October is here! It is time for my favorite fall holiday...Halloween. I love the pumpkins, costumes, and decorations. And I especially love the books about Halloween. If you are looking for some Halloween literature to share with the kids in you life, check out my list below. You can find something for every child. There are some classic stories or new stories with classic characters. There are some new favorites. And I have some easy chapter books for those kids who are ready to go beyond picture books.
FAVORITE CHARACTERS:
Scaredy-Cat Splat: My middle son loved Splat. This is an adorable story about a sweet cat who is determined to have the scariest Halloween costume. Unfortunately everyone thinks his costume is just plain silly. See what happens when the lights go out.
Trick or Treat Little Critter: I grew up reading about Little Critter and his friends. This is a hit with younger kids, not so much with older ones. It is a basic story of how the Critter family celebrates Halloween. But the illustrations are so cute and little kids love to find the mouse hidden in the pictures.
Froggy's Halloween: What can I say, kids love Froggy. The poor guy is always getting into trouble. In this Halloween book Froggy is having trouble putting a costume together. I am not sure how much my kids love this book, or if they just love me screeching "what" in my best Froggy voice when I read it out loud.
Franklin's Halloween: My kids love seeing Franklin try on different Halloween costumes as he get ready for the party. But what will happen when Franklin is told that there are real ghosts in the haunted house?
The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat: These bears are like old friends to me. In this story, brother and sister go trick-or-treating with their friends. What will happen if some of the friends want to play a trick on the neighbors?
Delightful Repetition and Rhyme:
6. Big Pumpkin: This was a favorite of my youngest children because of the repetition. It is a common story of brains over brawn. Each monster thinks that he or she can move the big pumpkin, but it isn't until the little bat comes along that the witch will get her pumpkin home. *
7. Room on the Broom: Unless you live under a rock, I am sure you have seen this book. It is available as a short video too. It is a fun little story that has a bouncy feel to it. The rhyming words make you almost sing the story to your children. See how many animals will be able to ride on the broom with the witch.
8. Where's My Mummy?: My youngest son loved this story. It is an adorable story of a little mummy searching for his own mummy before bed. While he searches for her, he encounters different classic monsters all getting ready for bed. I personally love the onomatopoeias in this one. *
9. Bonaparte Falls Apart: Such a cute story about a little skeleton who keeps falling apart and all his friends who try to find ways to hold him together. *
10. By the Light of the Halloween Moon: This story is one that people either love or hate. It follows along like "the old woman who swallowed a fly." I am one of the former. It all starts with a witch trying to grab a toe that is tapping out a tune. Read this one and find out how it ends.
New Favorites:
11. The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt: This one was published in 2020. It is a delightful story of a ghost who is made from a quilt and the challenges that come with being a quilt. He can't flow and twirl like the ghosts made from lighter fabric like sheets and curtains. But being different will allow him to experience something the other ghosts can't. Read this book to learn about accepting your differences.
12. Moldilocks and the Three Scares: I bought this story last Halloween. It was published in 2019. Your kids will love this spooky take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. *
13. Gustavo the Shy Ghost: This is another 2020 story, but it is technically not a Halloween book. This is actually a book about the Day of the Dead. Find out how this shy ghost will gain the courage to make new friends. *
14. Christopher Pumpkin: In this 2020 Halloween story, a witch brings a pile of pumpkins to life to help get her home ready for a party. But something goes wrong when glitter and sparkles are involved and Christopher Pumpkin is born. Will he be able to scare the witch and her friends and avoid being turned into pumpkin
stew? *
Chapter Books for Independent Readers:
15. Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots: The first book in the Bailey School Kids series. I first read it when I was a teacher's assistant in a third grade classroom. We had our students read this together during the month of October. The class loved it. Now I have my own kids read it.
16. The Witches: Who doesn't love Roald Dahl? In this story, a young boy finds himself stuck in a hotel with an entire convention of witches while on vacation with his grandma. Unfortunately, witches can't stand little boys. What will happen if they catch him?
17. The Worst Halloween Ever: This is the 3rd book about the horrible Herdman kids. To stop the Herdmans from causing mischief, the mayor cancels Halloween. Can they make this the best Halloween ever?
More Great Stories:
18. Pumpkin Jack: This is a must read when you study the pumpkin lifecycle. See what happens when a jack o lantern is left outside to rot in a compost pile. *
19. How to Catch a Monster: This was the first book I read in the "How to Catch..." series. A fun rhyming story, it lends itself to fun STEM projects like building traps. *
20. Creepy Pair of Underwear: There couldn't be a funnier story especially if you have boys. The little rabbit in this story decides he is big enough to pick out his own underwear. But little does he know how scared he will be of his glowing, ghoulish underwear. *
* If you would like to find some activities to go along with these books, check out my fall book companions on my TpT store.
So which Halloween book is your favorite? If you know of a book I should check out, let me know in the comments.
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