I’m not one to buy Halloween presents for my kids, but if I did, I’d buy each of them a book from this list. I would, however, pick Halloween-themed books for my children’s book clubs if I were hosting them in October. The great thing is that kids, mine at least, like these books year-round. Halloween is probably a kid’s favorite holiday!
What are your favorite Halloween-themed chapter and picture books? Please share and I’ll add it to the list. Thank you!
Halloween Books for Kids
Substitute Creacher by Chris Gall
This, to me, is the perfect Halloween picture book as it combines substitute teachers, monsters, and Halloween all into one cautionary rhyming tale. The illustrations are great too! I have a review here. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
The Sleepless Little Vampire by Richard Egileski
For your little ones who are insomniacs or just plain don’t want to go to bed, read them this tale of a Vampire who can’t seem to fall asleep during the day. [picture book, ages 2 and up]
Frangoline and the Midnight Dream by Clemency Pearce and Rebecca Elliott
Frangoline is a bit of an imp who can’t and won’t sleep. Instead, she frolics outside in the forest and graveyard until the ghosts scare her enough to send her back to her house to her bed. The naughtiness will appeal to kids! [picture book, ages 2 and up]
Araminta Spooky series by Angie Sage
I always seem to use this early chapter book for a 2nd or 3rd grade girls’ book club in October. The mom who hosts adds in some Halloween games like bobbing for apples and the kids always have a blast. We’ve never read more than the first book but the kids all seem to like it. Maybe it’s a seasonal chapter book series! [chapter book, ages 7 and up]
School of Fear: The Final Exam series by Gitty Daneshvari
This reminds me of the Alice-Miranda series: quirky cheeky characters centered around a slightly dysfunctional boarding school. It’s a fun read, particularly for anyone with phobias. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]
The Candymakers by Wendy Mass
I am a HUGE Wendy Mass fan and I am eager to read this book and plan to right away. I just wanted to include this on this post for the candy theme since it’s a little Halloween-y. This is billed as a “candy-coated mystery full of mouthwatering surprises! At 400+ pages, it’s a fairly thick book.
It starts with unmistakable echoes of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) and eventually features a musical candy a la Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s “Toot Sweets,” but Mass’s latest novel ends up being a treat all its own. Four 12-year-olds gather at a candy factory to participate in the local segment of a nationwide contest to create a new and delectable piece of candy. One contestant is the only child of the factory’s owner, known here as the Candymaker. Another boy is obsessed with allergies and the afterlife, while the third boy is unfriendly and intent on winning. The lone girl, Daisy, seems to be sweetness itself but displays great physical strength as well as odd behavior. Mass skillfully presents the two and a half days of the kids’ apprenticeship from the perspective of each of the four contestants. At over four hundred pages, this is not a lightning-fast read, but it reveals a multitude of mysteries, explaining all the clues about misunderstandings, spies, and sabotage that Mass has dropped along the way. Attentive, candy-loving readers will be richly rewarded. Grades 4-6. –Abby Nolan –This text refers to the Hardcover edition. from BookList [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
Ghost Hunt: Chilling Tales of the Unknown by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson with Cameron Dokey
I’ve seen a few of the TV shows, Ghost Hunters, and sometimes the show can be slow while the team waits for something to happen. Still, I find these shows about paranormal activity fascinating. These books are based on the show, but the story seems to lend itself better to a book format versus a TV show. The stories are riveting and would capture the attention of a reluctant reader, as long as he or she is brave in the face of ghosts! This would be perfect for kids who like the show because … the book is always better than the movie (or TV show in this case!). [middle grade, ages 8 and up]
p.s. Related posts:
Halloween Notebook Novels for Boys
Favorite Halloween Books for Kids
Halloween Picture Books and Chapter Books
Halloween Ghosting: A Tradition in My Town That My Kids LOVE!
Halloween Fake Fingers to Get Kids Reading
To examine any of the items listed, please click on image of item.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
My mom friend Gwen sent me this via email:
Mia- I like the Pumpkin Giant- it’s from my childhood. Not so PC as the two main characters are fat like pumpkins and roll around….. 🙂 Illustrations are awesome.
Gwen