The Book Series Behind the New Goosebumps TV Show

For decades, R.L. Stine has cast a spell by transforming even the most reluctant readers into avid readers. First published in 1992, the beloved Goosebumps book series has enchanted generations of readers with its spooky, suspenseful, and eerie-sistible tales. 

Each book features a standalone story centered around kids encountering chilling twists, creepy creatures, and supernatural forces — from talking jack-o’-lanterns and monster blood to a mysterious ghost beach or a terror tower. Packed with spine-tingling plots, humor, and lessons about resilience and courage, readers will be excited to dive into the next book in the series.  

Goosebumps continues to leave a lasting impact on fans of horror, spawning numerous spin-offs that older audiences can’t get enough of. Now, fans have a fresh reason to get excited about revisiting the pages of Stine’s books. Geared towards teens and families, watch the all new Goosebumps series streaming Friday, October 13th on Hulu and Disney+.

Explore the Books That Inspired the Series 

Build suspense with older readers or re-read your own Goosebumps favorites before the television series premier on Friday, October 13th.  We’ve compiled a list of titles to get started! We won’t give anything away, but the 10 episode series is based upon themes from the classic titles below. Read on, watch, and see if you notice the similarities.  

• Classic Goosebumps #08: Say Cheese and Die!: After finding an old camera at a spooky house, Greg notices that every photo he takes seems to predict disaster. Readers will be at the edge of their seats as they uncover who will take the fall next for the evil camera. 

• Classic Goosebumps #1: Night of the Living Dummy: When Lindy finds a ventriloquist dummy in the dumpster, her twin, Kris, feels left out of the fun. Kris decides to get a dummy of her own, named Mr. Wood, but strange things start happening when she brings him home. Will the sisters be able to destroy Mr. Wood before deep trouble unfolds?

• Classic Goosebumps #04: The Haunted Mask: In search of the scariest Halloween costume ever, Carly Beth finds a creepy mask in the hidden back room of a store. Not before long, the haunted mask starts to have a troubling effect on Carly Beth. Even more, when she tries to take the mask off, it doesn’t budge! 

• Classic Goosebumps #21: Go Eat Worms: Todd is obsessed with worms. He is so fascinated by them that he even has his own worm farm in his basement. When Todd's worm experiement for the science fair goes wrong, the worms seek revenge by showing up everywhere!

• Classic Goosebumps #28: The Cuckoo Clock of Doom: When his father brings home an antique German cuckoo clock, Michael is warned not to touch it. Going against his word, Michael turns back the hands and finds himself trapped in a mysterious time warp.

Plus, check out the most recent installment in the Goosebumps spin-off: Goosebumps House of Shivers #1: Scariest. Book. Ever. Readers will follow the shadowy and twisted journey of twins Betty and Billy after unearthing dark secrets about their uncle’s possession of the scariest book in the world. When the book goes missing, the siblings must venture into the ominous Wayward Forest to retrieve the book before it unleashes evil into the world. 

Shop new and classic Goosebumps books below! You can find the complete series, along with all books and activities at The Scholastic Store.