Fun and Spooky Halloween Picture Books
Are you struggling to find the perfect Halloween books for kids? Look no further! Whether your students like scary books or not, there will be a perfect Halloween book for them out there, whatever their age.
A Bit of Halloween History
Did you know that Halloween started out as an ancient Celtic festival called Samhain? As Autumn began, they believed that the boundary between our world and the world of ghosts was so fragile that spooky being could wander freely. To prevent the unearthly invasion the Celts had a huge feast, including lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to scare away the ghouls and monsters.
In the 8th century, the Pope incorporated aspects of the Samhain festival into All Saint Day when Catholics honoured the saints on 1st November. The night before became known as All Hallow’s Eve and eventually Halloween. The dressing is up is still a big part of the festival and the feast has been replaced by buckets of candy and chocolates!
Now the history lesson is done, check out the best Halloween picture books below.
FREE Graphic Organisers for Halloween Books!!
Before you explore the costumes, I have made a pack of graphic organisers and activities to use on, before or after your school's book character day.
I have a freebie that is part of this larger resource so you can try it out before buying anything! Fill in the form below to get access.
Suggested Halloween Books
Reading these Halloween books for kids is a great way to get in the mood for a night of witches, monsters, ghosts, skeletons, pumpkins and underwear(!). I know as a librarian and teacher some students always ask for scary books, here you will find multiple choices to add to your classroom library.
Below you will find a list of the best Halloween books for kids, including some new books. There is a picture book for everyone from toddlers to kindergarten and even upper elementary children.
You will see some of the books have resources available. If you click on the image you will be taken to a page with resources and information about that specific book.
Black Dog by Levi Pindfold
The Black Rabbit by Philippa Leather
The Book That Eats People by John Perry
Chalk by Bill Thomson
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
The Dark by Lemony Snicket
Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara
How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green
Into the Forest by Anthony Browne
Lenny & Lucy by Philip C. Stead
Leo: A Ghost Story by Mac Barnett
Lon Po Po by Ed Young
The Pomegranate Witch by Denise Doyen
The Tunnel by Anthony Browne
The Watertower by Gary Crew
The Widow's Broom by Chris Van Allsburg
The Wolves in the Walls by Neil Gaiman
What Next?
I hope you have found a perfect Halloween book for you to read aloud in your classroom. What kind of Halloween books do your students enjoy? Spooky, tense, funny, gentle or just plain silly!
Let me know in the comments below if you have any other suggestions that I can add for next Halloween.
Don't forget to check out the related books and download the free Halloween PDFs!
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