Everyone loves Halloween. It is a magical time of year when the world is deeply entrenched in fall and the excitement that comes from the weather turning colder. We’ve broken out jackets and scarves, and have begun to decide just what character we will dress up as for Halloween. The learners in your life will be more than happy to have a discussion with you about their Halloween costumes. This list of Halloween books for kids can be read as entertainment, and used in a unit about Halloween. They can be used as a reading activity to find literary devices, provide ideas for writing, or promote discussions. I encourage you to check out some of the following titles for yourself.
*Each book title links to Amazon just to make it easy – you can read reviews, a summary, and order should you choose! (This post contains affiliate links.)
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda D. Williams
This first Halloween book is all about a little old lady who didn’t think she was afraid of anything. That is until she was out alone after dark one Halloween night and she heard some strange noises. The little old lady actually was afraid of a few things. Students will have fun with this interactive book and experiencing these things with the little old lady.
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
While flying through the air on her broomstick with her cat, as witches are known to do, a terrible wind blows some of the witch’s things around. Her hat, wand, and bow are carried away by the wind to three helpful animals. All they want in return for giving the witch her things back is a ride on her broomstick. Read this book with your students to find out whether or not there is room on the broom and what other troubles they get into.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro
Based on the age-old rhyme of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, learners of all ages will appreciate this Halloween twist on the story. With a slew of Halloween-themed items to swallow including a bat, a cat, an owl, a ghost, and a wizard, everyone will love this book.
Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler and S.D. Schindler
In this crazy book about how a skeleton gets rid of his hiccups, your students will explore what skeleton hiccups might sound like, how they get them in the first place, and how they might be able to overcome those nasty hiccups. This book is a good one to get your students’ imaginations churning. And also thinking about things that could never happen but would be interesting if they did!
The Spookiest Halloween Ever by Teddy Slater
Although the title boasts that this book is about the spookiest Halloween ever, this book explores what makes Halloween fun. Although some of the ideas can be scary, the spooky is presented in a way that kids can see that spooky isn’t always so bad, especially when you are out trick-or-treating on Halloween night.
In conclusion, Halloween is such a fun time of year! It has become a time when it is fun to be just a little bit spooked. These books help make the spooky a little fun and your students, learners, children, and family of all ages will enjoy these books celebrating the season of Halloween.
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, make sure to check out my blog post, The Best Thanksgiving Picture Books for Primary Students.
Halloween Activities for Your Classroom
If your students can’t get enough of Halloween children’s books, be sure to check out these Halloween coloring pages! You’ll find all kinds of options that focus on helping your students learn! There are color-by-numbers, color-by-letters, and even color-by-sight words! These coloring pages are great for keeping your students entertained while helping them learn! These packages contain 28-46 pages, depending on which one you select. But the best part of all? Your students can use what they’ve been learning from the books to help them color these pages!
Are you still looking for more ideas? Check out the FREE Reading Graphic Organizer today! This tool can help students identify the main idea, story elements, and the beginning, middle, and end of stories. It can be used with any story you want to introduce in your classroom, and best of all, it’s FREE!
