Library Books for Halloween
plus a few random kid lit selections
It’s Halloween season and I feel like we’re finally in the mood to celebrate. I’m still feeling off my game due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene but with the help of my husband, we managed to order/make Halloween costumes, attend our first few Trunk or Treat events, and even build the Trader Joe’s Haunted House Chocolate Cookie Kit.
To start this newsletter, I’m sharing a few lists of note that I’ve saved over the past couple of weeks. These ladies have shared some fantastic Halloween children’s books worth checking out!
While I enjoy reading about which Halloween books your kids are grabbing for this year, I thought it would be fun to share what mine actually chose at the library.
I’ve linked to Bookshop.org where titles are available below. Every purchase through Bookshop.org supports independent booksellers and puts a few pennies in my pocket at no extra cost to you.
There’s a Monster In Your Book by Tom Fletcher — Shake, wiggle, and tickle the monster out in this interactive bedtime read-aloud that launched the Who's In Your Book series! My kids love this book series because it gets them actively involved in reading and this version is perfect for Halloween.
Maddie’s Monster Dad by Scott Gibala-Broxholm — Maddie loves monsters. She loves watching monster movies, eating monster cereal, and drawing monster pictures. She also loves doing things with her dad. When her dad is busy with work, Maddie uses her Build-a-Beast kit to create a Monster Dad that is never too busy to play. It turns out there are some things that monsters can't do, and maybe a Monster Dad isn't as special as the real thing. I loved the illustrations in this one and there’s tons of details for kids to pick up on.
Monster Trouble! by Lane Frederickson — Nothing frightens Winifred Schnitzel but she needs her sleep and the neighborhood monsters wont’s stop sneaking in, growling and belching during the night. Winifred constructs clever traps, but nothing works. Just as she’s about to give up, she discovers that monsters HATE kisses! This book was the perfect mix of silly and sweet. My kids had fun listening to it outside while they played.
Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima — House has a problem. She's a little spooky. She's a little cobwebby. How will House ever find a family that doesn't mind being haunted? One of our absolute favorite Halloween read-alouds. This one is filled with onomatopoeia that are fun to act out.
Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett — Orion is scared of a lot of things, but most of all he's scared of the dark. So one night the Dark decides to take Orion on an adventure. It’s a silly bedtime story that addresses common bedtime fears.
Bug in a Vacuum by Melanie Watt— A bug flies through an open door into a house, through a bathroom, across a kitchen and bedroom and into a living room ... where its entire life changes with the switch of a button. Sucked into the void of a vacuum bag, this one little bug moves through denial, bargaining, anger, despair and eventually acceptance -- the five stages of grief -- as it comes to terms with its fate. Will there be a light at the end of the tunnel? Will there be dust bunnies in the void? Can you tell my kids really resonate with humourous tales? I knew this one would be a hit from the cover!
Ollie’s Halloween by Oliver Dunrea — While Gossie, Gertie, Peedie, and BooBoo are tricking and treating, Ollie is thinking about how sharing is better than scaring. This is a great classic to share with the smallest trick-or-treaters.
…and now for the random, non Halloween-adjacent book picks…
Busy Street by Edward Miller —Buckle up and join Mommy and Bonnie on their drive as they encounter more than 20 types of vehicles! From garbage trucks and school buses to fire engines and police cars, working vehicles can be spotted all over town. This beginner book is great for kids who things that go! I picked it out to trick my 6-year-old to read to my 3-year-old.
Pete the Cat and the Lost Tooth by Kimberly and James Dean — The tooth fairy asks Pete for some help. But it's not easy being the tooth fairy for Pete when a tooth goes missing--will he be able to find the lost tooth before it's too late?
Baby-Sitters Little Sister: Karen’s Kittycat Club by Ann M. Martin — Karen's best friend Hannie just got an adorable new kitten. Their neighbor Amanda has a cat, too, and Karen has grumpy old Boo-Boo. Now that they all have cats, Karen comes up with the idea to start the Kittycat Club! Karen can't babysit like her big sister Kristy... but she can cat-sit!
Frozen: A Sister More Like Me by Barbara Jean Hicks — This picture book features an original story about Anna and Elsa, the film’s two sisters, as well as illustrations by one of the artists who worked on the film. The book focuses on Anna and Elsa’s younger lives in a style that compares and contrasts their differences while highlighting why they love being sisters.
Before I bring out our own collection of Halloween books from the closet, here’s a peek at some previous themed book lists from the archives.
Feel free to leave a comment or reply to this email with your favorite kid lit for Halloween!
Elsewhere on the Internet: Goodreads / Storygraph / Pinterest
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We LOVE Hardly Haunted!! There are some new-to-me books here I need to check out too. Thank you for including my list!! 🥲🥲
I never feel bad for doing celebratory things closer to Halloween. It was still summer two weeks ago, no it’s like 40 degrees. 😂 Idaho can’t win.