17 Best Halloween Books for Kids
The air is getting crisp and the days are getting shorter. Soon Halloween night will be here, fully of little monsters and spooky things collecting buckets of candy. There’s no better way to get young kids started with the Halloween fun than with some scary stories! Or maybe not too scary… but fun stories to read to get in the Halloween spirit. Here we are sharing our top picks for the best Halloween books for kids!
We have included the best books for kids of all ages – with board books and picture books for young children, and spooky stories and chapter books for older children at the end. Read on to see some fun Halloween books you will all love!
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The Best Halloween Books for Young Kids
5 Little Pumpkins is the cutest Halloween board book ever! Written in a style similar to the 5 Little Monkeys song, you can't help but sing a little as you read. Young children can count along as the pumpkins prepare to look for some Halloween fun. You'll love the padded cover and the cute illustrations, and we are sure this book will be a family favorite for you as it is for us.
If your kids love "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," then they'll definitely love The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin! Follow along as the little pumpkin tries to find his way back home, with a little help from a friendly witch.
As you can guess, this Halloween picture book is a spooky version of the nursery rhyme "The Wheels on the Bus," making it easy for young children to join in and sing along! Kids can count from One Spooky Bus up to Ten Goofy Ghosts as the bus travels around the town.
Fans of the Little Blue Truck board books will love this Halloween version! Come along as he picks up his animal friends for a costume party. Children will enjoy lifting the flaps to find out who is wearing each costume.
At first glance, you might think this book is too spooky for a preschooler. But no! This was my son's favorite book when he was 3, and he still loves to read it all year long!
Written in the same format as Goodnight Moon, this #1 New York Times Bestseller takes us through the motions of saying goodnight to all the spooky things before bed.
What will little Pookie decide to be for Halloween this year? Pookie tries on his Halloween costume one by one, but somehow can’t find the right thing. Sandra Boynton captures the attention and excitement of children once again with this adorable book.
In this Caldecott Honor–winning picture book, carrots are getting their revenge on Jasper Rabbit for eating all their friends! Or... are they? This awesome picture book is a great introduction to *slightly* scary books for young readers.
We recommend checking out more books from Aaron Reynolds, like Creepy Pair of Underwear and Creepy Crayon too!
Superhero Pinkalicious finds a way to save Halloween when it looks like it will have to be cancelled due to no power. She decides to have a party in the park, complete with pink pumpkins! Wearing her perfect Pinkagirl costume, Pinkalicious saves the Halloween party.
Kids will have a pinkatastic Halloween with this fun storybook, which includes stickers.
This sweet Halloween book has a great message for young readers about friendship. Perfect for a read-aloud bedtime story, children will enjoy the rhyming adventure of the nice witch as she flies along with friends to find her missing things.
You may have seen the seasonal Spookley movies on Disney or Netflix, but reading books are even better!
Spookley the Square Pumpkin was different and was teased by all the other pumpkins. Until one day, Spookley proved that being different can save the day! Spookley delivers a special message of tolerance and kindness in a fun, accessible format for early learners.
Dav Pilkey is the funny author who gave us the incredibly popular Captain Underpants books and the Dog Man books. Oscar is a little dog with a big bullying problem -- other dogs tease him all the time. But one brave act on Halloween makes Oscar a hero, proving that a little wiener can be a real winner!
The Hallo-wiener is cute and funny, especially for kids who love dogs.
The Best Halloween Books for Older Kids
Kitty wasn't always such a scaredy-cat. She used to be brave and lionhearted and nervy. That is, until one late October day a group of terrifying monsters showed up on her doorstop and Kitty became VERY scared. Then she decided to take matters into her own paws.
Bad Kitty books are very popular and engaging with younger school age students! Perfect for kids kindergarten through 3rd grade.
If you're familiar with those six trouble-making Herdman kids from The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, then you'll have no problem jumping right into this book. As usual, the Herdmans are stealing and causing chaos everywhere they go. But can they turn things around so Halloween isn't cancelled this year?
This Halloween chapter book is a great read for kids in 3-6 grades.
I grew up watching the movie based on this book, and it definitely was a little spooky! In this story, a little boy hears stories from his grandmother about how terrible witches are. But nothing can prepare him for the day he comes face-to-face with The Grand High Witch herself!
This is a must-read from one of our favorite authors, Roald Dahl. Be sure to check out his other books (like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) too!
Nine is an orphan pickpocket determined to escape her current life. She steals a house-shaped ornament from a mysterious woman’s purse, knocks on its tiny door, and watches it grow into a huge house. Inside she finds an assortment of magical characters who have been placed under a spell.
Keep reading to the suspenseful ending to see if Nine can break the spell, and if they can help her find a new life too!
If you have watched the movie, you know how creepy Coraline is. Coraline is a spooky story about a little girl who moves into a very large house with her father. They only own part of the house because it is too big. Coraline discovers a door that leads her into a perfect world, where people have buttons for eyes.
Great book for kids 9 and older.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark contains some of the most alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and supernatural events of all time. Walking corpses, dancing bones, knife-wielding madmen, and narrow escapes from death—they're all here in this chilling collection of ghost stories. Make sure you read these books with the light ON!
These stories are definitely scary, definitely creepy, and definitely for older kids.
Be sure to check out these hilarious Halloween jokes and puns for kids that will have everyone howling!
MEET THE AUTHOR
Amanda
As a mom of 4 kids (and the oldest of 4 kids herself), Amanda has over 30 years of parenting experience. A former special education teacher, Amanda has a Master’s degree in Special Education and a second M. Ed. in Educational Leadership.
When she’s not working, Amanda enjoys DIY projects, exercising, photography, and long walks through Target.
You can find Amanda on all social media at @parentingnestblog and @amandaseghetti
