Announcing the 2026 Summer Scares Titles

In celebration of National Library Lover’s Day and Friday the 13th, the Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is delighted to announce the eighth annual Summer Scares reading list, which includes titles selected by a panel of authors and library workers and is designed to promote Horror as a great reading option for all ages, during any time of the year.

This year, Summer Scares welcomes New York Times Bestselling author Jennifer McMahon as the 2026 spokesperson:

"We need horror now more than ever. Stories to unsettle us, to make us question what we think we know, to show us how to confront the darkness and come out the other side,” said McMahon. “Stories that we will put down and feel changed by. This collection of books chosen by the Summer Scares committee perfectly showcases the true diversity of horror today, and is more evidence that we are at the peak of a horror renaissance. These are books to get lost in, books to share with others in your life, books to talk about and ponder over. So come along, take my hand and prepare to step into the darkness with me this summer. Yes, there’s plenty of scary stuff in these books. But there’s also a whole lot of hope. Oh, and don’t close your eyes — you don’t want to miss a thing along the way."

Every year, three titles are selected in each of three categories: Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade. For 2026 those selected titles are:

Adult Selections:

A Botanical Daughter, by Noah Medlock (Titan, 2024) 

Never Whistle at Night, ed. Shane Hawk & Theodore C. Van Alst (Vintage, 2023)

Maeve Fly, by CJ Leede (Tor Nightfire, 2023)

Young Adult Selections:

What We Harvest, by Ann Fraistat (Delacorte Press, 2022) 

Gorgeous Gruesome Faces, by Linda Cheng (Roaring Brook Press, 2023) 

Our Shadows Have Claws, ed. Yamile Saied Méndez & Amparo Ortiz (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2022)  

Middle Grade Selections:

Garlic and the Vampire, by Bree Paulsen (Harper, 2021) 

It Came from the Trees, by Ally Russell (Delacorte Press, 2023)  

This Appearing House, by Ally Malinenko (Harper, 2022)

Summer Scares aims to introduce Horror titles to school and public library workers so they can start conversations with readers that extend beyond the books on each list and promote reading for years to come. In addition to the annual list of recommended titles, the Summer Scares Programming Guide—free for any library to access—is back with the tools libraries need to connect with their patrons. 

“The 2026 guide, developed and designed by the HWA Libraries team, is the library worker’s roadmap to providing exciting and meaningful experiences for their communities through Summer Scares, whether they’re putting up book displays, leading discussion groups, developing events, or orchestrating an entire Summer Scares program series,” states Konrad Stump, co-creator of the programming guide. “With select titles aligned with iREAD’s 2026 theme (Plant a Seed, Read), the guide makes it easy for libraries across the world to incorporate Summer Scares into their summer reading programs and engage patrons of all ages in the horror genre.”

The guide will be available beginning March 1, 2026 on the Summer Scares Resource page at http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html

Along with the guide, the Summer Scares committee will work with both the recommended list authors and Horror authors from all over the country to provide free programming to libraries. Any library looking to host horror-themed events anytime of year is encouraged to email libraries@horror.org to get started.

Booklist is helping to kick off Summer Scares 2026 in March with a series of three free webinars with this year’s featured authors in conversation with committee members:

• Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Middle-Grade authors and moderated by Julia Smith. Click here to register.
• Monday, March 23, 2026, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Young Adult authors and moderated by Kelly Jensen. Click here to register.
• Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Adult authors and moderated by Jennifer McMahon. Click here to register.

Each webinar lasts one hour. Anyone may register to participate for free at https://www.booklistonline.com/webinars. Recordings will be available for on demand viewing after the live events at https://www.booklistonline.com/webinars-archive.

All are welcome to join the Summer Scares committee and featured authors at the HWA’s Librarians’ Day, taking place in person on Friday, June 5, 2026 in Pittsburg, PA as part of StokerConⓇ. Please visit https://www.stokercon.com/ for more information.

The HWA is a non-profit organization of writers and publishing professionals and the oldest organization dedicated to the Horror/Dark Fiction genre. One of the HWA’s missions is to foster an appreciation of reading through extensive programming and partnerships with libraries, schools, and literacy-based organizations.

The 2026 Summer Scares program committee consists of author Jennifer McMahon, HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump, as well as academic library director and ILA President Carolyn Ciesla, Book Riot Senior Editor and YA specialist Kelly Jensen, Booklist Senior Editor and Middle Grade specialist Julia Smith, and Manager of Reader Content and Services at NoveList Yaika Sabat.

For more information about the Summer Scares reading program, including committee member bios and how to obtain promotional materials and schedule events with the authors/committee members, please visit the Summer Scares Resource Page (http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html) or email HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump at libraries at horror dot org.

Please click here for access to our free folder of graphics including title collages courtesy of Kelly Jensen.

Click on the image to access the
Summer Scares 2026 Graphics folder

Resource Alert-- Macabre Daily and a Chance to Learn About How The Horror Writers Association's Library Committee Can Help Your Library

 Recently, Konrad Stump (my HWA Libraries Co-Chair) and I each appeared separately on the Macabre Daily's Paper Cuts Interview series to talk about our work with the Horror Writers Association as the co-chairs of the Libraries Committee.

Before I get into the specifics of our library worker focused episodes, I wanted to make sure everyone knew about the wealth of resources available via Macabre Daily for you to use to help readers and horror fans of reading and movies and graphic novels. They have lists of books a movies as well a tons of interviews and review. Please make sure you bookmark it as an essential horror resource across formats. I have added Macabre Daily to my archive of my preferred horror resources.

Okay, now back to our interviews.

In Konrad's appearance he talked about his work organizing Oh, the Horror! for Springfield Greene County Library, how libraries can use Summer Scares at their libraries, and what we offer every year at Librarians' Day on the Friday of StokerCon.

You can click here or on the graphic at the bottom of this post to access the landing page for his interview which is full of links and details as well as providing a place to watch the interview on that page.

In my interview, we talk about my book, the recent podcast I did with Emily Hughes and Robb Olson previewing the horror titles were are excited about coming for the first half of 2026, and more.

You can click here or on the graphic at the bottom of this post to access the landing page for my interview which is full of links and details as well as providing a place to watch the interview on that page.

There is a lot here for you to help your horror readers with new titles, backlist sure bets, and so many resources.

Finally, if you want our help connecting your library with authors and or resources, we are both one email away: libraries at horror dot org.

31 Days of Horror: Day 31-- The Summer Scares 2026 Spokesperson Is....

As we have done every year since the program inception, the Summer Scares Committee is announcing our next Spokesperson on Halloween. This year we welcome NYT Bestselling Author Jennifer McMahon!

This also marks the end of my 31 day blog-a-thon, but of course, not the end of me talking to you about helping your horror readers. Thank you for going on this journey with me yet again. I hope you had as much fun as I did and that you learned something about the scariest genre that will make it easier for you to help readers going forward.

Happy Halloween to all!

Click on the image to access 
a folder with the logo graphics

HWA ANNOUNCES SUMMER SCARES READING PROGRAM 2026 Spokesperson and Timeline 

The Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is proud to announce the eighth annual Summer Scares, a reading program that provides libraries and schools with an annual list of recommended horror titles for adult, young adult (teen), and middle-grade readers.

Summer Scares is proud to announce the 2026 spokesperson, New York Times Bestselling author, Jennifer McMahon:

"When I was a kid, I checked a book out of my local library that had a spell in the back to become a werewolf. I was a freaky, monster-loving girl, not sure how I fit into the world. I thought it would be easier to grow fangs and claws than to deal with all the messy human stuff. I cast the spell, not missing a single step, and was profoundly disappointed when it didn’t work. But there was other magic on those library shelves: doors to other worlds; worlds where ghosts and monsters and terrible things waited for me and taught me not just to face my own fears, but to come out on the other side stronger and maybe with a better understanding of myself. Turns out I don’t need to go full-on werewolf to feel changed—I just need to lose myself is a great spooky story. So I’m thrilled to be here with Summer Scares, inviting you to come on this reading journey with me—transformation into a werewolf not guaranteed!”

McMahon, along with a committee of six library workers, will select three recommended fiction titles in each reading level, totaling nine Summer Scares selections. The program aims to encourage a conversation at libraries worldwide about the horror genre across all age levels and ultimately attract more adults, teens, and children interested in reading. Official Summer Scares designated authors will also make themselves available to public and school libraries.

The committee’s final selections will be announced on February 14, 2026, Library Lover’s Day. McMahon, along with some of the selected authors, will kick off Summer Scares at the 10th Annual HWA Librarians’ Day (Friday, June 5, 2026) during StokerCon® 2026 at the Westin Pittsburgh. Click here for more information.

Additional content, including podcast appearances, free webinars with Booklist, and lists of suggested titles for further reading, will be made available by the committee and its partners beginning early in 2026 and continuing through the Spring and Summer. Of special note is the annual Summer Scares Programming Guide, courtesy of HWA Library Committee Co-Chair Konrad Stump and the Springfield-Greene County Library.

“The 2026 guide, developed by the HWA’s Library Advisory Council, is packed with everything library workers need to engage their communities with these great titles, including an iREAD partner title in each age group” states Stump. “From ideas for author events, partner programs with University of Pittsburgh Library Systems, book discussion groups, and much more, this guide is the library worker’s roadmap to creating exciting and meaningful experiences for their patrons through Summer Scares that they can use as a jumping off point for future horror-themed programming.” 

 The guide will be available beginning March 1, 2026, on the Summer Scares Resource page here. 

To see past year’s Summer Scares titles, spokespeople, and programming guides, please visit the program archive here. Keep your eyes peeled for more updates coming soon from Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD and NoveList®, as well as at the HWA’s website: www.horror.org and RA for All Horror: http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html.

Questions? Reach out to HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump via email: libraries@horror.org.

Summer Scares 2026 Committee Members: 

Jennifer McMahon is the New York Times bestselling author of twelve suspense novels including The Winter People, Promise Not to Tell, and My Darling Girl. She’s written about ghosts, serial killers, shape shifting monsters, an evil fairy king, a kidnapping rabbit, a terrifying swimming pool, and more. She lives on the Gulf Coast of Florida with her partner, Drea. When not writing, she spends a lot of time exploring and seeking out haunted places, real and imagined.

Becky Spratford is a library consultant and the author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, third edition which was released in September of 2021. She reviews horror for Booklist magazine, is the horror columnist for Library Journal and runs the Readers’ Advisory blog, RA for All: Horror. She is the author of Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature (Saga Press/S&S, September 2025).

Konrad Stump works for the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library, where he coordinates the long-running "Oh, the Horror!" series, profiled in The Readers' Advisory Guide to Horror, third edition. He also created the Donuts & Death horror book discussion group, featured in Book Club Reboot: 71 Creative Twists (ALA), and co-created the Summer Scares Programming Guide. His work has appeared in Library Journal, NoveList, and Booklist.

Carolyn Ciesla is an academic library director in the Chicago suburbs and is serving as the 2025-26 Illinois Library Association President. She has worked as a teen librarian and reference librarian and has reviewed horror titles for Booklist magazine. She’s currently teaching horror to first-year college students. You can find her all over the internet as @papersquared.

Kelly Jensen is senior editor at Book Riot, the largest independent book website in North America. She covers all things young adult literature and has written about censorship for nearly ten years. She is the author of three critically acclaimed and award-winning anthologies for young adults on the topics of feminism, mental health, and the body. She was named a person of the year in 2022 by Publishers Weekly and a Chicagoan of the Year in 2022 by the Chicago Tribune for her anti-censorship work. She has twice earned commendation from the American Association of School Librarians for her censorship coverage. Prior to her work at Book Riot, she was a public librarian for children, teens, and adults in several libraries in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. She is currently enrolled in a clinical mental health counseling master's program to bolster her work with mental health.

Julia Smith is a senior editor at Booklist, where she works in the youth books department and harbors a deep love of middle-grade literature. Prior to her career at Booklist, she worked at an independent children's bookstore and in the Chicago Public Library system.

Yaika Sabat (MLS) comes from a background in public libraries and now works at NoveList as the Manager of Reader Content and Services, where she creates genre and reader focused content and services. As a Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Council member, she aims to help librarians understand and embrace the horror genre. Her other passions include writing, film and media, and folklore. .

Summer Scares Booklist Webinars and Podcasts Are LIVE

Click here to get to the
Summer Scares Resource page

One of the best things about the Summer Scares partnership with Booklist Magazine is that they support us getting the message out about the program to the larger library world for all age levels of service. 

They have committed to providing introductions to titles and their authors in three FREE webinars (one for each age group) and an overview of the entire program via their Self Care podcast. And all of it is tied to the release of our amazing Programming Guide, always in early March, which they promote heavily in everything they do.

We have seen an untick in libraries doing Summer Scares because of their wide reach. This support at the start of each new season of titles is huge. 

So today, I want to take a moment to thank the entire team at Booklist (Grace, Julia, and Susan specifically for doing the heavy lifting). These three webinars and the podcast take a lot of work to appear as seamless as they are, and I anted to make sure they are presented all together. 

I have updated the resource page but I also wanted to alert my readers that everything is ready for you to start planning your Summer Scares.

Please give the webinars and podcast a listen/watch.  And thank you Booklist for being such a wonderful partner in Summer Scares.

• Booklist hosts a series of webinars with each set of 3 authors and the recordings will all be FREE to view. Links below to access them all.
• 2025 MG authors in conversation with Julia Smith, Senior Editor, Books for Youth
• Live on 3/10/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to view
• 2025 YA authors in conversation with Kendare Blake, Author and 2025 Summer Scares Spokesperson
• Live on 3/20/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to view
• 2025 Adult authors in conversation with Becky Spratford, Co-Chair HWA Library Committee
• Live on 3/24/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to view
• Click here to see all of the videos from this year and year's past
• Listen to Committee members and some librarians who use Summer Scares in their libraries talk about the program in general and this year's selected titles on Booklist's Shelf Care
• Episode 41 of Shelf Care
• Past episodes of Shelf Care featuring Summer Scares: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021.

Click here to access all of the Shelf Care podcasts 
including Episode 41.

It’s time for Summer Scares, and the popular horror-reading program is in fine form again. Shelf Care host Susan Maguire spoke to librarian Becky Spratford, author Kendare Blake, and Booklist’s Julia Smith about this year’s selections for adult, teen, and middle-grade readers; transgressive horror; and Hellmouth Pokémon, as you do. She also spoke to Jocelyn Codner and Carina Stopenski, both of the Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Council, about the Summer Scares program guide, why libraries should serve horror readers, and what they’re reading and loving.

Click through for the show notes including MANY links. 

The Summer Scares FREE Resource Guide is Now Live

 Click here or see below.

Click on the image to access 
a folder with the logo graphics

Summer Scares 2025 Resources for Library Workers

Below is a list of resources for any library to use in order to participate in Summer Scares. If you are interested in hosting a Summer Scares author at your library (free virtual appearances for any, in person on a case by case basis), please email libraries at horror dot org.

• The Summer Scares 2025 Title Announcement
• Titles also listed below
• Graphics folder access, with the logo and collages for all of the books and books by category (courtesy of committee member Kelly Jensen)
• Click here to download the FREE 2025 Summer Scares Programming Guide
• New this year-- content provided by members of the HWA's Library Advisory Council
• Booklist hosts a series of webinars with each set of 3 authors and the recordings will all be FREE to view. Links below to access them all.
• 2025 MG authors in conversation with Julia Smith, Senior Editor, Books for Youth
• Live on 3/10/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup
• 2025 YA authors in conversation with Kendare Blake, Author and 2025 Summer Scares Spokesperson
• Live on 3/20/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup (link coming soon)
• 2025 Adult authors in conversation with Becky Spratford, Co-Chair HWA Library Committee
• Live on 3/24/25 at 2pm eastern
• click here to signup (link coming soon)
• Listen to Committee members and some librarians who use Summer Scares in their libraries talk about the program in general and this year's selected titles on Booklist's Shelf Care
• Link coming soon

More links coming as the year progresses..... See 2025 titles below.

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Adult Selections:

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca (Titan Books, 2022)

Reprieve by James Han Mattson (William Morrow, 2021)

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling (Harper Voyager, 2019)

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Young Adult Selections:

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist (Greenwillow, 2018)

The Getaway by Lamar Giles (Scholastic Press, 2022)

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead by Kristen Simmons (Tor Teen, 2023)

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Middle Grade Selections:

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable (First Second, 2022)

Ravenous Things by Derrick Chow (Disney Hyperion, 2022)

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon (Scholastic Press, 2020)

Announcing the 2025 Summer Scares Titles

Click on the image to access
a folder with the logo graphics 

In celebration of National Library Lover’s Day, the Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership in partnership with Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is delighted to announce the seventh annual Summer Scares reading list, which includes titles selected by a panel of authors and library workers and is designed to promote Horror as a great reading option for all ages, during any time of the year.

"Is anyone else already missing Halloween? Is anyone else already dying for summer? Well great news! SUMMER SCARES combines both of our loves with a carefully curated list of horrifying books, giving you the perfect excuse to read chilling tales in hot weather! (If indeed you needed an excuse),” said #1 New York Times Bestseller author Kendare Blake, this year’s Summer Scares spokesperson. “I am so excited about every one of these books; they're creepy and delightful, brutal and terrifying, inventive and just plain good reads. The committee has done a bang-up job--there's truly something here for everyone, but why not try them all? Young or old(er), the time has come to fill your scary reading lists."

Every year, three titles are selected in each of three categories: Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade. For 2025 those selected titles are:

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Adult Selections:

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca (Titan Books, 2022)

Reprieve by James Han Mattson (William Morrow, 2021)

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling (Harper Voyager, 2019)

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Young Adult Selections:

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist (Greenwillow, 2018)

The Getaway by Lamar Giles (Scholastic Press, 2022)

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead by Kristen Simmons (Tor Teen, 2023)

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

Middle Grade Selections:

Eerie Tales from the School of Screams by Graham Annable (First Second, 2022)

Ravenous Things by Derrick Chow (Disney Hyperion, 2022)

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon (Scholastic Press, 2020)

Summer Scares aims to introduce Horror titles to school and public library workers so they can start conversations with readers that extend beyond the books on each list and promote reading for years to come. In addition to the annual list of recommended titles, the Summer Scares Programming Guide, produced each year by the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library– free for any library to access– is back with the tools libraries need to connect with their patrons. 

“The 2025 guide, developed by the HWA’s Library Advisory Council, is the library worker’s roadmap to providing exciting and meaningful experiences for their patrons through Summer Scares, whether they're putting up book displays, hosting author events, or planning an entire Summer Scares program series,” states Konrad Stump, co-creator of the programming guide. “We are also excited to enhance our partnership with iREAD by selecting one title in each age group that fits iREAD’s 2025 theme, “Level Up at Your Library,” as well as creating sample partner programs with their input.” The guide will be available beginning March 1, 2025 on the Summer Scares Resource page at http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html

Along with the guide, the Summer Scares committee will work with both the recommended list authors and Horror authors from all over the country to provide free programming to libraries. Any library looking to host horror-themed events anytime of year is encouraged to email libraries@horror.org to get started.

Booklist is helping to kick off Summer Scares 2025 in March with a series of three, free webinars with this year’s featured authors in conversation with committee members:

• Monday, March 10, 2025, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Middle Grade authors and moderated by Julia Smith
• Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Young Adult authors and moderated by Kendare Blake
• Monday March 24, 2025, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Adult authors and moderated by Becky Spratford 

Each webinar lasts one hour. Anyone may register to participate for free at https://www.booklistonline.com/webinars. Recordings will be available for on-demand viewing after the live events at https://www.booklistonline.com/webinars-archive.

All are welcome to join the Summer Scares committee and featured authors at the HWA’s Librarians’ Day, taking place in person on Friday, June 13, 2025 in Stamford, CT as part of StokerConⓇ. Details at: https://www.stokercon2025.com/

The HWA is a non-profit organization of writers and publishing professionals and the oldest organization dedicated to the Horror/Dark Fiction genre. One of the HWA’s missions is to foster an appreciation of reading through extensive programming and partnerships with libraries, schools, and literacy-based organizations.

The 2025 Summer Scares program committee consists of author Kendare Blake, HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump, as well as academic library director Carolyn Ciesla, Book Riot Editor and YA specialist Kelly Jensen, Booklist Editor and Middle Grade specialist Julia Smith, and Manager of Reader Services at NoveList Yaika Sabat.

For more information about the Summer Scares reading program, including committee member bios and how to obtain promotional materials and schedule events with the authors/committee members, please visit The Summer Scares Resource Page (http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html) or email HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump at libraries at horror dot org.

Click on the image to access all of 
the 2025 Summer Scares collages

31 Days of Horror: Day 31-- Announcing the 2025 Summer Scares Spokesperson and Program Timeline

Happy Halloween everyone. Today is the end of our 31 Days together, but as usual we end with a look forward. Today is the announcement marking the beginning of Summer Scares 2025!

This will be the last you hear from me on the Horror blog until 11/14 when I will return with a new #HorrorForLibraies Giveaway.

HWA ANNOUNCES SUMMER SCARES READING PROGRAM 2025 SPOKESPERSON AND TIMELINE

The Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is proud to announce the sixth annual Summer Scares, a reading program that provides libraries and schools with an annual list of recommended horror titles for adult, young adult (teen), and middle grade readers. It introduces readers and librarians to new authors and helps start conversations extending beyond the books from each list, promoting reading for years to come.

Summer Scares is proud to announce the 2025 spokesperson, #1 New York Times Bestselling author Kendare Blake:

"As a proud member of the club of people who read Stephen King too young, I am both honored and absolutely psyched to be this years' Summer Scares Spokesperson. Long ago, in elementary school, I had a beloved librarian with hair as black as night and teeth like Nosferatu. On dreary, wintry afternoons she would gather the children near and read to us from Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, her eyes brightening with our every small whimper. She was, in short, THE BEST. I hope to meet many more librarians this year with her same, spooky spirit. So come along, folks of all ages, and let's read the scary stuff all summer long! It's not just for October anymore." 

Blake, along with a committee of six library workers, will select three recommended fiction titles in each reading level, totaling nine Summer Scares selections. The program aims to encourage a conversation at libraries worldwide about the horror genre across all age levels and ultimately attract more adults, teens, and children interested in reading. Official Summer Scares designated authors will also make themselves available to public and school libraries.

The committee’s final selections will be announced on February 14, 2025, Library Lover’s Day. Blake, along with some of the selected authors, will kick off Summer Scares at the 9th Annual HWA Librarians’ Day, Friday, June 13th, during StokerCon® 2025 at the Hilton Stamford Hotel in Stamford, CT. Tickets for this in-person event are available now: https://www.stokercon2025.com/librarian-s-day.

Additional content, including podcast appearances, free webinars with Booklist, and lists of suggested titles for further reading, will be made available by the committee and its partners beginning in March of 2025 and continuing through the Spring and Summer.

Of special note is the annual Summer Scares Programming Guide, courtesy of HWA Library Committee Co-Chair Konrad Stump and the Springfield-Greene County Library, which provides creative ideas to engage horror readers. Centered around the official Summer Scares titles, the guide offers tips and examples for readers’ advisory, book discussion guides, and sample programs, enabling librarians, even those who don’t read or especially enjoy the horror genre themselves, to connect their communities with Summer Scares.

To see past year’s Summer Scares titles, spokespeople, and programming guides, please visit the program archive: http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares-archive.html.

This year, Summer Scares is excited to announce a brand new sponsor– iREAD, an all ages Summer Reading Program developed by librarians for libraries. iREAD is used by libraries across the United States and around the world through their partnership with the US Department of Defense, bringing Summer Scares to our military families stationed across the globe.

iREAD Content and Development Manager Becca Boland shared her excitement:

“As a new sponsor of Summer Scares, iREAD is thrilled (and chilled) to support the Summer Scares program guide that will help libraries ‘unearth’ a love for reading. As part of this partnership, every summer you'll find one spine-tingling book for each age range and category that aligns with the iREAD theme. iREAD will also help to provide programming assistance for the guide ensuring everyone has a ‘fang-tastic’ time! Let’s conjure up some excitement and make this summer a real ‘scream’ with Summer Scares and iREAD."

Keep your eyes peeled for more updates coming soon from Booklist, Book Riot, iREAD and NoveList®, as well as at the HWA’s website: www.horror.org and RA for All Horror: http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html.

Questions? Reach out to HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump via email: libraries@horror.org. 

Summer Scares 2025 Committee Members: 

Kendare Blake is the author of several novels and short stories, most of which you can find information about via the links above. Her work is sort of dark, always violent, and features passages describing food from when she writes while hungry. She was born in July (for those of you doing book reports) in Seoul, South Korea, but doesn’t speak a lick of Korean, as she was packed off at a very early age to her adoptive parents in the United States. That might be just an excuse, though, as she is pretty bad at learning foreign languages. She enjoys the work of Milan Kundera, Caitlin R Kiernan, Bret Easton Ellis, and Richard Linklater. She lives and writes in Gig Harbor, Washington, with her husband, their cat son Tyrion Cattister, red Doberman dog son Obi-Dog Kenobi, rottie mix dog daughter Agent Scully, and naked Sphynx cat son Armpit McGee.

Becky Spratford is a library consultant and the author of The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror, third edition which was released in September of 2021. She reviews horror for Booklist Magazine, is the horror columnist for Library Journal and runs the Readers’ Advisory blog, RA for All: Horror.

Konrad Stump is a Local History Associate for the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library, where he co-coordinates Springfield-Greene's popular “Oh, the Horror!” series, which attracts hundreds of patrons during October. He created the Donuts & Death horror book discussion group, featured in “Book Club Reboot: 71 Creative Twists” (ALA), and co-created the Summer Scares Programming Guide. Library workers who are interested in cultivating horror programming can contact him at konrads@thelibrary.org for free assistance.

Carolyn Ciesla is an academic library director in the Chicago suburbs. She has worked as a teen librarian and reference librarian, and has reviewed horror titles for Booklist Magazine. She’s currently teaching horror to first-year college students. You can find her all over the internet as @papersquared.

Kelly Jensen is an editor at Book Riot, the largest independent book website in North America. She covers all things young adult literature and has written about censorship for nearly ten years. She is the author of three critically-acclaimed and award-winning anthologies for young adults on the topics of feminism, mental health, and the body. She was named a person of the year in 2022 by Publishers Weekly and a Chicagoan of the year in 2022 by the Chicago Tribune for her anti-censorship work. She has also earned commendation from the American Association of School Librarians for her censorship coverage. Prior to her work at Book Riot, she was a public librarian for children, teens, and adults in several libraries in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. She is currently enrolled in a clinical mental health counseling master's program to bolster her work with mental health.

Julia Smith joined the Books for Youth team at Booklist in 2015, where she is now a senior editor. Her love of middle-grade literature and all things unsettling and strange draws her to creepy children's stories. You can follow her at @JuliaKate32 on Twitter.

Yaika Sabat (MLS) comes from a background in public libraries of various sizes. She now works at NoveList as the Manager of Reader Services, where she trains library staff nationwide on readers’ advisory, creates genre-focused content, and works on reader-focused products and services. As a Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Council member, she works to help librarians understand and embrace the horror genre. Her other passions include writing, graphic novels, film (the scarier, the better), and folklore.

HWA Fundraiser With Free Access to Great Panels-- 2 Moderated by ME!

I have something awesome for all of you to start your week. All this month, the HWA has been hosting a series of panels that are 100% FREE to view as part of a fundraiser we call Halloween in July (yes I know it is August, work with me here). 

All of the panels are great and free to view here but these 2 in particular are moderated by me and are very relevant to both HWA members AND library workers. We are releasing videos every week but both of mine are now live:

As you can see on the page, I chipped in with my own donation. I have been donating the amount to cover one, Diversity Scholarship every single year since we began them. While I know not everyone can give at that high an amount, I hope that my donation encourages you to consider chipping in to help someone else.

There is one scholarship-- Young Adults Write Now-- that is given to multiple libraries each year. Click here for details on that one. Maybe you will apply next year.

And as you can see here or below, we are also raising money to help the University of Pittsburgh Library's Horror Studies Collection.

Visit our Pledge page here or see below to learn more, watch all the videos, and donate if you would like.

Help the Halloween People fund scholarships and educational programs year-round!

Join us for a series of special presentations, contests, and more--all to raise money for scholarships offered by the Horror Writers Association.

The Horror Writers Association offers many different scholarships including the Diversity Grants, The Scholarship from Hell and more. Halloween in July is the second annual fundraiser to support the continued educational foundations for the horror community. The HWA has been supporting writers through scholarship and education for years.

Our scholarships have amplified underrepresented voices, brought new voices to the genre, and continued the meaningful dialogue about horror as a genre.

Our Scholarships and Programs:

• The Horror Writers Association Scholarship
• The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship
• Diversity Grants
• The Dark Poetry Scholarship
• The Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship for Non-fiction
• The Dennis Etchison Young Writers Scholarship
• The Scholarship From Hell (for StokerCon)
• Young Adults Write Now Program

2nd Annual Halloween in July Partners with the University of Pittsburgh Horror Studies Archive:  

In 2024 the Horror Writers Association deepened their relationship the University of Pittsburgh Library System and its Horror Studies Collection for a special opportunity.

In late 2023, they acquired the Stanley Wiater Archive of Modern Horror. Wiater is a prolific interviewer, author, and commentator whose archive not only includes drafts, manuscripts, and notes for his written works but also over 650 cassettes of interviews. The HWA in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh is looking to raise $2,500.00 in addition to funds for HWA general scholarships, to support the cost of a student to work part-time to assist in processing this collection which will include sorting, labeling, and cataloging the paper materials as well as aiding in the transcription process for the interviews once they have been digitized.

We believe these efforts will not only strengthen the relationship between the University and the HWA but also allow future generations to study and gain access to the interviews conducted by Mr. Wiater which contain an invaluable history of the genre and organization and documents the words of HWA members past and present including Clive Barker, Jack Ketchum, Nancy Kilpatrick, Stephen King, Joe R. Lansdale, Graham Masterton, Anne Rice, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and many, many more.

Halloween in July and August Programs: (click here to watch)

We're excited to bring unique panels and workshops to raise awareness about horror and horror scholarship! Here are some of the panels you can look forward to during Halloween in July 2024!

• July 5, 6 pm ET: Open Mic with Linda D. Addison
• August 1, 7 pm ET: The Writing and Research of Bram Stoker's Dracula with Dacre Stoker #throwbackthursday
• August 3, 7 pm ET:The State of Horror 2024
• August 8, 7 pm ET: Back in the Day with Brian Keene (pt. 1) #throwbackthursday
• August 10, 7 pm ET: We Are Coming for the Children: The Scary Truth About MG Horror
• August 15, 7 pm ET: Back in the Day with Brian Keene (pt. 2) #throwbackthursday
• August 17, 7 pm ET: The Halloween Librarians and You: How the HWA Library Committee Can Help Authors at Any Stage of Their Career
• August 22, 7 pm ET: How to With Agents #throwbackthursday
• August 24, 7 pm ET: Mentorship: Free Helps for Halloween People
• August 29, 7 pm ET: Weird and Wonderful │HWA Mental Health Initiative #throwbackthursday
• August 31, 7 pm ET: All About the Bram Stoker Awards

We're excited to bring unique panels and workshops to raise awareness about horror and horror scholarship!

To watch Halloween in July 2024 events, see the complete playlist here.