Children's books for Halloween 🎃

Can we read? Special edition: Halloween

If you’ve been a longtime subscriber of this newsletter, you know how much I love Halloween — in fact, “love” probably isn’t a strong enough word for it. I am a Halloween person, and though every year I think, oh, maybe this year I won’t fall so hard for this season, every year I am dead wrong (maybe not a direct pun but pun-adjecent, I think we can agree). I never stop being utterly delighted by Halloween.

I start thinking about my costume so far in advance I won’t even tell you how far, because it’s embarrassing. For about a month I wanted to be a Rockford Peach, and… I felt such serious guilt (this is the truth 😂) that I’d be representing Illinois — especially since, of the 13 teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, three of them were from Wisconsin! — but can you honestly watch A League of Their Own and want to be anything other than a Peach? I daresay you cannot.

Then I realized I’d have nothing on the bottom of this baseball uniform beyond a very short skirt and knee-high red socks. The average temperature on October 31st spans 34° to 50° during the day and listen, I’ve trick-or-treated for many of my 41 years on earth — sometimes in the snow — and I don’t mess with bare legs at either end of that range.

So, Actual Adult Sarah (as opposed to College-Aged Sarah, who would have been utterly fine with just red underwear, no skirt or kneesocks required) chose enjoyment over suffering and decided instead to be a wasp. This is a humorous homage to the fact that I got stung by a bunch of ground wasps in mid-August — the stings on my leg got infected and I only ignored this for way longer than I should have before finally going to the doctor. (Turns out you can die from this infection? I will spare you the photos.)

Despite ten straight months of my newly-7yo wanting to be “a poop” — thank you, husband, for planting this hideous idea at the end of trick-or-treating last year — her final decision was a black cat, which her older sister immediately agreed to match, because once upon a time, when I found out I was having another girl baby, I told said husband, “I am NEVER going to be that mother who dresses them in matching clothing!” and I never have been, except that of course they choose to do this themselves every chance they get and have recently begun lecturing me about how I don’t help them achieve this as often as they’d like, which is, I think, every single day 🤦🏻‍♀️

If you are not a Halloween person — or don’t read about witches, ghosts, or whatever other delightful creatures the season spooks up for whatever reason — I don’t know what to tell you. However, if you are here for all this and more, YAY! Come sit next to me.

And find, below, some fresh reads for you and your family for this most mysterious and magical season 🔮

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Looking for a Jumbie by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Amber Ren (2021)

If you have toddlers and preschoolers who love a cumulative story (are there toddlers and preschoolers who don’t?) and you want to take a spooky journey together through the forest, look no further than Looking for a Jumbie.

“I’m looking for a jumbie… I’m going to find a scary one” will introduce little readers to a friendly monster from Caribbean stories that can take on different characteristics — some with big mouths, some with thick fur, others with glowing skin or sharp teeth — as well as Naya, a brave girl who doesn’t believe these creatures are made up and sets off on a nighttime adventure to find them for herself.

Though the premise of this story sounds scary, Ren’s cheerful digital illustrations keep it from being too much (and some of the monsters are downright lovely). Of course, in the end, everyone arrives home safe and sound — even the jumbies.

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Ten Little Mummies by Philip Yates, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (2004)

This review first appeared in my 2021 special edition on Halloween — I have edited and updated it slightly.

I can’t recall where I first heard about this book, only that the review said something along the lines of, “kids go crazy for this book.” That sent me immediately to the open browser tab where the library catalog stays up all day long. I was skeptical — it’s just a counting book, I thought — but HOO BOY, was I wrong.

My kids are crazy for this book. I’m not even sure I understand it. It really is just a counting book — “Deep underground in a dreary old room, ten little mummies were stuffed in one room” — but it’s also more than just a counting book, as it tells the story of how, one day, these ten little mummies decide to go out and play. But one by one, for one reason or another, they disappear — one gets heat stroke, another gets arrested for painting the Sphinx, another gets “adopted by friendly baboons” (not sure there are baboons in Egypt but let’s roll with it). When the last, lonely little mummy finally returns to the tomb, she finds a big surprise — and the other nine mummies safe inside.

This is a fabulous way to learn to count backward from ten (and like all great skill books, listeners aren’t even aware they’re learning) but it’s also just an entertaining story, told in Yates’ perfect rhyming text with Karas’ dynamic characteristic pencil and watercolor illustration.

A must-read any time of year, but especially recommended for extra fun on Halloween.

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Witch & Wombat by Ashley Belote (2023)

I received a copy of this book from Random House Children’s Books — opinions are my own.

Every witch needs a cat, right? Wilma can’t wait to get her very first feline, but when the pet store is unable to fulfill her order, she has to bring home a wombat instead. Supposedly they are just like cats! but alas, this isn’t true.

Wilma tries her best to work with what she’s been given — and poor Wombat endeavors to be as cat-like as he can possibly be — but all their ideas, disguises, and fakery fail. Wombat doesn’t fit in when he’s pretending to be something he’s not, and neither one of them feels good about it.

We are who we are, but the beauty of this is that somewhere, someone is waiting to love us for exactly that, and it’s a joy to watch — through Belote’s bright digital illustrations and empathy for the two unlikely friends — Wilma and Wombat work this out together.

This is a sweet new read recommended for preschoolers and early elementary kids.

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Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White, illustrated by Megan Lloyd (1996)

This review first appeared in my 2020 special edition on Halloween — I have edited and updated it here.

After a childhood spent eating them out of hunger, Rebecca Estelle HATES pumpkins. So when one falls off the back of a passing truck, explodes, and its seeds begin to grow a new pumpkin the next year, she does everything she can to ignore it.

Of course, this is not how life works, especially with problems we’d rather not face: soon, she has more pumpkins than she knows what to do with. Remembering her own hunger from years ago, she decides to cook them all and, in feeding her neighbors, create a little community while she’s at it.

Megan Lloyd’s illustrations (here and in other titles, namely The Little Old Woman Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, another Halloween book by Linda Williams) are detailed, fun, and perfectly match the prose. I love the themes of resourcefulness and generosity — Rebecca Estelle makes something wonderful out of something she hates and then gives it all away. In fall, we reap a harvest and if we’re lucky, we have enough — what better way to enjoy our bounty than to share it with others? And what better message to share with children?

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Trick Arr Treat: A Pirate Halloween by Leslie Kimmelman, illustrated by Jorge Monlongo (2015)

This review first appeared in my 2021 special edition on Halloween — I have edited and updated it slightly here.

The minute I saw this book I immediately said the title out loud — go ahead, do it, I’ll wait — and then laughed. I knew whatever was inside, unless it was overwhelmingly terrible, I was going to have fun reading this one to my kids.

I was right. The premise is funny enough — “the pirate chief’s mom calls a meeting,” directing the small scalawags to go trick-or-treating, and they take off on their mission with a hilarious degree of dedication — but the reading-aloud really makes this one. I admittedly get into character voices and personalities more than your average bear, but it’s pretty much impossible for me not to crack a smile while reading lines like,

Pirates sneaking door to door.
Pirates peeking, wanting more.
Pirate plunder, overflowing.
Happy pirates yo-ho-ho-ing!

“Fill my belly!” says Charlotte Blue-Tongue.
”Rot my teeth!” says Rude Ranjeet.
”Shiver me timbers!” says Glass-Eyed Gabby.
”We be pirates. TRICK ARR TREAT!”

(“Rot my teeth!” gets me every time 😂 And I am also inordinately fond of fellow glasses-wearer Gabby.)

It’s also downright delightful — for kiddos and adults alike — to watch the pirate crew tear through their neighborhood unrestrained, wild-eyed and open-mouthed from sugar and joy. (Monlongo is a comic book and animation artist and that incredibly active feeling of motion comes through loud and clear in his lively digital illustrations here.)

This book makes it easy to remember that feeling of euphoria (though I can’t honestly recall romping quite so much, as I was almost always running from house to house in pitch darkness + snow), and it’s exciting to share in the sense of exuberance here. If your children aren’t hyped enough for trick-or-treating, this will get them there (I don’t know if that’s ever a goal? but it’s a spirited, rambunctiously good read either way).

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Skeleanor the Decomposer by Emily Ettlinger (2023)

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Workshop — opinions are my own.

Skeleanor is crazy about music, but unfortunately, “she has a bit more rattle than rhythm,” and though she tries her best, her attempts at playing different instruments always scare away the citizens of Little Casketon. But the Summershine festival is coming up, and the town band is missing a player: what’s a determined skeleton to do?

Young readers (6-9yo-ish) will race through six short chapters to discover if Skeleanor can muster her confidence, harness her skills, and achieve her dream in this delightful graphic novel featuring Ettlinger’s funny and vivid digital illustrations. (I did.)

I love this book — I mean, you had me at Skeleanor the skeleton, and I fell head over heels once I saw her irresistibly adorable sidekick, a bat named Batima — but not only because of its overall charm: there are real messages here about how to handle rejection and self-doubt, the power of chosen family, and the importance of pursuing one’s passion no matter what. If you’re human and alive — i.e., not a skeleton, yet — those topics are relevant to us all, and not just at Halloween.

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Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich by Adam Rex, illustrated by Steven Malk (2011)

If you need a quick snapshot of how hilarious this book is, here are the names of three poems it contains: “The Phantom of the Opera Can’t Get ‘It’s A Small World’ Out of His Head,” “The Yeti Doesn’t Appreciate Being Called Bigfoot,” and my absolute favorite, “Godzilla Pooped on My Honda” (because I’ve owned CRVs for the last 13 years).

As if the poetry itself — laugh-out-loud clever and irresistible — wasn’t enough, add in Malk’s masterful illustrations, created, it says in the front matter, “with oils and…oh gosh, lots of stuff. What? Sure, he used some of that. Yep, that too” (another indicator of the humor here) and you have an absolute feast of a book that I cannot recommend enough for early elementary kiddos all the way through middle school.

Read it, and enjoy!

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If I have reviewed any of these titles in the past, I’ve linked to those here.

Also highly recommended

• Humbug Witch by Lorna Balian

• Bony Legs by Joanna Cole

• Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler

• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

• Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago

• The Ninja Club Sleepover by Laura Gehl

• Corduroy’s Best Halloween Ever! based on the character created by Don Freeman

• Bones: Skeletons and How They Work by Steve Jenkins (nonfiction)

• We’re Off to Find the Witch’s House by Richard Krieb (poetry)

• Grandma Chickenlegs by Geraldine McCaughrean

• The Monsters’ Monster by Patrick McDonnell

• Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes (poetry)

• Zip! Zoom! On a Broom: A Halloween Counting Book by Teri Sloat

• By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson

• Lots of Cats by E. Dee Taylor

• The Widow’s Broom by Chris Van Allsburg

• How to Help a Pumpkin Grow by Ashley Wolff

• The Flying Witch by Jane Yolen

Poetry

• Hallowilloween: Nefarious Silliness from Calef Brown

• Who Said Boo? Halloween Poems for the Very Young by Nancy White Carlstrom

• Monster School by Kate Coombs

• hist whist by e.e. cummings

• The Pomegranate Witch by Denise Doyen

• Mother Ghost: Nursery Rhymes for Little Monsters by Rachel Kolar

• Making Friends With Frankenstein: A Book of Monstrous Poems and Pictures by Colin McNaughton

• Monster Goose by Judy Sierra

• Skeleton Bones & Goblin Groans: Poems for Halloween by Amy E. Skalansky

• Ghost Poems by Daisy Wallace

Especially for babies and toddlers

• Eek! Halloween! by Sandra Boynton

• Spooky Pookie by Sandra Boynton

• In the Haunted House by Eve Bunting

• Boo to You! by Lois Ehlert

• Corduroy’s Trick or Treat by Don Freeman and Lisa McCue

• Peek-a Boo! by Nina Laden

• Sweets and Treats by Toni Trent Parker

• Two Little Witches: A Halloween Counting Story by Harriet Ziefert

For older readers, or read-alouds

• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken

• Little Witch by Anna Elizabeth Bennett

• The Wednesday Witch by Ruth Chew (first in a series)

• Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo

• Don’t Read This Book Before Bed: Thrills, Chills, and Hauntingly True Stories (Nat Geo Kids) by Anna Claybourne (nonfiction)

• Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse (graphic novel; first in a series)

• The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

• Kitty and the Moonlight Rescue by Paula Harrison

• The Random House Book of Ghost Stories edited by Susan Hill

• Bunnicula: A Rabbit-Tale of Mystery by Deborah and James Howe

• The Power of Poppy Pendle by Natasha Lowe

• A Book of Witches by Ruth Manning-Sanders

• The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

• Living Ghosts and Mischievous Monsters: Chilling American Indian Stories by Dan SaSuWeh Jones

• Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat (early chapter book)

Everything else

• A Woggle of Witches by Adrienne Adams

• The Curious Little Witch by Lieve Baeton

• Mr. Pumpkin’s Tea Party by Erin Barker

• Dem Bones by Bob Barner (fun mashup of an old folk song + nonfiction)

• Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett

• The Frightful Ride of Michael McMichael by Bonny Becker

• Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler

• Merlina and the Magic Spell by Daniela Drescher

• Angelina’s Halloween by Katharine Holabird

• The Vanishing Pumpkin by Tony Johnston

• The Hungry Ghosts by Julius Lester

• Catmagic by Loris Lesynski

• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow adapted by Freya Littledale from the story by Washington Irving

• Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by Marianna Mayer (there are some pretty scary illustrations here so I recommended previewing first)

• The Witches’ Supermarket by Susan Meddaugh

• The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason

• Samurai Scarecrow: A Very Ninja Halloween by Rubin Pingk

• Bone Soup: A Spooky, Tasty Tale by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (a fun Halloween version of Stone Soup)

• Clever Little Witch by Muon Thi Van

• Pick a Pumpkin by Patricia Toht

• Pumpkin Cat by Ann Turner

• Good Night, Baddies by Deborah Underwood

• Boo Stew by Donna L. Washington

• Can You See What I See? On a Scary Scary Night by Walter Wick (seek-and-find)

• I Spy: Spooky Night by Walter Wick (seek-and-find)

• The Teeny Tiny Ghost by Kay Winters

Here’s a printable PDF of this booklist for you 🖨️

Can We Read Books For Halloween (2023)

140KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

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I have a Bookshop.org list, Books for Halloween, in case you’d like to visually browse and/or support this newsletter in another way — I get a tiny commission if you use this link to make a purchase. (Thank you if you do. Those teeny little percentages do add up.)

Happy Halloween! 👻
Sarah