Free Scary Stories for Kids to Read Online
6 original scary short stories for readers ages 8-13, written by P.J. Crowmarsh and free to read right here — no signup, no download. Every story shows its word count and reading time, so you know what you are starting before you start it.
Short Stories to Read Online
Standalone stories set in the world of Shivergrove. Start anywhere — these do not need any of the books to make sense.
The Chime at Hollworth's Clock Shop
Ages 8-13 · 731 words · 5 min read
Everyone in Shivergrove knew you weren't supposed to be on Marrow Street after the clock tower struck seven, but Ben had never much cared for rules that didn't come with a good explanation attached.
The Bell That Rings Alone
Ages 8-13 · 772 words · 5 min read
Bellwether's Hardware & Sundries had the oldest bell in Shivergrove, a dented brass thing bolted above the door since before anyone could remember. Every customer who pushed through that door heard it jingle — a bright,…
The Bell Beneath Blackwater
Ages 8-13 · 773 words · 5 min read
In Shivergrove, everybody knew the rule before they could tie their own shoes: never swim in Blackwater Pond after Labor Day. Nobody explained why. They just said it the way you'd say don't touch a hot stove, like the le…
The Last Lifeguard
Ages 8-13 · 754 words · 5 min read
Everyone in Shivergrove knew you didn't go near the old municipal pool after dark. It had been closed since 1987, back when the high dive still worked and the snack bar still sold blue raspberry ice pops. Now the fence w…
More Stories from the Shivergrove Books
Extra scenes and stories connected to the novels, free to read in full.
From The Thing in the Timberline
The Box Under the Shed
Ages 8-13 · 736 words · 5 min read
The bus brakes squeal the exact same way they did last summer, and Casey decides that's either a very good sign or a very bad one.
The Next Kid Who Notices
Ages 8-13 · 699 words · 5 min read
Cabin Porcupine smells the same as it always has — old rain and older secrets — which is the first thing Dylan Marsh notices when he drags his duffel bag through the crooked screen door on the first afternoon of a brand-…
How Scary Are These Stories?
These are written for ages 8-13 — spooky, not traumatic. Expect creaking houses, things glimpsed at the edge of the room, and a chill at the end. No gore, no swearing, and nothing that leaves a nine-year-old sleeping with the light on for a week.
Most run between 550 and 800 words — about a 5-minute read at this age group's pace, so short enough for a bedtime, a sleepover, or a classroom read-aloud. Every one is an original story by P.J. Crowmarsh, not a retold folk tale.