Reading books with our children is one of my favorite parts of motherhood.
I love to read, and I want my kids to love books and reading, too. Over the years, I’ve gradually collected children’s books that relate to different topics, holidays, etc.
Here are some of my Halloween favorites for preschoolers:
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything is fun to read with preschoolers and kids in early elementary school. The little lady goes for a walk at night, and meets a whole set of clothing – including a pair of boots that “clomp! clomp!” and gloves that “clap! clap!” Eventually, the clothes are topped with a pumpkin head that says “Boo!” But since she’s not afraid of anything, the pumpkin doesn’t scare her. She creatively suggests that the pumpkin and outfit become a scarecrow in her garden. This book is entertaining and interactive. Kids can anticipate the next word and act out the different sounds.
Where’s My Mummy? is another fun book for the 3-6 year old set. The little mummy is looking for his mommy, and he has to search a graveyard. He finds lots of Halloween creatures, but they are presented in a friendly, not scary way. It is also repetitive, so kids can predict what’s coming and easily learn the story.
What Am I? Halloween is a simple lift-the-flap book. My toddler loves these! This one introduces pumpkins, bats, scarecrows, spiders, friendly witches, skeletons and more.
Another sweet book for little ones is The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin. This book doesn’t have anything in particular to do with Halloween, but it tells the story of a pumpkin who looked different and the other pumpkins made fun of him. Eventually, there’s a problem in the pumpkin patch, and Spookley saves the day. The lesson learned is that you can’t judge a book by its cover.
For older elementary:
The Bunnicula series is great! My kids (and I!) don’t love scary stories, so I try to look for stories that are more fun than spooky. I enjoyed reading these when I was a kid, but the end of The Celery Stalks at Midnight did creep me out a little bit. For my kids this year, I think we’ll enjoy Bunnicula as a read-aloud together. These books are about a family who adopts a pet rabbit. The other animals in the family (who tell the story) suspect that the bunny may be a vampire, sucking the life out of vegetables. The relationships – and conversations – between all the family pets are the best part.
If you are looking for Halloween-related books, check your local library or look for a Scholastic book sale at school. Scholastic often sells bundles of holiday-themed paperbacks for a low cost, and those are easy to tuck away with decorations for next year. Then the whole family can be surprised and excited to see holiday favorites again next Halloween.
