Halloween will definitely look different this fall, due to COVID-19 regulations and safety precautions. Trick-or-treating might not even happen and there won’t be many Halloween parties to prepare for due to social distancing restrictions, but you can entertain your kids by reading some spooky Halloween books. There are so many of them available for children and it can be a bit of a challenge choosing the ones that will keep your young audience attentive. It may even be tougher to get kids to sit still and listen to a story.
If you want to have more time with your children for reading, you can pay to do homework. Reading books to children on Halloween is a great way to take a break from the otherwise wild and crazy festivities. Sit down with your kids and enjoy reading.
Scary, Scary Halloween (2017)
Green eyes watch from the dark as skeletons dance, goblins skip, and ghosts float by. Come along to find a scary, scary surprise! With rhythm, rhyme, and just the right amount of fright, this is the perfect spooky story to share on Halloween!
Big Pumpkin (1995)
The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is so big she can’t get it off the vine.
The Little Ghost Who Didn’t Like to Be Scary (2019)
Layla is a ghost and ghosts are supposed to be scary. They’re supposed to haunt castles and shout BOOO! But Layla would much rather play with her friends. When Halloween approaches, she needs to decide whether she’s going to be a proper ghost or if there’s another way. One that doesn’t involve being scary.
How To Make Friends With A Ghost (2017)
What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories. Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren’t looking! If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you’ll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you.
Ghosts in the House (2010)
At the edge of town lives a clever girl with a spooky problem: Her house is haunted! Luckily, she happens to be a witch and knows a little something about taking care of ghosts. She catches them, puts them in the washing machine, airs them out to dry, and gives them new lives as sofa covers, table cloths, and, of course, bed sheets to cozy up under.
B is for Boo (2017)
B Is for Boo: A Halloween Alphabet features a collection of twenty-six illustrations featuring Halloween-themed concepts, including imaginative costumes, oodles of treats, pumpkins galore, masks and monsters, and haunted houses. This volume will fuel the anticipation of your child’s first Halloween and help to expand their vocabulary in the process.
Bonaparte Falls Apart (2017)
Readers who love stories about friendship, school, and little monsters will love this clever and humorous picture book about a skeleton who is falling to pieces and needs help pulling himself together.
Room on the Broom (2012)
This rollicking, rhyming tale from master storyteller Julia Donaldson is the perfect Halloween read-aloud for the youngest listeners. A friendly witch, hungry dragon, and muddy monster learn about friendship, and readers will delight in the surprising (and not too scary) ending.
A World Full of Spooky Stories: 50 Tales to Make Your Spine Tingle (2019)
Feel your pulse race and your skin tingle as you turn the pages of this spine chilling anthology of spooky stories from around the world. Read all about the fearsome witch Baba Yaga, the serpent woman from Spain, the rescue of Tam Lin from the bewitching Queen of the Fairies, how Father Death gets caught in the Enchanted Apple Tree, and the waterdwelling Bunyip from Australia.
Halloween (Spooky Halloween Stories): Scary Halloween Stories for Kids (2016)
These Halloween short stories are quick and easy to read and enjoy. You and your children will enjoy the spooky tales!
Creepy Pair of Underwear! (2017)
Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s just done with creepy underwear. But after trying everything to get rid of them, they keep coming back!
Crankenstein (2013)
BEWARE OF CRANKENSTEIN! He’s a little monster of crankiness that no one can destroy! He may look like any ordinary boy, but when faced with a rainy day, a melting Popsicle, or an early bedtime, one little boy transforms into a mumbling, grumbling Crankenstein. When Crankenstein meets his match in a fellow Crankenstein, the results could be catastrophic-or they could be just what he needs to brighten his day! This hilarious and relatable tale of grumpiness gone awry will turn toddler tantrums to giggles in no time.
At the Old Haunted House (2014)
There are all kinds of creatures in the house: a big Ma monster and her wee monsters two, a scrawny black cat and her wee kittens three, a green Pa goblin and his wee goblins four, and more! Count along as the creatures prepare for the Halloween Fright.
The Spook Skelly Crew (2019)
It’s HALLOWEEN night! Follow Skelly on a spooky undertaking as he gathers monsters in the graveyard to join his Spook Skelly Crew. Will Dracula, Frankenstein, the Werewolf, and the Mummy go willingly or perhaps Skelly will get the shock of his afterlife!
The Dark (2013)
Laszlo is afraid of the dark. The dark lives in the same house as Laszlo. Mostly, though, the dark stays in the basement and doesn’t come into Lazslo’s room. But one night, it does. This is the story of how he stops being afraid of the dark.
The Spooky Wheels on the Bus (2010)
A haunted Halloween bus ride that will have children singing with excitement. THE SPOOKY WHEELS ON THE BUS is a humorous Halloween-themed version of the classic song THE WHEELS ON THE BUS…with a few ghoulish tricks and treats up its sleeves! Count from One Spooky Bus up to Ten Goofy Ghosts as this Halloween ride races through town picking up a few unsuspecting passengers along the way.
If You’re Scary and You Know It! (2019)
If you’re scary and you know it, moan and groan . . . Set to the tune of “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” this festive holiday book is perfect for all of the boys and gouls roaming around on Halloween night! Ghosts moan and groan, while pirates yo ho! If You’re Scary And You Know It! is sure to be a Halloween hit!
Little Blue Truck’s Halloween (2016)
Beep! Beep! It’s Halloween! Little Blue Truck is picking up his animal friends for a costume party. Lift the flaps in this large, sturdy board book to find out who’s dressed up in each costume! Will Blue wear a costume too?
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (2019)
Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap. And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life!
Goodnight, Little Monster (2010)
Little Monster needs to get ready for bed. That means howling at the moon, scrubbing his scales, getting into his creepy PJs, and enjoying a nice snack before bed: worm juice and baked beetle bread. And, of course, Little Monster’s mother is nearby to tuck Little Monster into bed and turn on his night-light—because even little monsters can be afraid of the dark.
Go Away, Big Green Monster! (1992)
This classic interactive book that has been helping children chase away nighttime fears for 25 years is perfect for Halloween and all-year round! Ed Emberley has created an ingenious way for children to overcome bedtime frights. As kids turn the die-cut pages of this vibrantly illustrated book, they’ll watch the Big Green Monster grow before their very eyes. Then, when they’re ready to show him who’s in charge, they’ll turn the remaining pages and watch him disappear!
Skeletons ARE NOT Spooky! (2018)
For everything that skeletons do for us, why do they have such a bad reputation for being spooky? Maybe they are just like us and want to have a little bit of fun. With adorable illustrations, this book is great as a read-aloud or beginner book for early readers.
Dem Bones (2016)
Sing along with a colorful skeleton band in this exuberant rendition of a traditional most-loved African-American spiritual, passed down by word of mouth for generations. Today, it’s usually sung by children as a way to learn anatomy, rhyme, and language. With its vibrant paper collage illustrations and rollicking read-aloud verse, this perfect introduction to the human body makes a wonderful addition to both home and classroom libraries, and is a fun treat for Halloween!
Skeleton Hiccups (2002)
Skeleton has the hiccups. hic, hic, hic
Ghost tries to help. hic, hic, hic
But nothing works. hic, hic, hic
Then ghost gets an idea…. hic, hic, hic
HOORAY!
Cinderella Skeleton (2004)
Meet Cinderella Skeleton, as sweetly foul as only a ghoul can be. Poor Cinderella has no one to help her hang the cobwebs and arrange dead flowers–certainly not her evil stepsisters. But the Halloween Ball is just around the corner.
Skelly the Skeleton Girl (2007)
Skelly, a little skeleton girl, finds a bone one day. Who could it belong to? As Skelly searches for the bone’s owner, she questions everyone from her skeletal goldfish, to her man-eating plants, to the monster who lives beneath the stairs. Finally, Skelly locates the bone’s owner–and makes a new friend.
Halloween. High Contrast Baby Book for Newborn (2020)
Have fun with this special Halloween edition of the high contrast book. Newborns like large, simple black and white patterns with a strong outline.
Where’s My Mummy? (2009)
Little Baby Mummy wants just one more game of hide-and-shriek with Big Mama Mummy before bedtime. The night is deep and dark, full of friendly creatures that click their clacky teeth and whoosh past on flippy-floppy wings. But who will comfort Little Baby Mummy if a small, scritchy-scratchy someone gives him a scare? Big Mama Mummy, of course!
Happy Halloween, Stinky Face (2016)
Stinky Face is getting ready for Halloween when he has a question–which of course Mama knows the perfect answer to! Even though Stinky Face can think of a million things that could go wrong while trick-or-treating, Mama knows that no matter what happens, he’s going to have the best night ever. That is if he can settle on a costume!
Pumpkin Orange, Pumpkin Round (2020)
What could be better than an autumn trip to the pumpkin patch with the cutest cast of cat characters ready to celebrate Halloween? In bouncy rhyme, the folksy felines choose their pumpkins, wheel them home, and work together through all the steps of carving a jack-o-lantern. With the lanterns’ spooky and cheerful faces shining bright, now is the time to dress up and head out for trick-or-treating.
Hoot Howl Halloween (Interactive Children’s Sound Book with 10 Spooky Sounds) (2018)
On Halloween, the moon shines bright, and SPOOKY noises fill the night…Hoot Howl Halloween is a fun book with 10 spooky sounds! Explore the haunted house and press the buttons to hear ghosts wailing, witches cackling, bats flapping and bones jangling.
Boo: Peek-a-Flap Board Book (2017)
Peek-a-BOO! Each festive Halloween scene will engage your little one with a pair of lift-a-flaps with peek-a-boo surprises. Talk about Halloween traditions like pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, and costume parties. Inside the flaps, you’ll find fun facts about items in the artwork.
Babies Love Halloween: Lift-a-Flap Board Book (2016)
Introduce your baby or toddler to classic Halloween traditions like costume parties and trick-or-treating, with this adorable lift-a-flap board book. Simple sentences reinforce future language structure, and grasping and lifting the sturdy flaps helps develop fine motor skills. Perfect first Halloween book!
Monster Train (2020)
All aboard the Monster Train! Join Dracula, the Headless Horseman, Frankenstein’s monster, the Kraken, and all the other spooky creatures that rise for Halloween on a train ride that teaches the alphabet for the Halloween season.This adorable two-in-one board book unfolds into a 56” train (perfect for playtime or room decor!)
Ten Little Monsters Board Book (2017)
Ten Little Monsters are going trick-or-treating … But what will the Ten Little Monsters do when they meet a wailing ghost? Two creepy witches? And a GIANT SPIDER?
Count from ten to one and back again, as the Little Monsters disappear then reappear.
Spot and count the details on each page.
