It’s the time of year when I want to watch Gilmore Girls and gear up for all the cheesy Hallmark movies, all while I’m planning our children’s Halloween costumes and one of my favorite units. 

And one of my favorite units is spooky stories for literary analysis. 

Spooky stories are always a hit in the middle school classroom and I love using them to teach literary analysis. Students are engaged and eager to respond to the literature. 

I’m excited to share 5 spooky stories (bonus for 10 total) and the elements of literature we focus on when preparing for our literary analysis. 

1. “Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” Rod Serling
2. “The Tell-Tale Heart” Edgar Allan Poe
3. “Lamb to a Slaughter”  Roald Dahl
4. “The Monkey’s Paw” W.W. Jacobs
5. “The Landlady” Roald Dahl

Show notes: annotatedela.com/episode26

Want more support on teaching literary analysis? 

Grab the Literary Analysis: Spooky Stories Resource. 

Visit the blog for more spooky story suggestions: 

Ten Spooky Stories for Literary Analysis to Engage Middle Schoolers

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