The most popular books among my peers when I was in second to fourth grade were the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series. They were popular to the point that we spent our recesses forming clubs based around them. John Bellairs received similar treatment.

After that, Goosebumps came into fashion and then once kids grew out of that they got really into Fear Street and Christopher Pike. The idea that the macabre doesn't appeal to American kids is frankly so false it's bizarre it would even be thought of. Kids ate that up, and I can't imagine that's changed.

Dahl's books are pretty macabre. They deal with child murder on a frequent basis. But that is, if anything, one of the reasons they are popular.