What do you think?
Rate this book
Haunted USA: Spine-Tingling Stories From All 50 States
We've got spirits, yes we do! Haunted USA is a terrifying treasure trove of supernatural scares from each of the 50 states, from the vengeful witch of New Hampshire, Goody Cole, to Missouri's unlikely icon, Momo the swamp monster.
In this illustrated compendium drawing on fact, folklore, mythology and urban legend, you'll shine a light on ghosts, ghouls, cryptids, and even a haunted carousel. Some tales will give you chills—like that of Rue, the unfortunate daughter of an Oregon lighthouse-keeper who even today wanders the forlorn tower's guest rooms—while others—like the friendly ghost of Dr. Justina Ford who guides visitors around her old Colorado home—prove that some phantoms still hold on to that friendly American spirit.
Some are downright strange. Have you ever heard of the chocolate-loving ghost of Iowa, or Delaware's specter who can't stand sneezing? Still others are older than the USA itself, from Hawaii's Night Marchers to the ancient Sleeping Buffalo Rock of Montana (which may not be quite so asleep after all).
When you've read all you can handle, turn to the back of the book for a glossary of ghoulish terms and even expert advice on going ghost-hunting yourself!
Whether you're after a campfire fright, a slice of local lore, or a traditional tale to sink your teeth into, Haunted USA is a rich anthology of supernatural America. With stories that are carefully chosen and sensitively told for 9–12-year-olds, it's perfect for those cozy evenings around Halloween, or for adding a sprinkle of spookiness to a summer road trip.
In this illustrated compendium drawing on fact, folklore, mythology and urban legend, you'll shine a light on ghosts, ghouls, cryptids, and even a haunted carousel. Some tales will give you chills—like that of Rue, the unfortunate daughter of an Oregon lighthouse-keeper who even today wanders the forlorn tower's guest rooms—while others—like the friendly ghost of Dr. Justina Ford who guides visitors around her old Colorado home—prove that some phantoms still hold on to that friendly American spirit.
Some are downright strange. Have you ever heard of the chocolate-loving ghost of Iowa, or Delaware's specter who can't stand sneezing? Still others are older than the USA itself, from Hawaii's Night Marchers to the ancient Sleeping Buffalo Rock of Montana (which may not be quite so asleep after all).
When you've read all you can handle, turn to the back of the book for a glossary of ghoulish terms and even expert advice on going ghost-hunting yourself!
Whether you're after a campfire fright, a slice of local lore, or a traditional tale to sink your teeth into, Haunted USA is a rich anthology of supernatural America. With stories that are carefully chosen and sensitively told for 9–12-year-olds, it's perfect for those cozy evenings around Halloween, or for adding a sprinkle of spookiness to a summer road trip.
112 pages, Hardcover
Published August 5, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 1, 2025
I would have eaten this UP as a kid! 😍 The illustrations are awesome and the stories are well done! Not too scary, a perfect spooky road trip from the comfort of your couch. 🖤
November 6, 2025
I loved the illustrations!
Want to find a ghost in all fifty states? this guidebook is for you!
Want to find a ghost in all fifty states? this guidebook is for you!
September 29, 2025
I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
When I saw this one on Edelweiss, well how could I say no? I greatly enjoy Heather Alexander’s Only in.. (fill in a state or just America) series and so when I saw this book about spooky things throughout the US? I needed it.
In this one we travel through the 50 states of the US (from Alabama to Washington D.C), each state gets two pages. One with illustration (though there are also a couple of pages with one big illustrations and the text above that) and the other with the story. We get stories from folklore (not really my favourite), cryptids/weird beings (mothman whooo), ghosts (animal and human), lights, and more. My favourites definitely were about the human ghosts and the cryptids. But as you can read there is something for everyone.
A couple of stories I remember from other books, but there were MANY MANY stories that I didn’t know. It was fantastic. I would have liked maybe a few more SCARY TERRIFYING tales. A lot of the stories in the book were scary sure and gave me goosebumps, but they were also full of sadness. Like the guy who warns people when storms comes. Or the dog protecting his owner. Or the girl at the theatre. Or the weeping statue.
But the art? The art is definitely were this book shines. The art was a tad just terrifying the heck out of me. That Winchester House illustration with Sarah standing there with void eyes? YUP, nope. runs Or that nun in Bourbon Orleans Hotel? Yeahhhhh nope. Or the ice cream woman. NOPE. Some definitely gave me nightmares, so thank you for that.
I would highly recommend this book to all, this will be a perfect read for the upcoming spooky season. As for me, I do hope that there will be more spooky books like this because I am very sure there are many more! Maybe a ghostly book per state? 🥺
Review also posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
When I saw this one on Edelweiss, well how could I say no? I greatly enjoy Heather Alexander’s Only in.. (fill in a state or just America) series and so when I saw this book about spooky things throughout the US? I needed it.
In this one we travel through the 50 states of the US (from Alabama to Washington D.C), each state gets two pages. One with illustration (though there are also a couple of pages with one big illustrations and the text above that) and the other with the story. We get stories from folklore (not really my favourite), cryptids/weird beings (mothman whooo), ghosts (animal and human), lights, and more. My favourites definitely were about the human ghosts and the cryptids. But as you can read there is something for everyone.
A couple of stories I remember from other books, but there were MANY MANY stories that I didn’t know. It was fantastic. I would have liked maybe a few more SCARY TERRIFYING tales. A lot of the stories in the book were scary sure and gave me goosebumps, but they were also full of sadness. Like the guy who warns people when storms comes. Or the dog protecting his owner. Or the girl at the theatre. Or the weeping statue.
But the art? The art is definitely were this book shines. The art was a tad just terrifying the heck out of me. That Winchester House illustration with Sarah standing there with void eyes? YUP, nope. runs Or that nun in Bourbon Orleans Hotel? Yeahhhhh nope. Or the ice cream woman. NOPE. Some definitely gave me nightmares, so thank you for that.
I would highly recommend this book to all, this will be a perfect read for the upcoming spooky season. As for me, I do hope that there will be more spooky books like this because I am very sure there are many more! Maybe a ghostly book per state? 🥺
Review also posted on https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
August 15, 2025
An eye-catching cover starring a skeleton driving a ghostly car packed with tombstones, a black cat, and a spider while Mothman flies overhead? That's sure to draw readers to this large format compendium of one-page ghost reports from every state. Endpapers covered with eerie silver moths greet us before a preface that warns “Prepare for a scare!” Are ghosts real? Alexander asks before answering “There’s no correct answer.” One thing she does know: everyone loves a good ghost story and she’s offering up 50 of them. Proceeding alphabetically, each state gets one page of text facing a spooky drawing done in soft gray graphite pencil with occasional pops of color, for example, in a story about a haunted roller coaster in Ohio, the cars and the sun both appear in blood red while the rest of the image recedes in shades of navy blue, gray, and black. Although Alexander refers to the entries as “stories”, they sometimes open as such but often shift in tone to reporting as she presents background information about the various hauntings. Diverse cultures are well represented in this collection with tales about the pukwudgies of Massachusetts (from Wampanoag folklore), Díos de los Muertos celebrations in New Mexico, and Night Marchers in Hawaii. Given the targeted age group, none of the ghost stories are gruesome – note the Massachusetts entry on pukwudgies (mischievous porcupine-quilled little people) instead of Lizzie Borden’s haunted house and many feature ghostly animals or mysterious cryptids rather than vengeful spirits. Back matter includes a glossary and a helpful ghost hunter’s guide with suggested gear and some wise precautions. There’s also a bold font disclaimer at the back of the book telling us that the author makes no claims about the truth of these stories. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
October 5, 2025
Ghosts and monsters gain historical goodness in a read, which invites to campfire chills.
No place is safe from mysterious sightings, spooky legends, or terrifying monsters, which lurk in the shadows. Choosing one tale from each state, this book takes a look at all sorts of unexplained encounters, which have left locals and tourists wondering what the truth really is. Each state and tale is presented on a two-page spread with one page of text and the rest in vibrant illustrations. First, a spooky encounter is described to wet the appetite. Then, the background and circumstances surrounding each sighting is explained, and what impact or attraction it still has today.
The tales appear in the alphabetical order of the states involved, and the chosen legends from each state ensure there are many the reader has never heard about before. There were a couple of stories, which were a little more familiar, but the rest surprised in so many ways. Everything from graveyards to haunted houses to desert spooks are mentioned, and each situation is very different from the last. While these aren't full-fledged stories in the fiction sense, they make great mini-tales for sharing...and they are creepy. They also offer entertainment for road trips and, in some cases, sight-seeing curiosities if in the area.
It's a fun book for legend fans or those who love to discover creepy things, which may or may not exist.
No place is safe from mysterious sightings, spooky legends, or terrifying monsters, which lurk in the shadows. Choosing one tale from each state, this book takes a look at all sorts of unexplained encounters, which have left locals and tourists wondering what the truth really is. Each state and tale is presented on a two-page spread with one page of text and the rest in vibrant illustrations. First, a spooky encounter is described to wet the appetite. Then, the background and circumstances surrounding each sighting is explained, and what impact or attraction it still has today.
The tales appear in the alphabetical order of the states involved, and the chosen legends from each state ensure there are many the reader has never heard about before. There were a couple of stories, which were a little more familiar, but the rest surprised in so many ways. Everything from graveyards to haunted houses to desert spooks are mentioned, and each situation is very different from the last. While these aren't full-fledged stories in the fiction sense, they make great mini-tales for sharing...and they are creepy. They also offer entertainment for road trips and, in some cases, sight-seeing curiosities if in the area.
It's a fun book for legend fans or those who love to discover creepy things, which may or may not exist.
October 29, 2025
A fantastically haunted short story collection to read in the days leading up to Halloween featuring a story from each of the 50 states, but a Demon Cat aka D.C. from the District of Columbia. Each story is a one-page description of the haunting that mixes humor, what little facts there might be, and the mythology surrounding the mystery set inside a two-page illustrated spread that matches the intrigue and mood of "Haunted USA".
I was particularly enamored with the hauntings in cemeteries and the weeping mother statue but also the stories of cryptids like mermaids, Momi, Mothman, and one I hadn't heard about before in a state next door to me: pukmudgies from Massachusetts. Favorite stories feature the states of California (greatest haunted house ever built), Alabama, Illinois (where a zoo was built over an old cemetery), the haunted library of Indiana, the pukwudgies of Massachusetts, Michigan's lake monster, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, and the tunnel vampire of Virginia, and the mothman of West Virginia.
I was particularly enamored with the hauntings in cemeteries and the weeping mother statue but also the stories of cryptids like mermaids, Momi, Mothman, and one I hadn't heard about before in a state next door to me: pukmudgies from Massachusetts. Favorite stories feature the states of California (greatest haunted house ever built), Alabama, Illinois (where a zoo was built over an old cemetery), the haunted library of Indiana, the pukwudgies of Massachusetts, Michigan's lake monster, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Utah, and the tunnel vampire of Virginia, and the mothman of West Virginia.
July 24, 2025
Get to know one of the legends from each of the 50 states. This was so much fun to read. I learned a few stories from states that I have lived in over the years.
Young readers who enjoy a good ghost story will love this book!
Young readers who enjoy a good ghost story will love this book!
August 25, 2025
Meet the Specter Moose from Maine, the Mothman from West Virginia, and several ghosts and cryptids from all over the United States. The artwork is stunning and readers will enjoy reading about their state.
September 21, 2025
I received this book from a Goodread's giveaway.
The graphics are beautiful and the stories are interesting. I donated this book to my school library because I think it will be attractive to the middle school audience.
The graphics are beautiful and the stories are interesting. I donated this book to my school library because I think it will be attractive to the middle school audience.
August 8, 2025
The illustrations are incredible and the stories really well researched/presented.
October 5, 2025
Great art, decent writing, plenty of new-to-me stories with good variety as well as some old standards. Accessible with just a little bit of spookiness.
October 19, 2025
This book is super cool. I wish there was one just covering Illinois.
October 23, 2025
The illustrations in this book are 4 stars alone.
November 1, 2025
a fun beginning primer for the younger ghost and cryptid hunters. artwork is fantastic.
November 5, 2025
Short ghost story from each state, some spookier than others.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews