Looking for some Halloween books to read with your children this month? I’ve got you covered with this list of fun and friendly reads!
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Some of these books are Halloween classics, but some are newer and some even feature favorite book characters. Grab your favorite pumpkin spice drink and take a look.
Fun & Friendly Halloween Books for Kids
Before we jump into the books, keep in mind that the links in the descriptions below all lead to Amazon. If you prefer to support local booksellers through your purchases, see this Bookshop.org list. It has nearly all of these selections, plus some extras I’ve come across since compiling this original list.
1. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
If you’re only going to read one of these Halloween books with your kids this year, you can’t go wrong with It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I mean, why bother with Halloween at all if you can’t spend some time waiting on the Great Pumpkin with Linus?
2. Little Boo
Got a kiddo who could use a lesson in patience? If so, Little Boo is the Halloween book for them. It follows the sweet story of a pumpkin seed who can’t wait to be scary, but learns that it takes time to grow into his role.
3. Pumpkin Jack
I’d be remiss if I didn’t sneak something educational into my Halloween reading, so I was excited to discover Pumpkin Jack. It’s a fun read, but it’s also a great way to teach kids about the life cycle of a pumpkin.
4. The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat
While you’re looking for Halloween books, be sure to catch up with everyone’s favorite family from Bear Country.
The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat was one of my favorites when I was younger and it’s one I like to read with my own kids.
5. Clifford’s Halloween
I think we can all acknowledge that it can’t be easy to be everyone’s favorite big red dog on Halloween. I mean, you can’t exactly pop into a costume shop and find your costume that way, right? Clifford’s Halloween is a book Clifford fans are sure to enjoy since they get to spend time with Clifford himself and Emily Elizabeth as they choose their costumes.
6. Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!
Want a Halloween book with a little bit of mystery? In Duck & Goose, Honk! Quack! Boo!, Duck and Goose deal with a (not so) scary swamp monster while they go trick-or-treating on Halloween night.
7. Corduroy’s Halloween
Corduroy in lift-a-flap format? Yes please! Corduroy’s Halloween is a great reading choice for little ones because they get to do all kinds of Halloween prep with one of the sweetest bears around.
8. Spooky Wheels on the Bus
The Spooky Wheels on the Bus is such a fun Halloween-inspired twist on the well-loved “Wheels on the Bus” song. It’s easy, catchy, and one you’ll likely read over and over again!
9. 10 Trick or Treaters
The night may start with ten trick-or-treaters, but one by one they all get scared away in this fun countdown story. 10 Trick-or-Treaters is a colorful and friendly Halloween book you don’t want to miss.
10. Ladybug Girl and the Dress-up Dilemma
I had to include Ladybug Girl and the Dress-up Dilemma in this list of Halloween books since my little one loves this series. Even so, it follows Lulu as she prepares for Halloween, weighs all the costume options, and discovers she had what she needed for the perfect costume all along.
11. It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse!
It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! is a fun one to include in your Halloween reading for younger kids. It features Mouse from Laura Numeroff’s If You Give a Mouse a Cookie books and focuses on the crafty fun that often comes with Halloween.
12. Emily’s Bunch
Emily’s Bunch isn’t one of the Halloween books you’re likely to see on the displays in the big bookstore chains, but I’m sharing it in hopes you can find it at your local library. It was one of my absolute favorite childhood books. This is a story about little sister Emily and the best pre-Pinterest Halloween costume ever.
13. Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins
Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins is a fun adaptation of the classic “Five Little Pumpkins” Halloween song. If you’ve got a kiddo with a shorter attention span, this one is a great choice since the song itself is the essence of the book. :)
14. Little Blue Truck’s Halloween
Little Blue Truck’s Halloween is another cute lift-a-flap book for the little ones. It follows Little Blue Truck and his friends as they attend a fun costume party.
15. Happy Halloween, Little Critter!
Another Halloween book from a classic series, Happy Halloween, Little Critter! is great if you’re looking for a book that shows the things that often look spooky turn out to be not so spooky after all.
