40+ Best Halloween Books for Kids
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Tricks or Treats — 40+ Best Halloween Books for Elementary and Middle Schoolers
What part of Halloween do your kids like best? The chance to scare or be scared? The bags full of candy after a successful night of trick-or-treating? No matter what side of the spooky holiday they’re looking forward to, there is plenty to read as they eagerly await Halloween night. Here are a few of our favorite scary (and not-so-scary) books:
Treats — for kids who are in it for the laughs (and the candy)
Stick Dog Craves Candy by Tom Watson
Scare Rating: 1
If trick-or-treating is your kid’s favorite part of Halloween, they’ll love this new Halloween adventure from Tom Watson. Stick Dog and the gang are on their usual hunt for food, but there is something unusual going on. Little humans are dressed up as creepy witches and spooky ghosts, all carrying big orange buckets! Their search leads them to something unexpected and delicious and sweet — candy! Once they get a taste, they will stop at nothing to get more. The gang will have to avoid terrifying witches and even escape a creepy haunted house. Will Stick Dog’s smarts, courage, and patience be enough to lead his buddies to the best treats ever?
Hamstersaurus Rex (series) by Tom O’Donnell
Scare Rating: 1
The dynamic duo of Tom O’Donnell and Tim Miller perfectly capture the awkwardness and absurdity of middle school — and the hilarity of having a mutant dino-hamster for a class pet! When a mysterious growling hamster appears at the back of his class, Sam knows just what to call him: Hamstersaurus Rex. Sam tries to protect Hammie from an overzealous Hamster Monitor, and from the meanest bully in the history of Horace Hotwater Middle School. The bully isn’t afraid of some weird little class pet. But maybe he should be. Hamstersaurus Rex is no ordinary hamster.
Laugh-Out-Loud Spooky Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliott
Scare Rating: 1
How does a monster like his coffee? With scream and sugar! Rob Elliot, author of Laugh-Out-Loud Jokes for Kids, will make little ghosts and goblins laugh with this Halloween collection of nonstop puns, jokes, and other absurdities about everything that goes bump in the night.
My Weird School Special: It’s Halloween, I’m Turning Green! by Dan Gutman
Scare Rating: 2
It’s Halloween, and you know what that means! Candy! Costumes! More candy! What would happen if a kid ate a million hundred pounds of chocolate in one night? One thing’s for sure — when the kids from Ella Mentry School go trick-or-treating, it will be a Halloween to remember.
Henry & Eva (series) by Andrea Portes
Scare Rating: 2
After Henry and Eva’s parents die in a boating accident, they’re forced to live with their mean uncle and his girlfriend, who they nickname Terri the Terrible. But when some spooky visitors come to them with a message, they realize that their parents’ deaths might not have been as cut and dry as everyone thinks. Perfect for fans of The Graveyard Book and Lemony Snicket.
Thisby Thestoop (series) by Zac Gorman
Scare Rating: 2
Surrounded by all sorts of gruesome and grotesque creatures, Thisby Thestoop, the gamekeeper for the Black Mountain Dungeon, is getting dragged into another job — saving the princess’s skin.
Monsters Unleashed (series) by John Kloepfer
Scare Rating: 3
John Kloepfer, author of The Zombie Chasers, has returned with a monstrously fun new series about a boy whose 3D-printed monsters come to life. After drawing monsters based on the meanest bullies in his class, Freddie used his school’s 3D printer to make models of them. But the last thing he expected was that the monsters would come to life and keep growing, and GROWING, and GROWING. There’s just one way to stop these over-sized beasts: recruit the bullies, since only they know how the monsters think. But teaming up with his worst enemies is Freddie’s worst nightmare.
Supernormal Sleuthing Service (series) by Gwenda Bond & Chistopher Rowe
Scare Rating: 3
Three kids. A hotel full of monsters. And a stolen magical artifact that could disrupt the balance between the humans and the supernatural. Welcome to life at Hotel Monster! Fans of Hotel Transylvania and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library will love this hilarious and spooky new series from Gwenda Bond and Christopher Rowe that blends mystery with monsters.
Monsterstreet (series) by J.H. Reynolds
Scary Rating: 3
Welcome to Monsterstreet, the spookiest place around!
“Fast, funny, frightening — and filled with shocks and surprises. These books are my kind of fun. I want to live on Monsterstreet!” — R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series
Estranged (series) by Ethan M. Aldridge
Scare Rating: 4
Edmund and the Childe were swapped at birth. Now Edmund lives in secret as a changeling in the World Above, with his fae powers kept a secret from his parents and his older sister, Alexis. The Childe lives among the fae in the World Below, where being a human makes him a curiosity at the royal palace. But when an evil sorceress seizes the throne, the Childe and Edmund must unite on a quest to save both worlds.
Goldeline by Jimmy Cajoleas
Scare Rating: 4
Young Goldeline travels from camp to camp with a group of bandits, getting by on the things they steal from travelers that pass through the woods.
But someone is after Goldeline, a man who wants to cleanse the wilds of anyone who’s different — who convinced the overzealous Townies that her mother was a witch — and who suspects that Goldeline might be a witch, too.
Ivy Pocket (series) by Caleb Krisp
Scare Rating: 4
This is a darkly whimsical and wickedly funny series about a twelve-year-old maid of no importance who finds herself at the very heart of a conspiracy involving mischief, ghosts, and murder. Ivy Pocket is a walking disaster, at every turn enraging and appalling the aristocrats she works for. But she doesn’t see herself that way at all. In fact, she’s convinced that she’s rather wonderful, perfectly charming, and extremely talented. From the moment Ivy is charged with delivering a spectacular (and possibly cursed) diamond necklace, she is propelled towards her remarkable destiny in a surprising adventure full of intrigue, villains, mayhem, and misunderstandings.
Tricks — for kids who are in it for the scare
The Rambling by Jimmy Cajoleas
Scare Rating: 5
Buddy sets out on a mission to save his father and playsParsnit — a mysterious card game of magic, chance, and storytelling — to help himself along the way. In this game, you’re only as strong as the story you tell. Will Buddy’s story help rescue his dad? From Jimmy Cajoleas, the author of Goldeline.
School of the Dead by Avi
Scare Rating: 6
In this spine-tingling story from Newbery Medal winner Avi, a boy must solve the mystery of the ghost haunting him. When Tony Gilbert’s Uncle Charlie dies suddenly, Tony is devastated. His uncle’s dying wish was that he attend the Penda School, where Uncle Charlie himself went as a kid. The Penda School is eerie enough without his uncle’s ghost making it worse, but on top of that, rumors have been circulating about a student who went missing shortly before Tony arrived. Could that somehow be related to Uncle Charlie’s ghost?
Shadow School #1: Archimancy by J.A. White
Scare Rating: 6
A new series from J.A. White, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman and Adam Gidwitz. Cordelia discovers she’s not the only one who can see ghosts at her new school; so can her friend Benji! Together with the intelligent Agnes, the three of them try to find out why the ghosts are there, and whether there’s a way to set them free.
Evangeline of the Bayou by Jan Eldredge
Scare Rating: 6
Twelve-year-old haunt huntress apprentice Evangeline Clement spends her days and nights studying the ways of folk magic and honing her monster-hunting skills so she can finally be declared a true haunt huntress, worthy of following in the footsteps of her long line of female ancestors. But when Evangeline and her grandmother are called to New Orleans to resolve an unusual case, she uncovers a secret that will shake her to the soles of her silver-tipped alligator-skin boots.
Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro
Scare Rating: 7
Watch Hollow is a gothic-tinged fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Gregory Funaro about two siblings, Lucy and Oliver Tinker, who come to the town of Watch Hollow to live in a mysterious old house, where they discover a clock that makes wooden animals come to life and a vicious monster that not only wants their house for itself, but also seeks to destroy everything they hold dear.
A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting (series) by Joe Ballarini
Scare Rating: 7
A little bit Ghostbusters and a little bit Goosebumps, Joe Ballarini strikes a balance of funny-yet-scary in this new series about a secret society of babysitters who protect kids from the monsters that really do live under their beds! When middle schooler Kelly Ferguson’s Halloween plans switch from party-going to babysitting, she thinks the scariest part of her night will be the death of her social life — until Baby Jacob gets kidnapped by the Boogeyman’s minions. Now, with the help of an ancient handbook and a secret society of butt-kicking babysitters, Kelly sets out to destroy the Boogeyman before he brings Jacob’s nightmares to life.
City of Islands by Kali Wallace
Scare Rating: 7
As a servant for the powerful Lady of the Tides, Mara must earn her keep by searching for magical treasures deep in the murky ocean. When Mara finds the skeletons of strange hybrid creatures that haven’t existed in the city for centuries — all humming with a powerful spell-song, she’s convinced her discovery will earn her the opportunity to study magic. But instead of a reward, the Lady gives Mara a new challenge: to sneak into the island fortress, the Winter Blade. Now Mara must dive deeper than ever before to survive her mission. The chilling truths that Mara uncovers along the way, about her past as well as about the secrets of her beloved city, are more dangerous — and magical — than she ever imagined.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Scare Rating: 7
Whether they read it as the novel or the graphic novel, Neil Gaiman’s story about the adventures of a boy raised by the ghosts, werewolves, and other denizens of a graveyard will definitely give kids chills. Nobody “Bod” Owens is a normal boy, except that he lives in a sprawling graveyard, and has been raised since infancy by ghosts and a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are adventures in a graveyard for a boy, but there are dangers, too. And if Bod leaves the graveyard, he may fall prey to the man Jack, who has already murdered Bod’s entire family.
Spirit Hunters (series) by Ellen Oh
Scare Rating: 8
This new series from Ellen Oh will leave you with that tingly, someone-is-behind-me feeling. It’s a high-stakes mystery about Harper Raine, the new seventh grader in town who must face down the dangerous ghosts haunting her younger brother. The rumors are that the Raine family’s new house is haunted. Harper isn’t sure she believes those rumors, until her younger brother, Michael, starts acting strangely. The whole atmosphere gives harper a sense of déjà vu, but she can’t remember why. She knows the memories she’s blocking will help make sense of her brother’s behavior and the strange and threatening sensations she feels in this house, but will she be able to put the pieces together in time?
Nightbooks by J.A. White
Scare Rating: 8
In this book from J.A. White, a boy is imprisoned by a witch and must tell her a new scary story each night to stay alive. Alex’s original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping the witch Natacha happy, but soon he’ll run out of pages to read from and be trapped forever. He’s loved scary stories his whole life, and he knows most don’t have a happily ever after. Now that Alex is trapped in a true terrifying tale, he’s desperate for a different ending — and a way out of this twisted place.
Scream and Scream Again, ed. by R.L. Stine
Scare Rating: 9
A harrowing array of scary stories that all have one thing in common: each either begins or ends with a scream! Scream and Scream Again! is full of twists and turns, dark corners, and devilish revenge. Collected in conjunction with the Mystery Writers of America, this set includes works from New York Times bestselling authors telling tales of wicked ice-cream trucks, time-traveling heroes, witches and warlocks, and of course, haunted houses. Read it if you dare!
The Thickety (series) by J.A. White
Scare Rating: 9
When Kara was five, her mother was convicted of witchcraft. Years later, Kara and her little brother, Taff, are still shunned by the people of their village, who believe that nothing is more evil than magic…except, perhaps, the mysterious forest known as the Thickety that covers nearly the entire island.
When an unusual bird lures Kara into the forbidden forest, she discovers a strange book with unspeakable powers. A book that might have belonged to her mother.
And that is just the beginning of the story.
Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz
Scare Rating: 10
There’s a reason Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories series has been scaring readers young and old since 1981. These collections of chillingly scary tales and legends offer some of the most alarming tales of horror, dark revenge, and supernatural events of all time. Read if you dare!
What are your favorite Halloween reads? Tell us in the comments below.
