Back-Pocket Tales 

Small Towns. Strange Secrets. Stories That Stay with You.

Middle Grade spooky fiction (Ages 11–15)

Back-Pocket Tales is a high-interest middle grade short story series designed to engage readers ages 11–15. The collection features eerie, folklore-inspired stories set in ordinary places where something unsettling hides just beneath the surface. With short, self-contained stories and no graphic content, the series is ideal for reluctant readers, independent reading time, and classroom or library use.

 

 

Volume One: Small Towns, Strange Things

Each story takes place in an ordinary small town where something unsettling hides just out of sight. From magicians who reach too far into the spirit world to junkyards that whisper with buried voices, these tales uncover secrets that refuse to stay hidden.

Inside Volume One, readers will discover:

  • A desert prospector guarding a dangerous secret

  • A hidden river valley with magical creatures

  • A bride bound to a love that won’t die

  • A frozen northern lake that remembers the dead

Designed for readers who enjoy creepy stories without graphic horror, these short tales deliver atmosphere, mystery, and suspense—perfect for independent reading, reluctant readers, or sharing aloud. 

Free sample available on Amazon
Ages 11–15 • No graphic content • Standalone stories

Volume Two: Seven Twisted Tales from the In-Between

Volume Two of Back-Pocket Tales is now available—bringing seven new eerie, small-town stories where secrets linger, whispers grow louder, and nothing is quite as safe as it seems.

These stories deliver creepy atmosphere without gore—perfect for independent readers, classrooms, and anyone who enjoys a quiet chill that sneaks up on you.

You are at a crossroad—go left, go right, or RUN! 

If you enjoyed Volume One, the story doesn’t end there.

Free sample available on Amazon
Ages 11–15 • No graphic content • Standalone stories

Volume Three: Where Time and Night Collide

In Volume Three of Back-Pocket Tales, the rules begin to bend. Time twists, old myths awaken, and the past seeps into the present when it least should.

Inside this volume, readers will encounter:

  • Stories where time loops and refuses to move forward

  • Ancient legends reborn in the modern world

  • Secrets from the past bleeding into everyday life

  • Characters caught at the edge of fate, choice, and consequence

As night deepens, destinies shift—and what begins again may not end the same way.

Free sample available on Amazon
Ages 11–15 • No graphic content • Standalone stories

Volume Four: Once You Open the Door

In Volume Four of Back-Pocket Tales, the mysteries grow darker and the unknown moves closer. Strange forces stir beneath ordinary places, hidden truths surface, and the past refuses to stay buried.

Inside this volume, readers will encounter:

• Shadows that follow long after night ends
• Secrets that reshape reality when uncovered
• Unseen forces guiding fate and consequence
• Moments where the familiar becomes unsettling

Blending folklore, mystery, and quiet supernatural suspense, these stories deliver eerie atmosphere without graphic horror. 

Free sample available on Amazon
Ages 11–15 • No graphic content • Standalone stories