25 Halloween Books To Read With Your Kids In 2020

TRICKY PETE Children love Pete the Cat and will follow his story wherever he goes, even trick-or-treating on Halloween. In this lift-the-flap kids’ Halloween book, Pete enjoys Halloween and candy but really doesn’t enjoy scary surprises. Your child will love following along as Pete goes house to house, uncovering what could possibly be waiting behind each door. In case you needed more of a green-light for Pete, the artist James Dean is a New York Times bestselling artist, so you can rest assured that you’re also exposing your child to some damn good art.

WITCHES, DRAGONS, AND CATS — OH MY! Witches are easily digestible for kids, maybe more so than scary-looking monsters with only one eyeball and sharp teeth. For this reason, Room on the Broom is a great stepping stone into Halloween-themed books as it’s charming and high-spirited — not at all terrifying. Follow the witch and her cat as they fly through the sky on their broomstick; suddenly, the wind picks up, blowing away the witch’s hat, bow, and then her wand. Three animals come help her find the blown-away items, asking for a ride on the broom in exchange. But is there room on the broom for all these new friends? Oh, and for good measure, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler threw a dragon in there, too.

PINK OR TREAT, GIMME SOMETHING GOOD TO EAT Kids love Pinkalicious and they will love her even more on October 31. Pinkalicious: Pink or Treat is an 8×8 illustrated storybook that follows Pinkalicious after the mayor cancels Halloween due to a storm that knocks out the town’s power. Total bummer, right?! By harnessing the power of her Halloween costume — Superhero Pinkagirl — Pinkalicious decides to save Halloween by figuring out a way to restore the town’s power. Bonus reason to check out this book: Pink or Treat comes with a sheet of stickers that kids can use to decorate Pinkalicious’ town for Halloween.

FOR LLAMA LLAMA SUPERFANS If your tiny reader-in-training is Llama Llama obsessed, they will really enjoy this creepy tale in which her favorite Llama Llama characters take a stab at Halloween. The words are short and simple and always rhyme, so your child will have no problem following along and when they’re ready, even reading the text themselves. In the book, little llama finds the perfect costume, picks out a pumpkin for a jack-o’-lantern, and goes trick or treating with his Mama and friends. Since your family is probably doing all the same things this fall, your kid will love having so much in common with Llama Llama.

A CLASSIC HALLOWEEN TALE It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz is a classic Halloween tale for children and arguably, one of the most iconic Halloween-themed children’s books of all time. Read along with your little peanut as the Peanuts gang dresses up in costumes, goes trick-or-treating, and bobs for apples, all while Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin to rise from the patch and bring toys to children all over the world. Don’t be surprised after reading this classic story if you catch your kid staring at the pumpkin patch when you inevitably go to pick-your-own this fall.

THE CREEPIEST BEDTIME STORY EVER Michael Rex hit the nail on the head when he subtitled this children’s book “a petrifying parody.” Goodnight Goon is the #1 New York Times bestselling picture parody board book that substitutes “goodnight room” for black lagoon and slimy claws, jaws, skulls, and a shoe, and a pot full of goo. It’s creepy, yes, but it’s just familiar enough to pique your kid’s interest and keep them entertained right before falling asleep. Best leave a night-light on after reading this one… #JustSaying.

SKELETONS — BUT MAKE IT LIGHT-HEARTED Poor, poor Bonaparte. Bonaparte is a young skeleton who is just trying to hang loose and have a good time, but his fickle body parts keep detaching from the rest of him. How can he start school when his arms and legs quite literally keep falling apart? The perfect read for younger children who maybe aren’t yet ready for a scary ghost story, this humorous picture book is about friendship, school, some boneheaded ideas, and ultimately, finding confidence.

READER, BEWARE! It may be named The Scariest Book Ever but your child will learn to wonder pretty quickly: Is the ghost-narrator trust-worthy or rather, super melodramatic? With each turn of the page, you’ll never know who will follow you along the way (not always your ghost-narrator!) and who will pop up unexpectedly (bunnies? monsters with fangs? Yikes!). But for all the ghost-narrator’s scare-mongering, nothing in this book — not even the fanged foes themselves — seem or act all that scary. If you have a fear-ridden child who often complains of monsters under the bed, this is the perfect book to snap them out of it as it challenges them: Is it really scary or simply make-believe?

SHE MAY BE DEAD, BUT SHE’S STILL PRETTY It is never — we repeat never — too early to instill a love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer in your children. While the TV show (Netflix reruns 4eva) might be too graphic if they’re still young (monsters, PG-13 vampire boning, and gory demon masks, oh my!) this Pop Classics version of the fan-favorite cult classic TV show turns the Buffyverse into a kid-friendly picture book. Your kid will love what a badass Buffy and her friends Willow and Xander are as they investigate strange sounds in the closet, encounter notorious monsters, and of course, consult the always-wise librarian, Giles. Illustrated by Kim Smith and based on the series by Joss Whedon, children will find this bedtime story endearing and you will love reliving one of your all-time fave 90s shows.

ARE… ARE YOU MY FRIEND? You may have grown up during the era of Christina Ricci and Hilary Duff befriending Casper (in separate movies of course), but How to Make Friends With a Ghost by Rebecca Green is essentially the 2019 version your kid will love. Basically a how-to book on making friends with spirits, Rebecca Green offers hilarious and cutesy advice (don’t let anyone mistake your ghost-friend for whipped cream or a marshmallow and always bring your ghost-friend yummy snacks like mud tarts and earwax truffles) that is so rated-G, you can read this to even the youngest of kids. HTMFWAG is fun and light-hearted and at its core, about friendship.

ALL THROUGH THE (HAUNTED) TOWN There’s nothing like a book you can sing along to. This haunted version of the classic children’s song “Wheels on the Bus” will have you and your kids singing with excitement as you turn the pages to reveal ghoulish tricks, and of course, a few treats, too. Great for kids just learning their numbers, The Spooky Wheels on the Bus counts from one spooky bus all the way up to ten goofy ghosts as this Halloween ride races through town picking up some interesting passengers along the way.

TEACH THEM ABOUT EL DíA DE LOS MUERTOS Kids freakin’ love Coco, the 2017 animated movie from Disney and Pixar in which Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. The only problem is, his familia believes music to be cursed and his abuela has banned the listening to and playing of music for years. This Little Golden Book version of the animated film brings your kid’s favorite characters to life on the page — Miguel, Hector, Dante, and more — as the group wanders through the Land of the Dead. Perfect for children ages 2 to 5, Coco retells all the excitement and adventure of the movie and allows you, as the designated reader, to really bring Miguel’s world to life.