The Best Halloween Books for Kids
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The best Halloween books for kids are perfect for reading together this Halloween season! You’ll find some meaningful fables, some silly tales, and quite a few pumpkins. 🎃 We added a few new ones this year so be sure to check out the updated list!
My kids really look forward to dressing up for Halloween every year and enjoying the big block party we throw for the neighborhood! We all get into making the costumes – my husband and I always dress up too!
And while we really enjoy the costumes, a fun Halloween craft, painted pumpkins, and tasty Halloween treats, we aren’t into the really spooky stuff! But since we love being festive and celebrating holidays, I knew that our living room bookshelf needed some Halloween books for some fun, festive reading.
Choosing the Best Halloween Books for Kids
Primarily this list features upbeat, positive Halloween books for kids! There are some friendly witches, some silly monsters, and some mysterious ghosts, but there’s nothing downright scary.
This truly is a list of the best Halloween books for all kids – especially the ones who don’t like the scary/gory/weird/ick parts of Halloween! The list is broken into two sections: the first section is Halloween books for all ages, and the second section features books geared towards younger kids (through preschool).
Give special attention to the second half of this list of Halloween books for kids – there are some really unique stories there! You are sure to find a new family favorite that you treasure for year after year.
Keep in mind that my preschooler really enjoys the books I’m reading to her big brothers, and the bigs enjoy listening while I read to my preschooler too, so don’t take the guidelines as a hard and fast rule! You know your kids and their interests best. 🙂
Best Halloween Books For Kids
Lila and the Jack-o’-Lantern: Halloween Comes to America by Nancy Churnin
What does a young Irish immigrant have to do with Halloween traditions in America? More than I realized! Kids and parents are sure to learn a lot from this sweet tale of making home right where you are.
The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnston
The main characters of this story are 700 and 800 years old. Their pumpkin goes missing and they throw around words like “rapscallion”! What more could you want out of a Halloween story for kids?
Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
Poor Rebecca Estelle really doesn’t like pumpkins, but accidentally ends up with a garden full of them! What’s a pumpkin-hater to do?!
Ghosts for Breakfast by
Ghosts have been spotted in a nearby farmer’s field in the 1920’s and Papa is going to investigate! This Halloween book for kids is a great period piece, and has a really sweet father-son element.
The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey
Our kids can all use a little encouragement that it’s good to just be yourself! This Halloween story does just that, through the story of Oscar the wiener dog.
Berenstain Bears’ Big Halloween Party by Mike Berenstain
Since our family hosts a great big Halloween party every year in our neighborhood, it only makes sense that this is our favorite of the Berenstain Bear Halloween books for kids! It’s also the one with the least amount of spooky elements (that we’ve read anyways).
Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
This is one of our favorite stories year round, but at Halloween time it’s extra fun to read about the beloved “Grandma Witch!” Tomie dePaola has a magical way of bringing folk stories to his readers and we are enticed by this tale year after year!
Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman
A bat uses his brains to help a witch who desperately wants to make pumpkin pie but her pumpkin is too heavy to pull off the vine! With elements that remind me of the Giant Turnip nursery story, this Halloween book for kids is too cute!
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by
This little old lady was not afraid of anything! Right? She’s much too practical for that.. but anyone who has ever felt a little afraid when taking the trash out at night (for no good reason!) can appreciate this clever tale of fearlessness with a dose of humility!
Best Halloween Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Toddlers and preschoolers are usually happy to read just about any book, but there really is something so special about reading a holiday book together!
These Halloween books for little kids are relatively short and sure to put a Halloween smile on your child’s face! Enjoy!
Happy Halloween from the Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
All of the beautiful, colorful illustrations you and your child have come to expect from Eric Carle, plus a cute, friendly Halloween story with the magic of lift the flaps! A hit with every toddler and preschooler.
Boo! Baa, La La La by Sandra Boynton
It’s adorable, it rhymes, and it makes kids giggle like crazy! What more could you want from a halloween board book?!
Don’t Push The Button: A Halloween Treat by Bill Cotter
My oldest was obsessed with the original Don’t Push the Button book and it’s so special to introduce this Halloween version to his little sister. It’s so silly! There is a “creepy” house in the book, but it’s framed to be totally goofy and only created more laughs, no fear.
Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton
More Sandra Boynton?! What can I say, she’s a master! This cute story revolves around Pookie trying to figure out just what she wants to be for Halloween.
The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone
This isn’t specifically a Halloween book, but it has a monster and a little bit of mischief – perfect! Around this time of year, it’s nice for kids to see a “lovable, furry old” monster like Grover, not just the scary ones decorating the neighbor’s house!
Enjoy some of these sweet Halloween books for kids with your family this year and have a couple picked out to add to your library next year. That’s the best way to build a collection of beloved stories – add a few every year! Happy Halloween!
You might also enjoy:
- Happy Halloween Coloring Page
- Easy Halloween Costume: DIY Harry Potter Mandrake Costume
- DIY Halloween Treat Bag Activity
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