Halloween is creeping closer, bringing pumpkins, costumes, ghosts and the perfect excuse to curl up with a slightly spooky book.
This week’s Young Reader’s Shelf offers Halloween stories for a range of young readers. Some are funny, some are mysterious and some provide just enough shivers without keeping everyone awake at night.
Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Best for: Ages 3-7
A friendly witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky when the wind begins blowing away the witch’s belongings. Each time they stop to retrieve something, they meet another animal hoping for a ride.
Soon the broom is carrying quite a crowd — and then a dragon appears.
Room on the Broom is more funny than frightening, with rhyme, repetition and a story about friendship and helping others tucked beneath the Halloween fun.
About the author: British author Julia Donaldson is one of the best-known writers of children’s picture books and is also the author of The Gruffalo.
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams, illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Best for: Ages 4-8
A little old lady walking home through the woods encounters two shoes that go CLOMP, CLOMP, a pair of pants that go WIGGLE, WIGGLE and other mysterious pieces of clothing following close behind.
But she isn’t afraid of anything.
Linda Williams turns familiar Halloween imagery into an interactive read-aloud as children join in with the sounds and movements. The increasingly strange procession ultimately finds a clever purpose.
About the author: Linda Williams is best known for The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, first published in 1986.
Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown
Best for: Ages 4-8
Jasper Rabbit loves carrots, particularly the free carrots growing in Crackenhopper Field.
Then he begins to suspect the carrots are following him. Are creepy carrots really lurking in the bathroom, shed and bedroom — or is Jasper’s imagination getting the better of him?
The answer makes this funny, suspenseful picture book worth reading all the way to the final pages.
About the author: Aaron Reynolds is a bestselling children’s author whose books include Creepy Pair of Underwear! and Creepy Crayon!
How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green
Best for: Ages 4-8
Suppose you meet a ghost. What should you do?
Rebecca Green offers a whimsical guide to ghostly friendship, from feeding your new companion its favorite snacks to caring for your friendship over the years.
The illustrations have a cozy, vintage quality, making this a particularly good choice for children who enjoy Halloween but aren’t looking for anything truly scary.
About the author: Rebecca Green is an author and illustrator whose work is known for warm, detailed artwork and imaginative storytelling.
The Witches by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake
Best for: Ages 8-12
Real witches don’t necessarily wear black hats or ride broomsticks. According to the grandmother in Roald Dahl’s classic story, they may look like perfectly ordinary women.
That makes them much harder to spot.
A young boy unexpectedly discovers a gathering of witches and learns of their terrifying plan to get rid of England’s children. He and his grandmother must find a way to stop them.
This selection is decidedly scarier than the picture books on our shelf, with Dahl’s trademark combination of darkness, absurdity and humor.
About the author: Welsh-born British writer Roald Dahl created some of children’s literature’s most recognizable stories, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach and The BFG.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Best for: Ages 10 and up
Nobody Owens — Bod for short — isn’t being raised in an ordinary home.
He lives in a graveyard and is being raised by ghosts.
Bod’s unusual guardians protect and teach him as he grows, but danger remains beyond the graveyard gates.
For older readers ready for a darker Halloween selection, The Graveyard Book combines fantasy, adventure, mystery and genuine chills with a moving coming-of-age story.
About the author: British author Neil Gaiman has written for children and adults across novels, comics, film and television.
One shelf, six kinds of Halloween fun.
For younger children, start with Room on the Broom or The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. Children who want laughs with their chills may especially enjoy Creepy Carrots! and How to Make Friends with a Ghost.
Older independent readers can move into the darker territory of The Witches and The Graveyard Book.
Halloween reading doesn’t have to mean nightmares. Sometimes the best spooky story simply gives young readers a reason to pull the blanket a little closer — and turn one more page.
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