Demons are the oldest villains people ever invented, and they have aged remarkably well. Long before anyone wrote a haunted-house novel, storytellers were describing horned oni thundering through Japanese hills, rakshasas shape-shifting through Indian epics, and a shaggy Alpine creature who shows up in December with a switch. Children's authors have inherited all of it — and then done something the old tales rarely did, which is let the demon be funny, or lonely, or the one telling the story.
Drawing on Bookroo's collection of 93 demon books, our editors picked the ones worth a child's evening: comic fantasy, folktale retellings, a couple of genuinely creepy middle-grade novels, and one Caldecott Medal winner about a woman who chases a runaway dumpling straight into a demon's kitchen. Start with our fixed list of 12 favorites, then browse the board books, picture books, and middle-grade adventures by age.
A dare, a cursed lamp, and a demon called the Sleeper — and now everyone Aru knows is frozen in place.
Prosper learns his family's fortune came from a demon deal — and the demon is now living inside him.
The Society of the Evening Star is close to opening Zzyzx, the prison holding every demon on earth.
A Manhattan deli kid is attacked by the Mesopotamian god of plague and his demons, and only he can stop the sickness.
Suraya inherits her grandmother's pelesit, a demon familiar who loves her far too fiercely to share.
Meesh is a demon who is terrible at being bad — she likes fairies, glitter, and being nice.
Momo finds out her mother is a Shinto goddess about the same time the demons of Yomi come for her.
A rakkhosh crashes through Kiranmala's kitchen wall on her twelfth birthday, and her parents vanish the same night.
A woman chases a runaway rice dumpling underground and lands in a kitchen full of three-eyed oni.
A K-pop girl group fights demons by night, and their rivals in the hottest boy band are not human.
Artemis Fowl races a rival genius to a colony of demons whose island is slipping loose in time.
Chunky pages, cheerful horns, and Krampus at his least alarming for ages 0–3.
Discover colors with vibrant Demon Slayer characters.
Pop stars by day, demon hunters by night. Can they balance fame and danger?
Uncover festive surprises with Krampus Baby in a magical Alpine village.
Oni folktales, devil bargains, and read-aloud mischief with more grin than fright for ages 3–8.
Santa must convince a restless Krampus to sleep on Christmas Eve.
A mummy's spooky gifts lead to a Halloween countdown full of surprises.
A cunning deal with a devil tests a young woman's wit in a Cornish village.
A horned beast visits on Krampusnacht, seeking naughty children. Who will it take?
A boy's search for his mom leads to unexpected dangers at an abandoned gas station.
A substitute teacher holds the key to Max's missing mom. Can he uncover the truth?
A child befriends growing oni who chase away nightmares with their drums.
Mythology quests, demon-hunting adventures, graphic novels, and a few real scares for independent readers ages 7–12.
Can the Pandavas stop the Sleeper from achieving immortality before the full moon rises?
A prophecy threatens the Otherworld. Can Aru Shah outwit fate with a single wish?
Aru must clear her name and find a stolen bow before the next full moon or face exile.
Aru Shah must navigate betrayal and trials to prevent a war between gods and demons.
A haunted house hides a portal to Hell. Can Barney save his dog from a demon king's possession?
A demon must choose between power and loyalty in a battle against serpentine oppressors.
A girl must harness her ancestral powers to stop unleashed legends from consuming her town.
Tom must defeat Minos the Demon Bull or risk Avantia falling under evil control.
A two-headed demon threatens Avantia. Can Tom retrieve the Cup of Life before it's too late?
Aru Shah lights a cursed lamp, unleashing a demon. Can she save her frozen world?
A child's world is full of perplexing challenges and whimsical worries.
An outcast must prove her worth to save the world from demons.
