A personalised book about a haunted house

A haunted house gives children the kind of tummy tingle they often go looking for themselves. It's fun to be a little bit scared when you're sitting safely on someone's lap. A book about a haunted house lets your child open the door everyone else walks past, climb the dark staircase and find out for themselves what's hiding there. More often than not, what seemed dangerous turns out to be lonely, misunderstood or just a bit daft. That's a good feeling to take to bed.

A haunted house is made for a picture book, because every room can hold its own secret. In the attic there might be a trunk of old clothes that someone still misses. In the kitchen the pans might rattle because a mouse has built a nest in the old range. In the library a book might tumble off the shelf, open at a page with a clue. And somewhere is whoever lives in the house, who has been waiting a long time for a visitor. Down in the cellar something might drip in rhythm, as if someone were drumming their fingers.

For the littlest ones, a haunted house should hardly be scary at all: a friendly ghost, a game of hide-and-seek, a goodnight. Children between three and five often enjoy a brief moment of suspense that quickly gets a calm explanation. Six-year-olds and up can handle more mystery, perhaps a riddle that must be solved before the ghost can rest, and ten-year-olds appreciate a story that keeps them on the edge of their seat for a few more pages. A haunted house is a great fit in the run-up to Halloween, too.

Make the book personal by bringing in your child's own jumper, cuddly toy or rucksack, and choose who holds their hand down the hallway. It could be a brother or sister pretending to be brave, or a dog that barks at all the wrong things. Your own home can even become the haunted house, with your child's bedroom the only place the ghost doesn't dare go.

Wood moves very slightly when it gets warmer or colder, and when the air gets damper or drier. That's why floors and stairs creak in old houses, especially in the evening as the heating goes down. After reading, listen out for the sounds in your own home and give them names. Perhaps your creaky stair already has one. An old house can also whistle when the wind finds its way in through gaps round the windows.

You fill in the child's name, age and what they like, and upload a photo. The story about a haunted house is written for your very own child, and the thirteen pictures and the cover are drawn from the photo in the style you choose. Brothers and sisters, parents, grandparents or the pet can come along, up to five characters. If you would like to include something that has happened lately, a trip or a lost tooth, just write it and it is woven in.

The eBook is ready a few minutes after payment. Read it, change the text and ask for new pictures until you are happy. Then order it as an A4 hardback book, printed and sent to your door, or straight to the child as a gift. Do add the colouring pages. Start creating the book or read more about the prices. Would you like to see a finished book before you decide? Browse our example books.