The Monkey's Paw by W. W. Jacobs
One of my favorite spooky stories to read during spooky season is "The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs. This spooky story is a bone-chilling twist on the classic three-wishes story; however, everything goes terribly wrong. When I teach this story to my students, I like to include a close reading focus by revisiting carefully-selected passages to analyze for literary elements. To do this, I use this Close Reading Analysis Unit for "The Monkey's Paw. This unit places an emphasis on figurative language and foreshadowing -two elements that work so well together to create a spooky tale!
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Quitters, Inc. by Stephen King
Who doesn't love a Stephen King story around Halloween? Your students will love his story of a man who tries to quit smoking by going through an agency that uses less-than-ethical methods to help its clients. As with most of his stories, there's a chilling twist at the end that will shock students. Tracee Orman compiled activities and discussion questions to complement the story (included in the download). The activities include reading comprehension, vocabulary, figurative language, and optional project-based learning activities. The story lends itself to many discussions about ethics and extreme measures to quit bad habits, lose weight, etc. In addition, if you love to show students the movie version of the story, the first part of the 1985 movie Cat's Eye is the adaptation of the story. It's a great way to end the unit, and students enjoy seeing the campy 80s version. The movie is streaming on Amazon, YouTube, Apple TV and more. Get Tracee's resources here: Quitters, Inc. Unit.
Click Clack the Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman
"Click Clack The Rattlebag" by Neil Gaiman presents an unsettling tale of a young child recounting a terrifying story to an unsuspecting visitor, masterfully building suspense and dread as chilling details about a mysterious creature lurking in the dark prompt questions about reality versus imagination. To kick off the lesson, I begin with a pre-reading "Creature Feature" activity where students design their own monsters, hooking students into the story. This is followed by a presentation exploring key themes, literary devices, and Gothic elements, along with a video of Gaiman reading the story. Students then engage with the text through comprehension questions and small group discussions, focusing on foreshadowing and symbolism, and analyze Gaiman's use of onomatopoeia to enhance the storytelling. To conclude, I encourage creativity with writing assignments that challenge students to craft their own endings to the cliffhanger and compose their own spooky campfire tale. Grab resources to teach this story here.
If Cornered, Scream by Patricia J. Thurmond
This short story is a favorite to use during the month of October. Of course, it can be used at any time of the year, but it's a perfect fit for spooky season. This story covers a variety of plot elements including: conflict, pattern of events, details, climax and conclusion. After reading the story with your class and completing some comprehension questions, you can use this video of this short story to further explain the meaning of mood and tone. If you'd like to finish a short story unit with students writing a short story of their own, check out this Halloween Short Story Writing Flip Book, which will guide students through the various elements of plot and assist them with a better understanding of all of the elements that make a great short story!
The Landlady and Just Lather, That's All
Suspense and tension are key components of a spooky story, something students will find in "The Landlady" and "Just Lather, That's All." Jackie from ROOM 213 has a unit that uses both of these stories to show student how writers use these literary elements to engage readers. Students will also have the option of experimenting with their own use of suspense and tension in a short writing assignment. And, if you want to check out some spooky stories with a more up-to-date perspective, check this out!
The Tell-Tale Heart
Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a fabulous short story to read around Halloween! The elements of gothic literature of suspense, fear, horror, and murder make for a creepy October read. Some well-done adaptations on YouTube are a fantastic way to make this classic story come to life. Addie Williams loves to have her students work on a Tell-Tale Heart Newspaper that reports on the events of the murder - it's a fun way to review plot, point of view, and creative writing. Check out her ready-to-use print/digital resource and get started today!
