Ready to get totally immersed in the season? Our complete list of Halloween books for kids will help entertain your family with tales of ghosts, ghouls, goblins – and the important lesson that sometimes, treats come with a side of tricks. Best of all, these are vetted by ACTUAL kids!
This list of Halloween books for kids includes some oldies and some newer, instant classics. Our family loves them all! I called out a few faves in the image above, but I definitely want to emphasize The Biggest Pumpkin Ever, The Scarecrow, Room on the Broom and Mr. Bones. Those are the ones our family goes back to time and time again.
- Slumberkins presents Mr. Bones. This was the first Halloween book I ever read to my own kids, and it holds a very special place in our hearts.
- Room on the Broom. Any list of Halloween books for kids that doesn't include this book by Julia Donaldson? Can't be trusted. This is now a streaming special on Netflix and it's so, so good.
- The Biggest Pumpkin Ever. This was my all-time favorite Halloween book when I was a kid. It's about a mouse who tries to win the “Biggest Pumpkin” competition, and things get a little out of hand.
- Stumpkin. This adorable pumpkin has one dream: to become a jack-o-lantern. The only problem? He has no stem!
- Goodnight, Little Monster. Little monster gets ready for bed – and he's afraid of the dark.
- Splat the Cat and the Pumpkin-Picking Plan. Everyone loves Splat the Cat, and this book comes with STICKERS!
- The Little Old Lady who Was Not Afraid of Anything. Another beloved one from my own childhood. The little old lady isn't afraid of anything at all, until one night she's walking in the dark and hears behind her, “clomp, clomp, clomp.”
- How to Catch a Monster. Ninja encounters a monster. Will they battle it out, or possibly create a lasting friendship? Perfect for the Halloween kid that loves ninjas.
- Happy Halloween, Little Critter! Everyone loves the Little Critter series, and this one is absolutely perfect for explaining the concept of Halloween to the littlest kids.
- Spooky Pookie. A Sandra Boynton classic, this sweet board book shows Pookie the pig trying to find the perfect Halloween costume.
- Too Many Pumpkins. A dedicated pumpkin hater finds herself in an odd predicament that MIGHT just change her mind.
- The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat. Our favorite, lovable family of bears learns that treats are better than tricks. And this book comes with stickers, too!
- The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin. Another book with stickers! In this one, our beloved bear family learns that there's much, more more to any pumpkin celebration than winning.
- Little Blue Truck's Halloween. The much-loved little truck picks up his animal friends for a costume party.
- If You're Scary and you Know It! I haven't seen this one on any other lists of Halloween books for kids, and I can't imagine why. Set to the tune of the classic kids' song, this is a newbie but a goodie that my kids love, and I think it's really going to stick around.
- It's Pumpkin Day, Mouse! The mouse we all know and love from If you Give a Mouse a Cookie is back at it, ready to tackle pumpkin-decorating in this heartwarming, instant Halloween classic.
- There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Bat! The classic song is now a creepy, weird, lovable book.
- The Scarecrow. This poignant picture book actually made me cry the first time I read it. A sweet tale of two unlikely friends.
- Horrible Harry at Halloween. Horribly Harry was always a favorite from my own childhood, and I've been thrilled to see one of my kids take after me with the Harry love. This story shares how Harry always picks a scary Halloween costume, and his class is eagerly awaiting his next selection!
- Roald Dahl's The Witches. Roald Dahl's tale of a young boy encountering real witches at a convention is absolutely classic. My librarian introduced me to it when I was a child and I've now had the great pleasure of sharing it with my own children.
- The Hallo-weiner. Our family favorite of Dog Man and Captain Underpants fame, Dav Pilkey, shares about a little dog with big Halloween aspirations.
- Clifford's Halloween. While this is billed as a Halloween book, it's an excellent way to introduce kids to every fall holiday with every kid's favorite big red dog!
- The Monster at the End of this Book. Every family's Sesame Street favorite monster is here to introduce the kids to the world of monsters in a non-scary way!
- Scary, Scary Halloween. The illustrations in this book are absolutely captivating, which made it one of my favorites when I was a kid. My kids love it now, too.
- Bonaparte Falls Apart. Oh no, Bonaparte's little bones keep flying every which way! It'll take a bunch of cute, spooky friends to boost his confidence for the first day of school.
- Littlest Mummy. The littlest mummy in Spooky Woods wants to dance at the Halloween bash, but she has no idea what she's doing!
- The Night Before Halloween. It's like ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, for monsters getting ready for THEIR big day.
- Apples and Pumpkins. This classic tale tells the story of a girl on the hunt for the perfect seasonal apples and pumpkins.
- It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Another classic! Tricks and treats about in this beloved Halloween classic.
- Dav Pilkey's Dragon's Halloween. Another Dav Pilkey pick, this Dragon book features three stories in a chapter book style.
- What Was I Scared of? by Dr. Seuss. This glow-in-the-dark series features a pair of empty pants stalking the narrator – but it turn out that they're equally afraid of each other! I adored this book when I was a kid (originally published as The Sneetches and Other Stories) and my kids love it just as much nowadays. This book can totally save the day for kids who are scared of… well… everything.
- Big Pumpkin. After growing the biggest pumpkin ever, a witch realizes she can't figure out how to get it off the vine and turn it into a pie.
- Ten Timid Ghosts. Learn to count and enjoy some Halloween festivity with this book chock full of ghost fun! This is one of my favorite read alouds, by far.
- Where's My Mummy? It's bedtime, but baby mummy just wants to play with Mama Mummy! Such a sweet bedtime story.
- Creepy Pair of Underwear. A brave rabbit is stalked by his glow-in-the-dark underwear. Hilarity ensues.
- Ghosts in the House. A little witch wants to cure her haunted house by catching all the ghosts. The bold, whimsical illustrations will draw in readers of every age.
- How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? This is a question my kids ask me every single Halloween, and now I finally have a way to answer them!
What are your favorite Halloween books for kids?