Booksology When I was a kid, I read a book at my local library that had a spell written on the back that would turn me into a werewolf. I’m a whimsical, monster-loving girl who didn’t know how I would fit into this world. I thought it would be easier to grow fangs and claws than to deal with all that troublesome human stuff. I cast the spell without missing a beat and was very disappointed when it didn’t work. But there was another magic on those library shelves. It’s a door to another world. In a world where ghosts and monsters and scary things await me, I was taught not only to face my own fears, but to come out the other side stronger and perhaps with a better understanding of myself. It turns out you don’t have to go full-on werewolves to feel different. Losing yourself is enough. This is a great spooky story. So I’m very happy to be here with Summer Scares. Please join me on this reading journey. Transformation into a werewolf is not guaranteed.
Mr. McMahon, along with a committee of six library staff members, will select the “Summer Scares” selection of nine books, three recommended novels for each reading level. The program aims to foster conversations about the horror genre across all ages in libraries around the world, ultimately attracting more adults, teens and children interested in reading. The official designated author of Summer Scares will also be available in public and school libraries.
The committee’s final selection will be announced on Library Enthusiasts Day, February 14, 2026. Mr. McMahon, along with some of the selected authors, will kick off Summer Scares at the 10th Annual HWA Librarian Day (Friday, June 5, 2026) during StokerCon® 2026 at the Westin Pittsburgh. Click here for more information.
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Additional content such as podcast appearances and free webinars book listand a list of titles recommended for further reading, will be published by the commission and its partners in the spring/summer period starting in early 2026. 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 HWA’s Library Advisory Committee, is packed with everything library staff needs to bring these great books into the community, including iREAD partner titles for each age group. From ideas like author events, partner programs with the University of Pittsburgh Library System, and book discussion groups, this guide is a starting point for library staff to create exciting and meaningful experiences for customers through the Summer Scare,” said Stamp. Points for upcoming horror-themed shows.
This guide will be available starting March 1, 2026 on our Summer Scares Resource page here.
To see past Summer Scares titles, spokespeople, and program guides, visit our program archives here.
Stay tuned for future updates. book listBook Riot, iREAD, NoveList®, and HWA websites: www.horror.org and RA for All Horror: https://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/Summer-scares.html.
Have questions? Email HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump at library@horror.org.
Summer Scares 2026 Committee Members:
Jennifer McMahon is new york times Best-selling author of 12 suspense novels including winter people, I promise not to tell you, and my darling girl. She writes about ghosts, serial killers, shape-shifting monsters, evil fairy kings, kidnapped rabbits, scary pools, and more. She lives on the Florida Gulf Coast with her partner Drea. When I’m not writing, I spend a lot of time searching for and exploring haunted places, both real and imagined.
Becky Spratford is a library consultant and author of the following books: Horror Reader Advice Guide3rd edition released in September 2021. She reviews horror. book list I’m a magazine horror columnist. library magazine I run the Leaders 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).
Conrad Stamp works at the Springfield-Greene County (Missouri) Library, where he coordinates the long-running series “Oh the Horror!” series, profiled in Horror Reader Advice Guide3rd edition. He also founded the “Donuts & Death” horror book discussion group. Rebooting your book club: 71 creative twists (ALA) to create 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 the 2025-26 Illinois Library Association president. She works as a teen librarian and reference librarian, and reviews horror works. book list magazine. Currently teaching horror to first year university students. You can find her on the internet as @papersquared.
Kelly Jensen is a senior editor at Book Riot, North America’s largest independent book website. She covers young adult literature in general and has been writing about censorship for nearly a decade. She is the author of three critically acclaimed and award-winning anthologies for young adults on themes of feminism, mental health, and the body. She was named 2022 Person of the Year by. Publishers Weekly and will be named 2022 Chicagoan of the Year. chicago tribune for her anti-censorship efforts. She has twice been honored by the American Association of School Librarians for her coverage of censorship. Prior to working at Book Riot, she was a public librarian serving children, youth, and adults at several libraries in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. She is currently enrolled in a master’s program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to enhance her work in mental health.
Julia Smith is the next senior editor. book listwhere she works in the youth library department and has a deep love for middle grade literature. Before her career, book listshe worked at an independent children’s bookstore and the Chicago Public Library System.
Yaika Sabat (MLS) comes from a public library background and currently works as Manager of Reader Content and Services at NoveList, where she creates content and services focused on genre and readers. As a member of the Horror Writers Association’s Library Advisory Board, she aims to help librarians understand and embrace the horror genre. Her other passions include writing, film and media, and folklore.
