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‘Tis the season for haunted hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkin carving and, of course, finding the perfect Halloween costume. (This is serious business, after all.) Halloween is a holiday beloved by children and adults alike — especially those who enjoy a good scare — and it’s one that’s well worth celebrating throughout the entire month of October.
One of the best ways to celebrate any holiday is by breaking out some themed books to read with your little ones — and there’s no shortage of fun Halloween reads for younger kids. Of course, many of them are on the creepy side, and no matter how much your child is clamoring to read the scariest book possible, we’d venture a guess that you’d prefer not to give your little one nightmares.
Luckily, plenty of authors have found a happy medium. These books are adorably spooky, but though they may give your kids a delightful shiver down their spines, they (and you!) will still be able to sleep peacefully through the night once the last page has been read.
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‘Spooky, Scary Skeletons’
Image Credit: Random House If you’ve ever heard the song that inspired this book, you know it’s a favorite of kids — and the book will be, too! It follows the adventures of five little skeletons trick-or-treating on Halloween night.
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‘Room on the Broom’
Room on the Broom is a classic Halloween tale that every child should have on their bookshelf! A witch and her cat are out for a ride on her broom, but thanks to a gusty wind, she loses her hat, her wand, and her cape. Some helpful animals below find her items, and would love a ride on the broom in thanks … but is there room to fit everyone?
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‘Halloween is Coming!’
Image Credit: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky Written in lyrical prose, this enchanting book celebrates all the fun and exciting activities that build anticipation for the spookiest night of the year … Halloween!
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‘Horton Hears a Boo!’
Image Credit: Random House Written in the style of Dr. Seuss’s classic Horton Hears a Who, this Halloween version — Horton Hears a Boo! — is a tale of being brave and helping others. Horton and his friends hear a strange and spooky noise in the lagoon, and decide to approach with caution … will they find a friend or a foe?
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‘How to Catch a Witch’
Image Credit: Sourcebooks Wonderland From the same authors as How to Catch a Monster (which you’ll find further down in this roundup!) comes this uproarious tale of a rogue witch who has opened up a magical portal, letting spooky creatures out into the neighborhood. A group of friends must trap her before it’s too late!
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‘Little Blue Truck’s Halloween’
Image Credit: Clarion Books The beloved Little Blue Truck series gets a Halloween spin as Little Blue Truck picks up his animal friends for a costume party in this fun lift-the-flap story!
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‘Big Pumpkin’
Image Credit: Aladdin Books In this cute-not-scary tale, a witch is trying to make a pumpkin pie from the huge pumpkin growing on her vine — but it’s too big to move, and none of her friends can move it, either. But then a little bat comes along with a big idea.
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‘It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse!’
Image Credit: HarperFestival If you’re familiar with Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and the other books in the “If You Give …” series, you’ll love following along with Mouse on his Halloween adventure. He’s ready to decorate pumpkins … but one has come up missing. Can he find it in time for Halloween?
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‘Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete’
Image Credit: Harper Festival Little ones will love ALL the books in James Dean’s celebrated Pete the Cat series — but especially this one, which has flaps that reveal fun Halloween surprises. It will definitely be a treat!
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‘The Crayons Trick or Treat’
Image Credit: Philomel Books The crayons would love to go trick or treating, but there’s just one problem: they aren’t sure what to say. Purple crayon to the rescue, who teaches them the most perfect thing!
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‘How to Catch a Monster’
Image Credit: Sourcebooks Wonderland When a boy finally summons the courage to face the monster who lives in his closet, he gets much more than he bargained for: an unexpected friend! Written in engaging rhyme, this book is fun for Halloween, but also for any time your kiddo is a little scared at night.
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‘Gus the Gassy Ghost’
Image Credit: Humor Heals Us Gus the ghost is absolutely terrifying … but not for the reasons you might think. It’s not that he’s so scary, it’s his otherworldly flatulence. And he’s going to spook ALL the kids at the haunted house this year!
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‘EEK! Halloween!’
Image Credit: Workman Publishing Company. The chickens in Sandra Boynton’s EEK! Halloween! are feeling a little on edge. An enormous mouse! A pumpkin with flickering eyes! A wizard and a witch! By the end of the book, they’ve all relaxed after realizing it’s just Halloween and there’s nothing to be afraid of.
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‘The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything’
Image Credit: HarperCollins. Written by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd, this classic read-aloud tells the tale of an old lady who’s fearless… that is until she hears a mysterious “Clomp!” “Shake!” and “Clap!”
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‘What Was I Scared Of? A Glow-in-the-Dark Encounter’
Image Credit: Random House. If there’s anyone who can deliver a seriously silly scare, it’s Dr. Seuss. The narrator of What Was I Scared Of? is terrorized by… a pair of empty pants. The aforementioned pair of empty pants is equally terrified of the narrator. Spoiler alert: They become friends in the end.
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‘Creepy Carrots’
Image Credit: Simon & Schuster. Written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by Peter Brown, this Caldecott winner tells the story of Jasper Rabbit. Jasper simply adores carrots and can’t get his fill, so imagine his surprise when a slightly menacing group of carrots begins following him…
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‘The Night Before Halloween’
Image Credit: Grosset & Dunlap. Written by Natasha Wing and illustrated by Cynthia Fisher, this humorous spin on Clement C. Moore’s classic poem depicts little monsters and goblins preparing for Halloween. All is well among them, but how will the trick-or-treaters react on the big night?
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‘Monster Museum’
Image Credit: Hyperion Books. Marilyn Singer and Gris Grimly introduce a cast of characters including the werewolf, Count Dracula, the mummy and their group of friends who just happen to be slimy, slithery and prone to screaming at any given time. But don’t worry — it’s all fun and games once you get to know them.
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‘Pumpkin Eye’
Image Credit: Square Fish. Denise Fleming injects just the right amount of spookiness for preschoolers in this Halloween night tale of the thrills (and occasional scares) of trick-or-treating.
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‘Ten Timid Ghosts’
Image Credit: Cartwheel. Author and illustrator Jennifer O’Connell’s book provides the perfect counting lesson to use this month. What could be better than counting with 10 ghosts, a witch and a haunted house?
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‘Scary, Scary Halloween’
Image Credit: HMH Books for Young Readers. Green eyes are watching! Skeletons, goblins and ghosts enjoy the Halloween festivities in this classic, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Jan Brett. Your kids will love the rhymes that lead up to a spooky surprise.
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‘The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree’
Image Credit: Random House. Who can resist a classic book about everyone’s favorite family of talking bears? When the brave little bears encounter a mysterious tree, they conquer their fears and do some exploring.
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‘Where’s My Mummy?’
Image Credit: Candlewick. Little Baby Mummy absolutely loves playing hide-and-shriek with Big Mama Mummy. The night creatures are mostly friendly, but what happens when Little Baby Mummy gets a scare? Big Mama Mummy will be there to provide comfort, of course. Written by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by John Manders, this sweet book is the perfect bedtime read-aloud.
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‘By the Light of the Halloween Moon’
Image Credit: Two Lions. Written by Caroline Stutson and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, By the Light of the Halloween Moon tells the tale of a little girl sitting on the edge of a very old bridge dangling her bare foot off it. It’s not long before a variety of ghosts and ghouls arrive and begin to vie for its ownership. Yikes!
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‘Halloween Hustle’
Image Credit: Two Lions. Skeletons like to go to Halloween parties with their friends too. In this picture book written by Charlotte Gunnufson and illustrated by Kevan J. Atteberry, Skeleton is all dressed up in his favorite jack-o’-lantern-print T-shirt — but he runs into some trouble as he dances his way to his friend Ghost’s Halloween celebration.
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‘One, Two… Boo!’
Image Credit: Golden Books. Count your way through a haunted house with your little one. Written by Kristen Depken and illustrated by Claudine Gevry, this lift-up-the-flap board book provides charming illustrations and a few just-scary-enough surprises.
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