*AD – The books marked with a * were gifted by the publishers for review. This post contains affiliate links
Halloween is one of our absolute favourite times of the year and as well as heading out on pumpkin trails, visiting patches, trick and treating and dressing up, we absolutely love digging out all of our favourite Halloween books to read together and get into the party spirit! (Excuse the pun!!)
There are some great new Halloween books this year and with Halloween books for all ages here, you can certainly find one to keep your little ghouls entertained!
Here are some of our favourite Halloween books for kids in 2021.
For Preschoolers
We’re Going on a Pumpkin Hunt by Goldie Hawk (Illustrated by Angie Rozelaar) – Nosy Crow*
If you are introducing little ones to Halloween for the first time, or are looking for books that are more cute than scary, then this familiar feeling We’re Going on a Pumpkin Hunt is just the ticket!
A spooky reimagining of the classic story ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ -except this time we are hunting for the perfect pumpkin to take trick or treating. From navigating through sticky spiders webs to battling through flapping bats and even a haunted house, will the children find the pumpkin they are seeking or another big surprise?
With super cute characters, a familiar rhythmic storyline, repeated words and phrase, this chunky board book is a great interactive Halloween read for younger children.
Busy Halloween – Campbell Books (Illustrated by Louise Forshaw) – Campbell Books*
For younger children who may be experiencing some of the Halloween traditions for the very first time, you really can’t go wrong with this bright and colourful Busy Halloween board book from Campbell Book’s Busy Books range.
By pushing, pulling and turning the tabs, children can quite literally bring the story to life – carving pumpkins, dressing up for Halloween and filling up their treat bags with candy!
A great way interactive read for little ones and a fab option for developing their fine motor skills too.
Picture Books
Witching’s Witch by Lu Fraser- illustrated by Sarah Massini
Lu Fraser is rapidly becoming one of our favourite children’s authors and this latest release The Witchling’s Wish is so beautifully illustrated it has to be right up their with one of the best!
A beautiful story of friendship, this story is all about a Little Witchling who lives alone on a mountain top. Of all the things in the world, the thing she wants the most is a friend, so she decides to try and magic one up with a very special spell. When the last ingredient is the last hair from a little girl’s much loved teddy, the witchling has a bit decision to make about what it really means to be a good friend.
You can see more of the beautiful illustrations from this book over on my reel here.
We’re Going to Find the Monster by Malorie Blackman – illustrated by Dapo Adeola
From the award winning author of Look Up! We’re Going to find the Monster is a fun filled book of two little adventurers with a very vivid imagination! Great fun to read aloud, these two kids use their imagination to turn their house and the people within it into a whole other make believe world as they trek to track down the very scary monster (who is actually their older brother!)
This is also the first book I have seen which has a character with vitiligo. It’s not referenced at all in the text, but is helping children learn about diversity and individual differences too.
Bat Can’t Sleep by Carly Gledhill*
This super fun picture book with cut out pages to peep through, Bat Can’t Sleep tells the story of a cheeky little bat who is too excited to sleep during the day. She goes on an adventure instead, meeting lots of other animals who are all going to sleep, skipping, hopping and diving until eventually, she finally tires herself out!
A great option for mini sleep avoiders, this book has a bright and beautiful colour palette and has a fun fold out page at the end making it a playful and interactive read for Halloween!
Middle Grade Readers
Following Frankenstein by Catherine Bruton*
Erin is absolutely loving chapter books at the moment and you can also find some great middle grade books for Halloween.
In Following Frankenstein, Maggie’s father has dedicated his whole life to hunting down the monster created by Victor Frankenstein. Now her father is staking everything on one last voyage to the Arctic, with Maggie secretly in tow, where he hopes to find the monster at last.
When they arrive however, they make an even more shocking discovery: Frankenstein’s monster has a son…
From the award-winning author of No Ballet Shoes in Syria and Another Twist in the Tale this edge of your seat adventure will keep children wanting to read just one more chapter! (Aimed at children aged 9-12)
How I became a Dog Called Midnight by Ben Miller
If your kids fancy a bit of magic this Halloween, then best selling author Ben Miller has a great new release book called How I became a Dog Called Midnight which will be right up their street (and without a scary part in sight!)
When George finds himself in a mix up with an enchanted fountain, he swaps places with his dog Midnight and turns from boy to loveable hound! George is loving his adventures as Midnight the dog, until he uncovers a plan that could threaten Midnight’s home. Can the two friends work together to save the day in each others bodies before they get stuck that way forever?
Ideal for reading alone or reading aloud with younger siblings!
If you’re looking for more Halloween inspiration, you can see some more of our slightly older Halloween favourites over at What the Kids Read. Give us a follow for lots more new children’s book inspiration every single week!
Happy Halloween Reading!
