Halloween is right around the corner and if your family is anything like mine, you’re already planning costumes, stocking up on candy and decorating the house with just the right amount of spooky. But no Halloween season is complete without a cozy spot, a flickering jack-o’-lantern and a stack of thrilling reads to set the mood!
To get you even more in the Halloween spirit, I rounded up my favorite books that put the “boo” in books for kids of all ages. These stories will have you and your little ones hooked from cover to cover, keeping the Halloween spirit alive with every turn of the page.
This article was recently updated on Oct. 22, 2024 by Metro Parent’s Audience Development Manager, Katina Beniaris. The update included 2024 recommendations by children’s book expert, Lori Orlinsky. Questions? Please reach out to katina@metroparent.com.
Kids’ Halloween Reads
Trick or Treat on Scary Street by Lance Bass
- Best for ages: 3-8
It’s Halloween night, and a group of kids go trick or treating down their neighborhood street that’s suddenly filled with spooky houses. As they take a frightful walk amongst giant spiders and a vampire’s lair the kids start to disappear and the group gets smaller. Told in rhyme by the *NSYNC star, children and adults alike will love the surprise ending.
The Legend of the Serpent Witch by F.P. LaRue
- Best for ages: 9-12
Just in time for Halloween comes a new Scary Shivers Mystery adventure where young readers can solve mysteries alongside Ollie, Mellie and Scotty. In the third edition, they stumble upon clothing in the woods that belongs to a group of boys who went missing. Through their quest to find the missing kids, they encounter an evil witch who casts scary spells and wicked curses on the whole town!
Boo the Library Ghost by Becky Paige
- Best for ages: 3-8
Boo is a library ghost who loves to scare visitors away. He casts eerie shadows, rips out pages and knocks books off the shelves. In this story, young readers follow brave Poppy, who refuses to be scared — she just wants to read! Through her quest to stay at the library, she soon realizes that Boo is acting out because he needs help learning to read. A sweet story that encourages a love of reading and helping others. Looking for more Halloween fun? Check out these stories:
- Celebrate The Season at These Pumpkin Patches
- 23 Halloween Candies Ranked from Healthiest to Unhealthiest
- Best Neighborhood Halloween Displays in Metro Detroit
How Do Dinosaurs Say Trick or Treat? by Jane Yolen
- Best for ages: 0-5
These best selling dinosaurs are back with a new Halloween adventure! This time, the kids are in costumes, going from house to house getting candy, but this practice is a little foreign to dinosaurs. How does a dinosaur say “trick or treat”? When walking down with kids down a Halloween street? Does he stomp on the pumpkins and throw around bits? Does he fear he will slip and then slide into splits? As with all the other books in the series, this fun book teaches kids about manners while giving them some laughs along the way.
5 More Sleeps ‘til Halloween by Jimmy Fallon
- Best for ages: 3-8
Its mid-October and spooky season is upon us! Kids are excitedly thinking about costumes, trick-or-treating and big scares. Part of the More Sleep series, 5 More Sleeps ‘til Halloween, by host of NBC’s The Tonight Show, follows a little boy and his dog who are so excited for Halloween that they can’t sleep. Follow along as they make the few days before Halloween even more exciting by counting how many sleeps until trick-or-treat night. A colorful, rhyming picture book that will get kids in the spirit of Halloween.
The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything by Nadia Ahmed
- Best for ages: 3-8
This charming Halloween tale follows Finn the ghost, who is too afraid to leave the comfort of his attic to enjoy trick-or-treating with his family! When he thinks about the things that scare him, his stomach swoops, his hands sweat and he can’t move. But Finn realizes that if he wants to enjoy Halloween, he must learn to practice techniques to overcome his anxiety. Perfect for spooky season, this book is sure to inspire readers to find the courage to overcome their own fears.
The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Knight by Steven Banbury
- Best for ages: 9-12
A spooky, yet sweet middle grade tale guaranteed to make any reader wish that Halloween was every day! After leaving an unpleasant orphanage, Eve journeys into the land of the undead leading her to finding an unexpected family and an unlikely hero — the Pumpkin King. Perfect for those rooting for the underdog and appreciate a cozy, triumph.
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