Tony Jones returns to Young Blood with the horror books for 12 to 13 year olds that Year 8 readers cannot leave on the shelf. Drawn from his school’s 100 Book Challenge and over 11,000 pupil reviews, this list runs from Juno Dawson and Charlie Higson to Stephen King’s Gwendy’s Button Box. Every pick comes reviewed by the young readers who devoured it.
Tony Jones
Tony Jones has been a school librarian for thirty years and a horror fanatic for much longer. In 2014 he co-authored a history book called The Greatest Scrum That Ever Was, which took almost ten years to research and write. Not long after that mammoth job was complete, he began reviewing horror novels for fun and has never looked back. He also writes for Horror DNA, occasionally Ink Heist, and in the past Horror Novel Reviews. He curates Young Blood, the YA section of the Ginger Nuts of Horror. Which is a very popular worldwide resource for children’s horror used by school librarians and educationalists internationally.
YA & Middle Grade Horror Roundup | May-June 2026
Tony Jones returns with his latest YA horror and middle grade horror roundup, covering seven books that blend horror with thriller, dystopian and science fiction. Standouts include Dan Smith’s The Night House Files, perfect for reluctant readers, and twisty YA thrillers from Carlyn Greenwald and Dana Mele.

