Halloween Kid’s Books

Preschool to Pre-K —Zip! Zoom! On a Broom by Teri Sloat and illustrated by Rosalinda Bonnet

Fans of Ten Little Monkeys will love this adorable counting book created in the spirit of Halloween. Little goblins will enjoy counting the witches as they fly through the skies and then fall off, one by one. The perfectly rhyming text and wonderful illustrations will captivate all readers. Bets are, this book will be on repeat for story time!

Early Elementary —The Love Monster and the Scary Something by Rachel Bright

Early fears for many children include being scared of the dark and monsters that live in the closet or under the bed. The main character of this adorable book is a monster that can’t sleep and is subsequently scared of noises he hears in the night. The story takes a light-hearted approach to addressing these fears and helps lessen the “scary” even before getting to the surprising, true source of the frightening noises. The playful illustrations help keep young children engaged and bring home the idea that things may not be as scary as they first seem.

Preschool —Pop-up Peekaboo Pumpkin (board book)

This pop-up Halloween book will engage and entertain toddlers in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Each turn of the page brings a fun surprise that will surely delight children as they discover who is under each flap. This peekaboo tale is sure to be a seasonal favorite.

Early Elementary — Click, Clack, Boo: A Tricky Treat by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

The barnyard friends are up to their antics again in this installment of the well-loved Click, Clack books by author Cronin and illustrator Lewin. In this Halloween-themed story, Farmer Brown makes it clear that he does not like Halloween and, in fact, he seems frightened of the day. The animals enjoy a little fun with Farmer Brown, and have a few good-natured tricks in store for their beloved farmer. Young ones should not fear, the Halloween party ends well and everyone has a great time. Caution: uncontrollable laughter may result from reading of this story!

Preschool — Eek! Halloween! by Sandra Boynton

Silly characters that include a gigantic mouse, chickens and pumpkins with flickering eyes, not to mention a witch, wizard and scary robot, are all featured in Sandra Boynton’s most recent release. This adorable board book is sure to please all young Sandra Boynton fans, and will earn a spot on the bookshelf along with other well-loved favorites. Written with the same feel as her other popular titles, Eek! Halloween! is a perfect bedtime read for toddlers that are excited about Halloween.

Early Elementary — Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman, Illustrated by S. D. Schindler

This book has been around for a few years, but remains a top pick for Halloween tales. The story features a witch that managed to grow the biggest pumpkin ever, and wants to make a pumpkin pie with it for Halloween. However, she has a problem when she realizes the pumpkin is too big for her to pick off of the vine. As each one of her friends — the ghost, vampire and mummy — come along to offer their help, they each conclude they are not able to move the pumpkin. Finally, a tiny bat friend comes to their rescue with a creative approach to resolving the dilemma. This is a great story about persevering and teamwork.

Elementary — Goosebumps Series by R. L. Stine

There were too many great Goosebumps titles to choose just one, so this month’s Elementary pick is the entire series! Each Goosebumps book is written as scary story, laced with humor. The stories feature child characters that end up in frightening situations, but never too dark. Monsters, supernatural haunts and other thrilling situations are designed to literally give the reader goosebumps.

Middle School — Nightmares! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Charlie Laird is convinced that his step-mother is a witch. She dresses funny, acts strange, eats odd food, and even lives in a purple mansion, along with Charlie, his dad and younger brother. Plagued with nightmares, Charlie is eventually tricked into venturing into the Nightmare World, where he is faced with scary creatures and situations. Charlie learns to face his fears and discovers the identity of the real enemy in this story.

By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd 

Ellen Bryant Lloyd is the author of FRECKLES and FRECKLES and The Great Beach Rescue. Please visit www.funwithfreckles.com and www.facebook.com/funwithfreckles to learn more about Freckles. Ellen writes a blog about her perspectives on life and parenting at www.mindfulmom.wordpress.com and tweets at @EllenBLloyd. She lives in Greensboro with her husband and two children.

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