by Tracy Briseño

I bet as you start to read this, you are expecting some wonderful recommendations of scary, thriller, ghost-filled spooky titles to check out. That is not what is going to happen. 

I’m not a fan of horror books, spooky books, or dark fantasy. I don’t like jump scares or psychological thrillers. You might say I’m a bit of a scaredy cat. However, my daughter loves spooky reads. Year-round she wants to read books with ghosts, and she enjoys dark and terrifying young adult reads. 

Unfortunately, that means I’m not a great help to her with book recommendations. I’m not a good judge of appropriate levels of creepiness in a book for middle schoolers. Nor can I share my own favorites with my kid, when in this genre I have none. 

So, how do I connect with her on this reading journey? How do I engage when she wants to share how her current read is going or when she’s looking for a new book with the same vibe as a recent favorite?

My answer is to turn to my wonderful colleagues in the youth services area at the library. They are super knowledgeable about all different types of books and enthusiastic to help kids find their next great read. 

Sometimes I’ll bring her in and have her connect with staff at the desk to do some readers advisory. They’ll ask her questions, make suggestions, and bond over shared favorites. When we aren’t able to stop in, she can do this over the phone or by email, too. I will also come in on her behalf and ask for options to bring home to her. That gives her a stack of titles to yay or nay over. Sometimes I’ll take advantage of a book display or browse through staff picks selections for titles that look spooky. 

I’m so thankful of the many ways I can keep my kiddo’s love of reading alive without having to read the same books she does. I love that there are options for her in nonfiction--many books about monsters and fairy and folk tales. She can pick from titles in the young adult graphic novel section as so many different types of stories are being told through this format. Young adult fiction is awash in choices from a variety of perspectives and approaches to the world of thrillers and spooky stories. I’m eternally grateful that the library is an option for finding wonderfully frightening books to bring my daughter joy.