If you — or your parents — grew up in the '90s it's likely that R.L. Stine's legendary Goosebumps series gave you at least one nightmare you've never forgotten about. Stine's fantastic children's horror series takes genre tropes and makes them accessible, creating a gateway to horror for readers of all ages, which is part of why the series is so beloved. Whether you're a longtime fan or just discovered the series thanks to the delightful spooky Disney+ reboot, we're here to recommend some of the best classic Goosebump books for you to dive into. From haunted masks to evil cameras, terrifying film sets to murderous theme parks there's a Goosebumps book for every phobia. So grab a flashlight, your favorite snack, and your most cursed family heirloom, and let's dive into the best that Goosebumps has to offer!
Jump to our picks: The Best Goosebumps Books
How Many Goosebumps Books Are There?
There are a total of 62 Goosebumps books in the original series, but there are also a few spin-off books that add to the collection. Most of the books in our list are from the original series, but we also included an option from the Give Yourself Goosebumps series.
Goosbumps Book Sets
If you're looking for Goosebumps book sets, there are a few decent collectors edtions available at Amazon.
The Best Goosebumps Books
The Haunted Mask
This is probably one of the most legendary Goosebumps tales thanks to its iconic cover and the '90s TV adaptation that brought it to life in such a nightmarish way. If you haven't read this one yet it follows an 11 year old girl called Carly Beth Caldwell who is constantly being scared by local bullies but that all changes when she enters a strange shop filled with scarily realistic monster masks. Insisting on taking one home Carly soon realizes once you put on one of the haunted masks it's impossible to take them off. Playing on realistic childhood fears, R.L. Stine brings terror to the mundane and in classic Goosebumps fashion it ends with a Twilight Zone level twist that'll haunt you way past turning the last page.
Say Cheese and Die
Classic Goosebumps cover artist Tim Jacobus delivered again here with a polaroid style photo showing a family of skeletons having a barbeque, hinting at the horrors within the cover. Yes, this story is about an evil camera that shows you just how you're going to die if you allow it to take your photograph. And when four friends Greg, Shari, Doug, and Michael find themselves entangled with the nightmarish appliance, the lives of them and everyone they love is put in grave danger. Filled with unexpectedly grim moments, brutal deaths, and some gnarly human foes too, this is a standout Goosebumps tale that was recently adapted for the new series.
One Day at HorrorLand
Another famed Goosebumps yarn, this one takes place in one of the creepiest places you can imagine: an abandoned theme park. Though as the Morris family discover HorrorLand isn't actually that empty, and instead is home to a strange group known as the Horrors. Featuring some of the most iconic Goosebump moments like the casket river ride, this is a delightful romp through a spooky theme park with another great twist ending and some hilarious moments along the way. If you've ever wanted to spend the night at your fave park after the gates close then this one's for you!
A Night in Terror Tower
When Eddie and Sue visit London on a family trip, Eddie can't wait to visit the infamous Terror Tower, but after being stalked by a strange executioner the kids are transported back to the medieval times where they must fight for their lives to escape the hooded killer and his glinting axe. One of the most high-concept and twisty tales in Goosebumps canon, this is a great horror-portal-fantasy that throws readers into a time traveling adventure full of surprises and ancient threats in the cobbled lanes of medieval England and the bustling streets of '90s London. This is one kids book that'll still keep readers of any age up all night.
A Shocker on Shock Street
I read my copy of this book so often that I actually had to save up and buy a new one, that's how hooked I was on this existentially haunting entry into the Goosebumps canon. It all begins when Erin and her best friend Marty are invited to a theme park inspired by their very favorite horror series Shock Street. Of course things don't go as expected and soon the park comes to life in a way no one was expecting and when it takes a Westworld inspired twist it turns into one of the darkest and most memorable Goosebumps stories in the series' long-running history.
Night of the Living Dummy
When it comes to the most recognizable Goosebumps villains, Slappy soars high above the rest. Taking on the classic horror trope of the haunted / possessed ventriloquist doll, Night of the Living Dummy is a total riot. When sisters Lindy and Kris Powell decide to explore an abandoned house they find something much scarier than dodgy scaffolding, yep, it's a ventriloquist's dummy that Lindy quickly utilizes to become popular and cool. Soon though strange things begin occurring and the sisters begin to wonder if there's something strange about Slappy, and when another dummy appears things get more dangerous than ever...
Escape from the Carnival of Horrors
We had to include at least one of the Goosebumps: Choose Your Own Scare series in our list. These pick-your-own adventure tales put you in the driving seat of a terrifying Goosebumps tale and in this case we got to be right in the center of one of the bleakest stories yet. In this story you get to visit a ghoulish carnival which you must try to escape with your friends but in classic Goosebumps fashion it's extremely unlikely that you manage to escape alive. There are only two "positive" outcomes, whereas there are 23 bad ones, including the one that terrorized this writer as a child, being stuck sliding down the Doom Slide infinitely until you perish...
Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more. Rosie is a published comics author who has written titles including Godzilla Rivals vs. Battra and The Haunted High-Tops. She co-hosts the weekly Crooked Media pop-culture podcast X-Ray Vision. When she's not writing, you can find her playing Dragon Ball FighterZ or rewatching weird old horror and martial movies in her free time. She loves making comics and zines as well as collecting VHS and reading as much manga as humanly possible. You can find her on social at @rosiemarx.
