This is a list of modern and contemporary children’s and young adult books that fit the Dark Academia aesthetic. I have a longer list on my nostalgic books site that also includes vintage books.
Mystery
The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane (2019)
A girl is sent to a boarding school in England, where she discovers that her father, who disappeared years before, was involved with a secret society. By Julia Nobel.
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place (2014)
When someone poisons their headmistress, the girls at a Victorian boarding school try to cover up their headmistress’s death while they investigate the crime. By Julie Berry.
The Story Collector (2018)
A girl who lives in the New York Public Library, where her father works, investigates the disappearance of a valuable stamp collection and a possible haunting with her friends. By Kristin O’Donnell Tubb.
The Story Seeker (2020)
Sequel to The Story Collector. A girl who lives in the New York Public Library, where her father works, investigates mysterious messages as part of an essay writing contest. By Kristin O’Donnell Tubb.
Series
Aggie Morton is a twelve-year-old girl living in Torquay, England in the early 1900s and investigates mysteries with her friend, a Belgian boy named Hector Perot, she investigates murders. By Marthe Jocelyn.
Scary
Among the Ghosts (2010)
A girl named Noh is spending the summer with her aunt at the boarding school where she teaches. She discovers that an old, burned dormitory is haunted and that the ghosts there need her help. By Amber Benson.
The Artifact Hunters (2020)
Sequel to The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle. Twelve-year-old Isaac is sent from Prague to Scotland for safety during WWII. He finds himself at Rookskill Castle with other children learning to use magic powers to fight the Nazis, but he must also learn the secret of the mysterious pendant that his parents gave him. By Janet Fox.
The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle (2016)
An old Scottish castle is turned into a boarding school for children evacuated from London during WWII. However, strange things are happening there, and soon, children start disappearing. By Janet Fox.
The Girl Who Wasn’t There (2014)
Maisie’s father becomes the caretaker of a boarding school, but Maisie finds it difficult to make friends there. Then, she discovers that the one friend she has made is actually a ghost. By Karen McCombie.
Say Her Name (2014)
A girl at a boarding school summons Bloody Mary on a Halloween dare, but to everyone’s surprise, Bloody Mary actually comes. They only have five days to figure out how to prevent her from coming after them. By Juno Dawson.
Series
Scarlet and Ivy
Scarlet and Ivy are a set of twins in the 1930s. In the first book, Ivy is shocked to be told that her sister, Scarlet, has died at boarding school. She is invited to take Scarlet’s place at the school, but she is forced to pretend to be Scarlet. Fortunately, Scarlet has left Ivy messages and clues about what happened to her and the sinister things that are happening at the school. Fortunately, Ivy is able to save Scarlet, and the two of them continue to attend the boarding school, solving its mysteries and learning some secrets about their own family. 2015-2019.
Jestress's Children's Shelf 