What to read after... Amelia Fang

Published on: 16 October 2023

We love Amelia Fang and her cute pumpkin Squishy. This series is full of fun, with a deliciously spooky feel. But once children have read all of the books, and Rainbow Grey, also by Laura Ellen Anderson, where do they turn? Here are some suggestions to keep them reading.

Illustration from Amelia Fang by Laura Ellen Anderson

Spooky stories

If gently spooky stories are a favourite genre, try Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters by Jordan Kopy. Theodora has been raised by a zombie and a vampire-cat, and now the secret that she’s human is about to be exposed! The Stitch Head series by Guy Bass, illustrated by Pete Williamson, is hugely popular because it’s funny as well as action-packed. And The Train of Dark Wonders by Alex Bell introduces the Land of Halloween Sweets, where Bess has to find the rare ghostly gobstopper.

Brilliant pictures

Illustration from Julius Zebra by Gary Northfield

One reason the Amelia Fang series is so popular is the number of amazing illustrations by Laura Ella Anderson. Try the following books for more wonderful pictures throughout: Loki by Louie Stowell is funny and full of doodles and drawings of Loki’s madcap adventures as a schoolboy. Gary Northfield’s Julius Zebra series is equally madcap and hilariously illustrated, but set in Roman times, and starring a zebra. Joseph Coelho’s brilliant Fairytales Gone Bad series, like Frankenstiltskin, are dark twists on fairy tales, all illustrated in full colour by Freya Hartas. Finally, the graphic novel Monster Support Group: The Werewolf’s Tale has colour pictures and a heart-warming story.

Unusual Friend Group

The Nothing To See Here Hotel books by Steven Butler and Steven Lenton

Amelia Fang has a brilliant gang to join in her adventures – a yeti, a pumpkin and a reaper friend, no less! For further unusual friends, try The Nothing to See Here Hotel series by Steven Butler and Steven Lenton – it’s packed with mermaids, ogres and trolls to name but a few. Similarly, Ghoul Scouts by Taylor Dolan features werewolves, skeletons, ghosts and zombies, all at Camp together, while Skeleton Keys by Guy Bass, illustrated by Pete Williamson, features a wise-cracking skeleton and a girl with her head on backwards. Slightly differently, BOOT by Shane Hegarty, illustrated by Ben Mantle, is about a group of loveable robots, and finally, in the Bad Mermaids series by Sibéal Pounder, illustrated by Jason Cockcroft, the mermaids chat to Steve the talking seahorse, water witches and crabs.

Join in!
Those are some of our ideas – but what about you? What are your most-loved spooky books?

Let us know by tweeting us @BookTrust using the hashtag #WhatToReadAfter.