Halloween is quickly approaching and I’m very excited about it! And what better way to celebrate than with a week of Halloween book lists! Today, I’m sharing a list of 25 of the best Halloween books for kids!
While Halloween is certainly looking a bit different for all of us this year, we still have books. And these Halloween books are seriously the best. They’re fun, engaging and have beautiful illustrations! Perfect for bedtime stories or classroom read-alouds.
Whether you’re looking for board books, spooky books, funny books, books about ghosts or anything in between, this list is for you. With 25 books to choose from, you’ll find the perfect Halloween book for your kids or students.
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The Best Halloween Books for Kids
Holiday, Humour • Scholastic Canada
Best-selling team Robert Munsch and Michael Martchenko create another funny adventure about a boy named Lance, who finds an inventive way of getting more candy on Halloween.
Lance loves dressing up for Halloween. This year, instead of wearing a store-bought mask, he paints his face very, very scary. When Lance goes trick-or-treating, his scary face spooks his neighbors so much that they fall over—leaving him all their candy! Lance uses his horrid face to steal more candy than he can carry. But in the end, he he has so much candy that he decides to share with his neighbors.
Board Book, Holiday • Disney Press
In this adorable Halloween-themed board book, Winnie the Pooh dons his bumblebee costume and discovers that while he’s not terribly fond of tricking, he does enjoy treating very much!
Holiday, Humour • HarperCollins
In Frankenstein Doesn’t Wear Earmuffs! — a hilarious picture book debut — a young boy with an overactive imagination gets ready to go trick-or-treating, but will his overly concerned parents ruin his plans for Halloween?
A young trick-or-treater is ready for Halloween in the best Frankenstein costume ever … if he can make it out the front door!
Every time he tries to set foot into the dark and stormy night, his parents interrupt with yet another warm and cozy addition to his costume. But Frankenstein does not wear floppy boots, or a puffy jacket, or a fanny pack. And he especially doesn’t wear earmuffs!
Will our young Frankenstein be able to break loose from his bundled layers and have the Halloween of his dreams? Or will he be overcome by the weight of a ghastly fall wardrobe?
Everyone’s favorite turtle is back — and all dressed up for Halloween fun! What does a turtle look like when he’s made up as Frankenstein? Children will be delighted to see for themselves as they follow Franklin to a Halloween party, complete with games, a parade, and a haunted house.
Holiday • Rainstorm Publishing
Amazon
Read as Boo discovers to be brave in this adorable, spooky story!
Once upon a time, in a haunted house near you, lived a little ghost, his name was Boo. October nights should have been such a lark, but poor little Boo was afraid of the dark.
Follow Boo as he visits his monster friends and discovers how to be brave on Halloween night! This adorable story with spooktacular illustrations is perfect to make Halloween or any dark night become more fun than creepy.
With charming illustrations and a glow-in-the-dark cover, Ghost Afraid of the Dark is sure to delight young readers.
Holiday, Social Themes • Candlewick
This winning debut picture book from Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago about finding the courage to make friends is perfect for the spooky season — or anytime.
Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves? With fancifully detailed artwork and visual humor, debut picture-book creator Flavia Z. Drago’s vivid illustrations tell a sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship that is sure to be a treat for little ghouls and goblins everywhere.
Kick off your Halloween night with these festive poems from the author of Kindergarten, Here I Come!
From choosing the best costume and going out trick-or-treating to sorting your candy and dealing with the results after you’ve eaten too much, author D. J. Steinberg captures the slightly shivery as well as festive moments of Halloween in this collection of playful poems.
Holiday, Humour • Sourcebooks Wonderland
From the creators of the New York Times bestselling How to Catch a Leprechaun and How to Catch an Elf!
There’s a monster in my closet,
with claws, and teeth, and hair,
and tonight, I’m going to scare him!
He lives just right through there …
Get ready to laugh as a young ninja heads into the closet to meet the monster that’s been so scary night after night! But what if things aren’t what they seem and our monster isn’t scary at all? What if our ninja hero is about to make a friend of strangest sort?
If you dare to travel beyond the closet door and into the land of the monsters … you might just find the very best reward of all. But with robots, lava pie, and a smattering of traps — catching monsters is no easy business!
Is there a monster living in your closet? Are you brave enough to catch him? Parents and children will love sharing this fun and inventive picture book, which reminds us that things aren’t always as scary as they seem.
Disney, Holiday, Short Stories • Disney Press
Snuggle up with your favorite characters in this adorable first collection of Halloween bedtime stories!
Featuring Mickey, Winnie the Pooh, and all the Disney favorites, this collection of Halloween tales is perfect for bedtime, story time, or any time at all!
Join Pete the Cat from New York Times bestselling artist James Dean as he goes trick-or-treating in this lift-the-flaps book!
Pete loves Halloween and candy but not so much scary surprises. Follow Pete as he goes trick-or-treating from house to house and discover what is waiting behind each door.
With over ten flaps that open to reveal fun spooky surprises, this book is spooktacular!
Board Book, Disney, Holiday • Disney Press
It’s Halloween night. So much fun is in store. Mickey is ready for visitors, and someone’s at the door!
Young readers will love getting ready to trick-or-treat with Mickey and the gang with this novelty board book. With gatefold flaps revealing a new trick-or-treater on every spread, this book will be a hit at Halloween!
The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch’s hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?
Holiday, Humour • HarperFestival
Splat the Cat and his friends have a Halloween adventure in Splat the Cat: What Was That?, a lift-the-flap book by Rob Scotton, creator of the beloved Russell the Sheep.
Halloween should be a black cat’s favorite holiday, but Spat the Cat is nervous about visiting a creepy haunted house. He’s worried it will be too scary. Splat’s friend Spike tells Splat not to be a scaredy-cat — the haunted house is just for fun!
Splat and Spike’s visit to the haunted house turns into a rescue mission when Splat’s pet mouse, Seymour, gets lost inside.
Kids will relate to Splat’s apprehension about visiting a haunted house and they’ll enjoy the exciting surprises under every flap in the funny, spooky book.
Board Book, Holiday • Cartwheel Books
An adorable spooky twist on “The Teeny Tiny Woman” that’s perfect for Halloween!
In the teeny tiny barn
Of a teeny tiny house
Lived a teeny tiny ghost
And a teeny tiny mouse …
This teeny tiny ghost is too little to be spooky. Will she find her voice … and a friend, too? Discover the perfect Halloween read-aloud, full of vibrant illustrations, bouncy rhymes, and an adorable friendship duo!
Board Book, Holiday • Random House Books for Young Readers
A familiar tune and adorable costumed animals on every page make for a spooktacular Halloween board book!
The ghosts go marching one by one. Hurrah, hurrah!
A line of trick-or-treaters on every page builds young listeners’ anticipation as they sing their way through the neighborhood. At the end, lift the double gatefold to reveal a Halloween surprise party!
Board Book, Holiday • Little Simon
This gently spooky twist on “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” makes a favorite nursery rhyme just perfect for Halloween!
The itsy bitsy pumpkin
rolled down the spooky street.
He passed a ghoulish ghost
and some stinky goblin’s feet.
A little pumpkin is trying to find his way back home! And with a little help from a friendly witch, he is soon safe and sound, back on his porch — where there are no spiders to be seen! Little ones will love this fresh fall spin on a classic nursery rhyme!
Amazon
One day in the pumpkin patch the strangest little pumpkin hatched …
Spookley the Pumpkin was different. All the other pumpkins teased him, until Spookley proved that being different can save the day!
‘I’ve lost my boo! I’ve lost my boo! Where has it gone? What will I do?’
Little Ghost has lost her boo, but she is determined to get it back, so she heads out to look for it. On her night-time hunt she meets a number of her friends, Owl, Pigeon, Rooster and Cow, and asks each of them if they’ve heard her boo. None of them have but they are all very kind and offer Little Ghost their own sound instead. But none are as good as her own scary boo so she keeps on looking. In the end, it’s the reader who finds it for her!
When you’re a quilt instead of a sheet, being a ghost is hard! An adorable picture book for fans of Stumpkin and How to Make Friends with a Ghost.
Ghosts are supposed to be sheets, light as air and able to whirl and twirl and float and soar. But the little ghost who is a quilt can’t whirl or twirl at all, and when he flies, he gets very hot.
He doesn’t know why he’s a quilt. His parents are both sheets, and so are all of his friends. (His great-grandmother was a lace curtain, but that doesn’t really help cheer him up.) He feels sad and left out when his friends are zooming around and he can’t keep up.
But one Halloween, everything changes. The little ghost who was a quilt has an experience that no other ghost could have, an experience that only happens because he’s a quilt … and he realizes that it’s OK to be different.
Holiday • Simon & Schuster / Paula Wiseman Books
From beloved author-illustrator Nicola Killen comes a charming autumnal story about a little girl who must return a lost kitten to its home, lovingly told and illustrated in limited color with lovely foil and interactive die cut pages.
Ollie and her cat Pumpkin are out frolicking on a beautiful fall day when they come upon a tiny kitten shivering in a pile of fallen leaves. Ollie warms the kitten up and the three become fast friends, but when Ollie sees “Lost Kitten” posters hanging on the trees in the forest, she knows she has to help her new friend get home. As Halloween draws nearer, magic is afoot, and Ollie’s good deed is rewarded in an unexpected way.
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! With bouncy refrains and classic art, this timeless Halloween story is perfect for reading aloud.
“‘Twas the night before Halloween, and all through the house, All the creatures were stirring, except for the mouse. The monsters had gathered to plan and prepare, For the trick-or-treaters who soon would be there?.”
Little monsters and goofy goblins take center stage in this silly, spooky spin on Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem. But what will happen on Halloween when the monsters come face to face with human trick-or-treaters in this fun-filled book by the author of The Night Before Easter?
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.
Holiday • Random House Books for Young Readers
Little Critter describes how he and his family select their Halloween costumes, buy and decorate a pumpkin, and go trick or treating.
This adorable book gives young readers a window into how Halloween is celebrated in an Arctic Inuit community, incorporating contemporary celebrations and Inuit folklore.
The air is cold, the nights are long, and Halloween is just around the corner. This is the time of year when pumpkins fly! In the remote, fly-in community of Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, the last cargo flight of October brings some strange orange guests for the children. Seeing a pumpkin for the first time, the local kids eagerly carve and light their first jack-o-lantern. But when everyone adjourns to the community hall for the Halloween dance, the pumpkin is left alone outside. The land around Sanikiluaq is home to many spirits who love to cause mischief, especially this time of year. But what would a land spirits do with a pumpkin? This adorable book gives young readers a window into how Halloween is celebrated in an Arctic Inuit community, incorporating contemporary celebrations and Inuit folklore.
I’m so excited to share a week of Halloween posts with you all! I hope you enjoyed this list of 25 Halloween books for kids and found some great new reads!
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[…] I shared a list of 25 fantastic Halloween books for kids. And since Halloween is looking different this year for all of us, these middle grade books are […]