40 Spooky & Sweet Halloween Books for Kids

Tracy Snyder Molina said:  A brave little old lady is walking home in the woods when she encounters a pair of shoes. She tells them she isn't afraid of them and continues on her way. This routine repeats itself several times with a pair of pants, shirt, gloves, hat and pumpkin head. Despite their best efforts, they aren't able to scare the little old lady and this makes them sad but she comes up with a plan that makes everyone happy in the end. Full of repetition and fun noises, this book is great to read out loud.

Beth Wood said:  Join everyone's favorite monkey on his hilarious visit to a Halloween party. George manages to find a costume but get into a lot of mischief along the way!

This is a cute book for Halloween and the fall season with math and science lessons of counting and pumpkin facts including how to know which pumpkins have more seeds than others.

Tracy Snyder Molina said:  We discovered this Halloween book in preschool and my kids can still recite it by heart! A witch plants a pumpkin seed so she can make a pumpkin pie, but she needs help when it grows too big for her her to pull it from the vine.

Amy S. said:  This “creepy” tale follows Jasper Rabbit as he deals with a trio of spooky carrots who have been following him. Everyone tells him that he’s just imagining things, but he’s not so sure. This book has always been one of our favorites (the pages are covered in tape where the pages have been “overused”). It is compelling, funny, and uniquely illustrated with smooth, shadowy drawings, mostly in grayscale but with significant pops of color. The story ends with a twist that parents will enjoy but might be over the heads of younger kids, who never have any reason to doubt that what Jasper Rabbit sees is real…

Katie G. said:  This fun Halloween flap book allows kids to unfold each page and reveal the costumed characters that Little Critter and Little Sister encounter at a spooky party.

Beth Wood said:  Duck & Goose books were always my daughter's favorites when she was younger. This Halloween board book tells the story of Duck & Goose's search for the perfect pumpkin.

Vanessa M. said:  After Halloween, Tim places his jack-o-lantern in the garden where readers watch Jack grow moldy, decompose, and ultimately sprout new pumpkin plants next spring. This is a great book to introduce young children to the life cycle of plants in a fun, Halloween-themed way.

Brigitte Nohra Miller said:  Join the famous mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie as he gets ready for the Halloween season and is busy counting and decorating all the pumpkins. A perfect book to read with your kids when you are getting ready to execute your own pumpkin decorating ideas.

Beth Wood said:  A great read for older children. This is the classic tale by Washington Irving about Ichabod Crane and the haunting of Sleepy Hollow by the Headless Horseman.

Erika Roh... said:  Lulu is excited (and nervous) to finally go to witch school for the first time in this beginning reader story.

Interactive non-fiction book about animals' skeletons. Directed at younger children, it uses a guessing game format, revealing record-breaking bone facts about animals using vibrant illustrations.

Sarah D. said:  See how this little monster gets ready for bed: he howls at the moon, brushes his fangs, checks under his bed for little children that might nibble his toes, and has the tastiest bedtime snack of worm juice and beetle bread, yum! This was an instant classic during Halloween-time.

Vanessa M. said:  This beautiful Halloween book is both hauntingly illustrated and eloquently written. On an autumn eve, a scarecrow abandons his post to leap and dance through the fields of corn all night. His freedom is short lived after he overhears a small farm boy's prayers for the corn harvest. Ultimately, this touching book ends up being a sweet story about strength of character and duty.