  In lively rhyming verse of two word phrases that always begin with the word "pumpkin", Rosanna Battigelli welcomes the reader to participate in the sensory experience of that pumpkin path visit  and the subsequent carving of the jack-o'-lantern (instructions for "You Can Carve a Jack-o-Lantern Too!" are included on the endpapers), without the travel or the mess.

From Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round by Rosanna Battigelli, illus. by Tara Anderson

From Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round by Rosanna Battigelli, illus. by Tara Anderson

Then, just as so many children will be doing on October 31st, the felines of Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round prepare for their costumed foray into the neighbourhood for a bit of trick-or-treating.

Pumpkin mask,
pumpkin dare,
pumpkin candy,
pumpkin scare!

From Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round by Rosanna Battigelli, illus. by Tara Anderson

Finally they return home to a snack, a story and bed.

So many children love Halloween for the dress-up and the candy but little ones rarely get into the scary aspects of the day and, for those many children, Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round is a perfect holiday read. Its light rhyme will get children repeating the text, first predicting and ultimately reading, with its metrical melody of syllabic fun. Rosanna Battigelli has pitched her first picture book perfectly for the very young, ensuring a fun read that invites them to take on their own reading.

Illustrator Tara Anderson's bio shares that she has cats at home and perhaps that explains why she knows these feline wonders so well, anthropomorphizing them into playful children of diversity. They vary in colour and size, expression and activity and present the enjoyment of a special day spent with family and friends. Her artwork, coloured pencil and acrylic glaze on watercolour paper, emphasizes the bright oranges and complementary purple of the pumpkins and the night, exuding playfulness and caring. Her characters are adorable, the days and night comforting, and the action enthralling.

Young children may not know that costumes and jack-o'-lanterns were originally used to ward off spirits on All Hallows' Eve but they do know the joy of pumpkin picking and carving and dressing up and procuring oodles of candy and, with Rosanna Battigelli and Tara Anderson's picture book, they can do so on many nights before and after October 31st.

From Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round by Rosanna Battigelli, illus. by Tara Anderson

Kabungo

by Rolli

Illustrated by Milan Pavlović

Groundwood Books

978-1-55498-804-4

173 pp.

Ages 7-10

April 2016

It’s a different world when your best friend is a cavegirl but Beverly is the very best of friends to Kabungo who lives in a cave on Main Street in Star City.  Beverly has learned much of Kabungo’s vocabulary–sungo for night, sunup for day, sniff for follow and Belly for Beverly–but she still wants to teach Kabungo about living in the “civilized” world. Whether it’s teaching Kabungo the alphabet, or that it’s wrong to steal, Beverly does her best, often with a grain of salt and a whole lot of sugary fun.

I would have told her that flea powder wasn’t for eating, but I never tell anyone anything more than a hundred times.  It’s my personal rule. (pg. 13)

Kabungo, the book, is divided into eight chapters with an odd assortment of titles–Shark Toofs, Targur, Vibbles, Fundersticks, Himplepotamus, Flimsy Tree, Hopping Bird Day and Trigger Cheats!–that play on Kabungo’s ability to anunciate English words because of a scarcity of teeth.  (For a bit of fun, say the chapter titles aloud and see if you can discern what Kabungo is really trying to say.) Each chapter is an anecdote in the story of Kabungo and Beverly’s friendship.  From Kabungo’s desire to make jewelry with teeth scavenged at a retirement home, to her struggling with certain letters of the alphabet Beverly is teaching her, her affection for her new kitten Bun, a visit to Miss VeDore’s mansion and pumpkin field, or Kabungo’s knack for creating a family from an odd assortment of people and branches she comes upon, it's all in day's friendship for these two.

Regardless of how much she seems to understand, Kabungo is an astute and absorbing young girl of ten, and a delight to meet in Rolli’s Kabungo (okay, maybe not in person, as she does have fleas and isn’t into personal hygiene or etiquette).  Same goes for Beverly whose perceptive observations, some via her Aunt Ev and Uncle George, will serve her well in life and her friendship with Kabungo, as well as others who heed her wisdom.

Apologies are heavy.  They’re boulders. It’s hard work pushing a boulder, even if it’s just across the room. A lot of people give up halfway and lose a friend forever. (pg. 85)

As my Uncle George always says, sooner or later, even impossible takes a nap. (pg. 27-8)

Very wise for a ten-year-old.

Rolli has written a witty story for the pre-middle grade reader for whom the early reader may be too easy and MG books too mature.  It’s comical in its word play, likeable in its characters–Kabungo, Beverly, Mr. and Mrs. Gobshaw, Miss VeDore, and more–and entertaining in its short stories. Having a best friend who’s a cavegirl makes for a world that is hardly boring. And, contrary to her teacher who thinks Beverly’s definition of boredom– “when everything turns out like you expected” (pg. 56)– to be incorrect, I think Beverly knows exactly what boring is and accurately recognizes that her friendship with Kabungo is anything but predictable.

Spooky youngCanLit Reads for Halloween

Whether you're looking for a funny Halloween read for your youngest readers (or listeners), historical reads with an edge, a frightening young adult novel, or some true ghost stories, this list of youngCanLit reads has something for everyone. And, while I couldn't include everything, there are several authors whom I would recommend for anything spooky: L. M. Falcone (for a middle-grade fun read); Arthur Slade (for a middle-grade evil); Kelley Armstrong, the queen of queasy (for young adult); and Alyxandra Harvey, who rocks YA vampires. Take your pick!


PICTURE BOOKS

Black and Bittern Was Night
Written by Robert Heidbreder
Illustrated by John Martz
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
2013

Boo!
Written by Robert Munsch
Illustrated by Michael Martchenko
Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages+
2004

A Day at the Pumpkin Patch 

Written by Megan Faulkner

Photographs by Adam Krawesky
Scholastic Canada
30 pp.
Ages 6-10

2006

Franklin's Halloween
Written by Paulette Bourgeois
Illustrated by Brenda Clark
Kids Can Press
32 pp.
Ages 5-8
1996

Ghost Train
Written by Paul Yee

Illustrated by Harvey Chan
Groundwood Books
Ages 8-12

1996

The Haunted House That Jack Built
Written by Helaine Becker
Illustrated by David Parkins
Scholastic Canada
32 pp.
Ages 4-7
2010

Omar’s Halloween
Written and illustrated by Maryann Kovalski
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
32 pp.
Ages 2-6
2006

Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round
Written by Rosanna Battigelli
Illustrated by Tara Anderson
Pajama Press
24 pp.
Ages 3-6
2019

Pumpkin People 

Written by Sandra Lightburn

Illustrated by Ron Lightburn
Nimbus
32 pp.

Ages 5-8

2008

Pup and Hound Scare a Ghost 
Written by Susan Hood

Illustrated by Linda Hendry
Kids Can Press
32 pp.

Ages 4-6

2007

What There is Before There is Anything There
Written and illustrated by Liniers
Translated by Elisa Amado
Groundwood Books
24 pp.
Ages 4-7
2014

CHAPTER BOOKS

Breath of a Ghost
Written by Anita Horrocks
Stoddart
195 pp.
Ages 9-12
1996

The Dead Kid Detective Agency

Written by Evan Munday
ECW Press
320 pp.
Ages 8-13
2011

The Devil, the Banshee and Me
Written by L. M. Falcone
Kids Can Press
192 pp.
Ages 9-12
2006

Dial "M" for Morna
Written by Evan Munday
ECW Press
296 pp.
Ages 8-13
2013

The Elevator Ghost
Written by Glen Huser
Illustrations by Stacy Innerst
Groundwood Books
168 pp.
Ages 7-12
2014

Five Days of the Ghost

Written by William Bell
Stoddart
196 pp.
Ages 10+

1989

Fred's Halloween Adventure
Written by Marie-Danielle Croteau
Illustrated by Bruno St-Aubin
Translated by Sarah Cummins
Formac
62 pp.
Ages 6-9
2002

The Ghost Horse of Meadow Green

Written by Anne Louise MacDonald

Kids Can Press

207 pp.

Ages 10-14

2005

Ghost Hotel (Arthur Slade's Canadian Chills series) 

Written by Arthur Slade
Coteau Books
134 pp.
Ages 9-13

2004

The Proof that Ghosts Exist (The Ghosthunters, Book 1)

Written by Carol Matas and Percy Nodelman
Key Porter
216 pp.
Ages 8-13
2008

The Curse of the Evening Eye (The Ghosthunters, Book 2)
Written by Carol Matas and Percy Nodelman
Key Porter
248 pp.
Ages 8-13
2009

The Hunt for the Haunted Elephant (The Ghosthunters, Book 3)

Written by Carol Matas and Percy Nodelman
Key Porter
272 pp.

Ages 8-13

2010

The Ghost and Max Munroe: Case #1 The Magic Box
Written by L. M. Falcone
Illustrated by Kim Smith
Kids Can Press
88 pp.
Ages 7-11
2014

Ghost Messages

Written by Jacqueline Guest
Coteau Books
184 pp.

Ages 9-12

2011

Ghosts of Government House

Written by Judith Silverthorne
Your Nickels Worth Publishing
114 pp.

Ages 9-12

2011

Ghost of Heroes Past
Written by Charles Reid
Ronsdale Press
168 pp.
Ages 10-14
2010

The Ghost of Lunenburg Manor (A Tom and Liz Austen Mystery)
Written by Eric Wilson
HarperCollins
109 pp.
Ages 9-11
1981/2003 

The Ghost of Northumberland Strait
Written by Lori Knutson
Dundurn
152 pp.
Ages 7-11
2008

The Ghost of Ramshaw Castle
Written by Robert Sutherland
Scholastic Canada
171 pp.
Ages 9-14
1990

The Ghost of the Stanley Cup (Screech Owl series)
Written by Roy MacGregor
McClelland & Stewart
118 pp.
Ages 9-13
2000

Ghost Ride
Written by Marina Cohen
Dundurn
172 pp.

Ages 11-13

2009

Ghosts of the Pacific
Written by Philip Roy
Ronsdale Press
251 pp.
Ages 11-14
2011

Ghosts of the Titanic
Written by Julie Lawson
Scholastic Canada
193 pp.

Ages 9-12

2011

Ghost Voyages
Written by Cora Taylor
Coteau Books
120 pp.
Ages 8-12
2003

Ghost Voyages II: The Matthew
Written by Cora Taylor
Coteau Books
112 pp.
Ages 8-12

2002

Ghost Voyages III: Endeavour and Resolution

Written by Cora Taylor

Coteau Books

176 pp.

Ages 8-12

2004

Ghost Voyages IV: Champlain and Cartier

Written by Cora Taylor

Coteau Books

128 pp.

Ages 8-12

2009

The Ghouls' Night Out
Written by Janice MacDonald

Illustrated by Pamela Breeze Currie
Ronsdale Press
49 pp.
Ages 7-9

1998

The Graveyard Hounds 
Written by Vi Hughes
Illustrated by Christina Leist
Tradewind Books
167 pp.
Ages 9-11
2008

Greysteel's Ghost
Written by Robert Sutherland
HarperTrophy Canada
176 pp.
Ages 8-13
2005

Haunted
Written by Barbara Haworth Attard
HarperCollins
273 pp.
Ages 10+
2009

The Haunting of Heck House (The Wiggins Weird, Book 2)
Written by Lesley Livingston and Jonathan LLyr
Puffin Canada
280 pp.
Ages 8-12
2014

The Improbable Party on Plum Lane (Babysitter Out of Control Series, Book 3)
Written by Margaret J. McMaster
Mansbridge Dunn Publishers
53 pp.
Ages 7-9
2011

Invasion of the IQ Snatchers (Arthur Slade's Canadian Chills)

Written by Arthur Slade

Coteau Books

Ages 9-13

120 pp.
2007

The Midnight Curse

Written by L. M. Falcone

Kids Can Press

208 pp.

Ages 8-12

2010

Never to be Told

Written by Becky Citra

Orca Book Publishers

217 pp.

Ages 9-12

2006

The Night Gardener
Written by Jonathan Auxier
Puffin
384 pp.
Ages 10+
2014

Northern Frights Trilogy

Written by Arthur Slade

HarperTrophy

352 pp.

Ages 10+

2014

Includes the original three books: Draugr, The Haunting of Drang Island and Loki Wolf

The Path of Trees
Written by Ari Goelman
Arthur E. Levine/Scholastic
399 pp.
Ages 10-12
2013

Return of the Grudstone Ghosts (Canadian Chills)

Written by Arthur Slade
Coteau Books
119 pp.
Ages 9-12

2002

The Secret of Grim Hill
Written by Linda DeMeulemeester
Lobster Press
187 pp.

Ages 9-13

2007

Shades: Tales of Fear and Wonder

Written by Arthur Slade
Dava Enterprises
79 pp.
Ages 11+
2011

Small Medium at Large
Written by Joanne Levy
Bloomsbury Children's Books
193 pp.
Ages 9-13
2012

That One Spooky Night
Written by Dan Bar-el
Illustrated by David Huyck
Kids Can Press
80 pp.
Ages 7-10
2012

The Unseen: Scary Stories

Written by Janet Lunn
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
171 pp.
Ages 9-14
1996

Walking with the Dead
Written by L. M. Falcone
Kids Can Press
200 pp.
Ages 9-12
2005

Zombiekins
Written by Kevin Bolger

Illustrated by Aaron Blecha
Razorbill 

206 pp.

Ages 8-11

2010

YOUNG ADULT

Beyond: A Ghost Story
Written by Graham McNamee
Wendy Lamb Books /Random House Canada
226 pp.
Ages 14-17
2012

The Summoning
Written by Kelley Armstrong
Doubleday
400 pp.
Ages 12+
2008

The Awakening
Written by Kelley Armstrong
Doubleday
368 pp.
Age 12+
2009

The Reckoning
Written by Kelley Armstrong
Doubleday
400 pp.
Ages 12+
2011

The Geomancer's Compass

Written by Melissa Hardy

Tundra Books

254 pp.

Ages 11-15

2012

Give Up the Ghost
Written by Megan Crewe
Henry Holt and Co. / H. B. Fenn
244 pp.
Ages 12-15
2009

Guardian

Written by Natasha Deen

Great Plains Teen Fiction

192 pp.

Ages 13+

2014

Haunted
Written by Barbara Haworth-Attard
HarperTrophy
288 pp.
Ages 12+
2009

Haunting Violet
Written by Alyxandra Harvey
Bloomsbury
352 pp.
Ages 12+
2012

The Horrors: Terrifying Tales: Book One
ed. by Peter Carver
Red Deer Press
184 pp.
Ages 13+

2005

The Horrors: Terrifying Tales: Book Two
ed. by Peter Carver
Red Deer Press
207 pp.
Ages 12+

2006

The Prank (Nate’s Journal)
Written by K.E. Calder
Vanwell
93 pp.
Ages 10-13
2003

The Serpent’s Spell
Written by Rae Bridgman
Great Plains
190 pp.
Ages 10-14
2006

Someone Else's Ghost

Written by Margaret Buffie

Scholastic

227 pp.

Ages 12+

1995

This Dark Endeavour (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein)
Written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperTrophy Canada
304 pp.
Ages 12+
2011

Such Wicked Intent (The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein, Book 2)
Written by Kenneth Oppel
HarperTrophy Canada
320 pp.
Ages 12+
2012

This is Not a Test
Written by Courtney Summers

St. Martin's Griffin
326 pp.
Ages 13+
2012

NON-FICTION

100% Pure Fake
Written by Lyn Thomas
Kid Can Press
48 pp.
Ages 8-12

2009

Are You Afraid Yet?: The Science of Scary Stuff
Written by Stephen James O'Meara
Illustrated by Jeremy Kaposy
Kids Can Press
80 pp.
Ages 8-12
2009

Canadian Hauntings: A Haunted Canada Book
Written by Beth Scott and Michael Norman
Scholastic Canada
136 pp.
Ages 9-13
2009

Ghost Trackers: The Unreal World of Ghosts, Ghost-Hunting, and the Paranormal
Written by Chris Gudgeon
Tundra
75 pp.
Ages 10-13

2010

Ghosts of the World: True Tales of Ghostly Hauntings
Written by Susan Smitten
Lone Pine Publishing
232 pp.

Ages 13+

2006

Gotcha! Mystery Hunters: 18 Amazing Ways to Freak Out Your Friends
Written by David Acer
Illustrated by Stephen MacEachern
Kids Can Press
48 pp.
Ages 8-12
2008

Grim and Ghostly Stories: A Haunted Canada Book
Written by Pat Hancock and Allan Gould
Scholastic Canada
136 pp.
Ages 8-13
2006

Haunted Canada: True Ghost Stories
Written by Pat Hancock
Scholastic Canada
106 pp.
Ages 9-12
2003

Haunted Canada 2: True Tales of Terror
Written by Pat Hancock
Scholastic Canada
114 pp.
Ages 9-12

2005

Haunted Canada 3: More Ghost Stories
Written by Pat Hancock
Scholastic Canada 
128 pp.
Ages 9-12
2007

Haunted Canada 4: More True Tales of Terror
Written by Joel Sutherland
Scholastic Canada
128 pp.
Ages 9-12
2014

Haunted Canada: Ghost Stories
Written by Pat Hancock and Allan Gould
Illustrated by Andrej Krystoforski
Scholastic Canada
172 pp.
Ages 8-13
2014

Scary Science: 24 Creepy Experiments
Written by Shar Levine and Leslie Johnstone
Illustrated by Ashley Spires
Scholastic Canada
48 pp.
Ages 8-13
2010

Strange and Spooky Stories: A Haunted Canada Book
Written by Pat Hancock
Scholastic Canada
128 pp.
Ages 8-13
2005

The Unexplained: A Haunted Canada Anthology
ed. by Janet Lunn
Scholastic Canada
160 pp.
Ages 9-13
2008

And my apologies for some inconsistency in the fonts and size.  Seems I have my own little cyber-ghost that keeps altering my font no matter how many times I clear the formatting.  

Happy Halloween!