Thirteen Titles to Thrill Until it's Time to Trick-or-Treat!

It's Spooky Season! That means we get to revisit our favorite creepy, Halloween-themed children's books. Whether you're a fan of silly things that go bump before bedtime or you hide under the covers at the first hint of a BOO! these not-so-scary stories will definitely get you and your kids in the spirit of the season. From zombie carrots to ghoulish spiders and all manner of weirdness in-between. So grab your favorite blanket, find a quiet place to haunt, and settle in as the sun retreats and darkness falls on the witching hour!

Why it's Fun for Littles to be (a little) Scared

Halloween stories are fun for kids because they offer an exciting, though completely safe, way to feel the thrill of suspense. They get to use their imagination and master their fears in the comfort of a safe space with parents close at hand, just in case they need back-up. Learning that it's okay to be scared while still summoning the courage to press on with whatever is causing your fear or anxiety is a key skill that suspenseful books can help them grow as they age. Here are some other ways spooky stories help kids socially and developmentally.

Key Reasons Halloween Stories Appeal to Kids

• Safety with an adrenaline rush: Children enjoy heart-pounding suspense and a "scary" rush, much like riding a roller coaster, while knowing they are completely safe in real life.

• Control and catharsis: Reading and/or listening to ghost and monster tales gives kids a sense of control over frightening thoughts, which helps them release stress and build emotional resilience. Emotional resilience is how kids and adults adapt to stress, manage our big feelings, and bounce back from setbacks or failures.

• Courage and problem-solving: The characters in spooky stories must often face the unknown, outsmart monsters, or overcome impossible odds. This shows kids that fear is temporary and can be conquered. Understanding this is at the core of building perseverance.

• Sparking Imagination: Quirky characters like talking pumpkins, silly witches, and friendly ghosts ignite creative thinking and make reading feel like an adventure. These types of characters can help children see that scary can also be funny and may prompt silly stories of their own that they can share with you!

• Social Bonding: Sharing spooky tales in a group, like with friends sitting around a campfire or during a classroom read-aloud, creates a fun, memorable sense of shared excitement and closeness. Family reading time is perfect for sharing a scary story then discussing the twists, turns, and surprise endings together.

Thirteen Titles for a Thrilling Trick-or-Treat Season

Halloween has always been one of our favorite holidays and these books are part of the reason why. Between our four boys and operating a preschool, we've read each of these countless times. They inspire thrills, chills, and most importantly, a love of books, with stories and artwork sure to engage your kids and spark spirited conversations long after the final page. Check out our thirteen titles to thrill until it's trick-or-treat time!

1. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

In this story, a friendly witch and her cat fly on a broomstick, accidentally losing the witch's hat, bow, and wand along the way. While looking for them, a dog, a bird, and a frog help return the lost items and as thanks, are invited to ride on her broom. When the crowded broom snaps under their weight a hungry dragon threatens the witch, but her new friends team up to scare the beast away. Grateful for their help, the witch conjures a magnificent new broomstick with plenty of space for everyone.

2. Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds

A young rabbit named Jasper loves eating carrots from from a nearby garden until they seemingly come alive and begin stalking him! Everywhere he goes, Jasper sees and hears the eerie, orange figures, though his parents assure him it is just his imagination. To stop the creepy carrots from following him, Jasper builds a massive fence to trap them inside. In a twist ending, the carrots celebrate because their spooky plan successfully tricked Jasper into fencing them off, ensuring they will never be eaten again.

3. The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt

In this cautionary tale, originally written in 1828 as a poem, a cunning spider tries multiple tricks to lure a proud fly into his web. While the fly initially resists his offers of a pretty home, a soft bed, and delicious food, she finally gives in when the spider begins to flatter her looks. Blinded by her own vanity, she flies a bit too close and is trapped and eaten by the spider! The poem ends with a warning to young readers never to listen to idle, flattering words from deceitful strangers.

4. The Little Old Lady Who was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams

As a fearless little old lady walks home at night through a dark autumn forest and is followed by empty pieces of clothing seemingly moving on their own! A pair of shoes, pants, a shirt, gloves, a hat, and a spooky pumpkin head all CLOMP! WIGGLE! SHAKE! and BOO! along, trying to scare her. Although the rhythmic noises startle her, she stands her ground and hurries back to her cottage. When the animated garments follow her home, she cleverly puts them together to create a useful scarecrow for her garden.

5. Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley

This interactive children's picture book helps young readers conquer night time fears. As children turn the specially cut-out pages, a colorful monster gradually appears piece by piece, starting with its big yellow eyes and long nose down to its sharp white teeth and purple hair. Once the full monster is revealed, the pages reverse, with the reader commanding each scary feature to go away with every page they turn. The book finishes with an empowering message as the child tells the monster not to come back! At least until they say so.

6. Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex

The story takes place in a cold, gray tomb filled with creepy creatures like Martians and mummies, and a black lagoon. As a little werewolf tries to settle down for sleep, a green-clad Goon sneaks in and causes chaotic mischief to keep everyone awake. The little werewolf finally puts an end to the madness by telling the Goon to hide under the bed, wishing goodnight to all the monsters everywhere. If your child is familiar with Goodnight Moon, this spooky parody is sure to be a hilarious Halloween hit!

7. Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell

A young boy named Tim carves his first jack-o'-lantern and names it Jack. When Halloween ends and Jack begins to rot, Tim places him out in the garden to watch him decompose through the winter and spring, transforming and bringing new life in ways he never imagined. By the next autumn, the old pumpkin has sprouted new vines and produced a fresh patch of pumpkins, completing the natural cycle of life. This heartwarming story imparts valuable lessons about growth, change, and the interconnectedness of the natural world.

8. Funnybones by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

This classic children's book introduces a lighthearted, nocturnal family consisting of a big skeleton, a little skeleton, and a dog skeleton. One dark night, they venture out of their cellar into the local town and zoo to find someone to frighten, only to discover that everyone else is fast asleep. Along the way, the dog skeleton accidentally crashes into a tree and falls to pieces, leading to a humorous anatomy lesson as the others scramble to reassemble his bones. Because they cannot find anyone awake to scare, they ultimately spend the night jumping out from behind corners and frightening each other all the way back home.

9. Boris and Bella by Carolyn Crimi

Bella Legrossi is a very messy monster! Her slime and grime are the slimy and grimiest! Her next-door neighbor, Boris Kleanitoff is an obsessively tidy vampire, and the two are bitter rivals. On Halloween, both monsters throw competing parties, but all their friends skip them to attend Hairy Beastie’s bash instead. Upset and snubbed, Boris and Bella crash Hairy's party together, where they bond on the dance floor and realize they have more in common than they thought. This is a great story about finding things in common with others who may seem more different than they really are.

10. The Witches' Supermarket by Susan Meddaugh

When a young girl named Helen and her dog, Martha, follow a woman who dropped a coupon for a free broom into a store, they make a spooky discovery! Disguised as a witch and a cat for Halloween, they accidentally wander into a secret grocery store built exclusively for witches. Once inside, they notice bizarre items like rotten eggs and snakes on the shelves. When the store manager discovers they do not belong, Martha growls and chaos ensues as flying brooms help the pair make a hasty escape.

11. Crankenstein by Samantha Berger

When an ordinary boy turns into a grumbling, bad-tempered monster whenever he faces everyday annoyances like a rainy day, a melting popsicle, or bedtime, what can be done? Nothing seems to fix his terrible mood, that is, until he runs into another kid who is also acting like a Crankenstein. Seeing a fellow monster sets them both off giggling, breaking the spell and turning them back into regular, happy kids. Crankenstein uses humor to talk about bad moods and big feelings, a great theme to help kids understand dealing with their emotions and things that can trigger them.

12. The Last Train on Halloween by Cindy Jennings

The plot follows a group of friends who, after a class trip, board a haunted train where they meet a character known as the "Cruel Smile Man". Filled with beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations, light-hearted dialogue, and plenty of mystery it's designed to give kids just enough mild chills and suspense to keep them turning the pages. Will Naomi and the rest of the children build up the courage to investigate the train, despite the creepy noises, and discover it's secret?

13. The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone

An absolute classic when it comes to interactive children's picture books. And who better to share the suspenseful thrills than our furry pal, Grover! After the book's title sends him into a panic, he begs the reader not to turn the pages, so they won't reach the monster at the end. He tries to stop them by tying pages with rope, nailing boards down, and building a heavy brick wall. When the reader inevitably turns to the very last page anyway, Grover realizes with great embarrassment that HE is the monster at the end of the book. It's a fun read sure to bring on the giggles!

Gauging your Kid's Scare-o-meter

Our list is definitely on the milder side of Halloween and focused on read-aloud books for parents to share with kids and early readers who still enjoy illustration-heavy stories found in picture books. Think preschool to 2nd grade. But no matter how mild the thrills and chills, you want to make sure your kids are ready. Some love the suspense of turning each page to find out what is going BUMP! BUMP! BUMP! down the stairs. For others, a full moon and a single HOO! of an owl may send their imagination into overdrive and them diving under the covers to hide. Rather than judging by age along, try these helpful ways to tell when your kids are ready for some Halloween hijinks.

Knowing When They're Ready

• They understand pretend vs. real: Children around age 3 to 6 can be very literal and may believe pretend or dressed-up things are completely real. If they still think a person in a costume or monster in a book could pop out and hurt them, they are not ready.

• They ask for spooky elements: If your child shows a natural curiosity in gentle, silly Halloween characters (like a friendly ghost or a dancing skeleton) without showing distress, they may enjoy mild tales that blend scary and funny.

• They can control the dial: Readiness depends on whether they feel in charge. If they can hold a flashlight, turn the page, or ask to stop a story when it feels like "too much," they can handle mild suspense or spooky mystery.

Guidelines for Preschooler-Safe Stories

• Stick to "funny-spooky": Choose stories with silly voices, friendly monsters, talking pumpkins, and happy endings where characters overcome their fears or good beats bad. A good laugh at the end can ease any previous fears or worries from the story.

• Read together: Always stay close, pause to talk about what is happening, and remind them that the characters are just playing a game or wearing a mask. In many stories it may be helpful to remind them that a character "not knowing" leads them to being more scared by their imagination than what is really happening.

• Watch for negative after-effects: A child who is truly ready will bounce back right away and even enjoy sharing a recap with friends and family. If a story leads to bedtime meltdowns, nightmares, clinging, or sudden fears of the dark, it was too scary for them developmentally.

Until the Next Full Moon!

A little scare is fun for kids and adults. Spooky stories provide a safe thrill that can help us find our courage, use our imagination for problem-solving mysteries, and build emotional resilience. Making sure they aren't too scary is the key to ensure they lead to fun times and not fearful ones. In our experience, silly stories with spooky elements are the perfect introduction to suspense-filled moments of frightful fun. Just make sure you're in it together with your kids leading the way and in-control of how the adventure unfolds. Happy hauntings!