Now that October is in full swing we have been poring over our favorite Halloween stories every evening together– bliss!
We have a vast collection of favorite fall and Halloween books that we eagerly rotate into the kids’ libraries every September. Many of these books were mine when I was a child, and like the Christmas stories I’ve shared across generations, it fills my heart to overflowing that our kids love them as much as I did. I’m so excited to share my childhood favorites, along with newer cherished titles, with you all!
First up, some Halloween stories from my childhood:
The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches We have the original version. Wendy is a sweet little witch who believes she no witch power, thanks to her older, bossy sisters. When Wendy accidentally loses her broomstick, she has to stay home on Halloween. That night she goes on an unexpected adventure, makes a new friend, and learns she does in fact have her own witch power.
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever Two little mice both unknowingly fall in love with the same pumpkin. Their collaborative care helps the pumpkin grow into the biggest any mouse has ever seen!
Scary, Scary Halloween This spooky rhyming tale is told from the perspective of a mother cat and her kittens as they watch trick-or-treaters parade near their home on Halloween night. It’s just scary enough to be exciting, and the illustrations are out of this world!
Humbug Witch A little witch struggles to make any of her spells to work– all she succeeds in doing is make her cat, Fred, terribly sick to his stomach. The sweetest story that is reminiscent of those childhood days where we tried to mix up our own magic potions with peanut butter and toothpaste and goodness knows what else!
Little Big Feet Laura discovers Irma, a tiny runaway witch, next to her toothbrush one morning. As they talk, Irma confesses she’s left her home because the other witches had been teasing her about her big feet. Laura shares that she has been teased about her stick out ears. The two offer one another support and learn appreciate their unique characteristics.
The Thorn Witch I was so enchanted by the whole Ivy Cottage series when I was little! Ruby Buttons and Violet Pickles find an unexpected friend in the Thorn Witch, and teach her about kindness and hospitality.
And moving on to some of our newer favorites:
Grimelda the Very Messy Witch Grimelda loves living in a messy house, but when she sets out to make pickle pie and cannot find her pickle root (the most important ingredient), she decides to do some deep cleaning! This is such a sweet and imaginative rhyming story, and definitely appeals to those of us who aren’t always tidy.
Little Blue Truck’s Halloween Beep! Beep! It’s Halloween and Little Blue Truck is picking up all his friends en route to their Halloween party. Lift the flaps to reveal the animal behind each costume. We love everything about this adorable book– especially the charming illustrations!
Pick a Pumpkin This new favorite of ours boasts the most vibrant illustrations and follows a family from pumpkin patch, to carving, to Halloween. Love pumpkin books? We have lots of great titles in our collection of favorite fall books!
Spooky Wheels on the Bus Count from 1 to 10 on a spooky Halloween bus to the tune of The Wheels on the Bus. The illustrations are super bright and playful– and far more cute than spooky. Cole is obsessed!
Room on the Broom A witch’s windy broom ride leads her to befriending three animals who later help her evade a hungry dragon. Witty, rhythmic, and wonderfully original!
At the Old Haunted House Count your way from 1 to 10 with a host of spooky creatures and their babies, all to the tune of Raffi’s Down in the Meadow. We love that moms and dads are represented in this book.
And Then Comes Halloween This book makes me feel all kinds of nostalgic as the author poetically describes all of the traditions and rituals surrounding Halloween and the fall season.
Mr. Pumpkin’s Tea Party An adorable counting book with the most enchanting illustrations!
We have a few favorite non-fiction Halloween books too:
Dem Bones This book is the perfect blend of the old song and factual information about the anatomy of our skeletons!
Halloween Is… Learn about the history behind, and evolution of, the celebration of Halloween and its many spooky symbols.
Bats An early non-fiction reader that teaches all about one of the most recognizable symbols of Halloween!
Our favorite Halloween board books for the littlest pumpkins in your lives:
Boo! Follow along with this adorable baby as he picks and carves a pumpkin, chooses a costume, and goes trick-or-treating for the first time! We love all the books in this series, especially Toot!
B is for Boo The most charming Halloween ABC book ever! The retro illustrations are beyond fabulous!
Can’t Scare Me! A sweet little lift the flap books that follows a brave kitty through a haunted house. We have never seen so many flaps in one book! This will keep your little kiddos busy for a long time!
I am Bat Well, this is not technically a Halloween book, but it does focus on one of the holiday’s most well-known symbols! This is the funny story of a bat who loves cherries, but does not love sharing! Parents who have toddlers in the “it’s mine” stage will definitely get a kick out of this cute book!
If You’re Spooky and You Know It Perfect for toddlers who love the If You’re Happy and You Know It song!
I’m the Scariest Thing in the Castle This overly confident little bat thinks he is terribly scary, but it turns out he is actually cute! It’s similar to our one of our favorite board books of all time: I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean.
Believe it or not, this list is just a small selection of our Halloween books for kids. See ALL our favorites by clicking the ORANGE button below!
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Fellow holiday enthusiasts, what are your favorite Halloween books for kids? Please share them in the comments!
