Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. Every October though it seems like most of the picture books are the same pumpkins, black cats, and vaguely spooky stories. I absolutely love old favorites like Room on the Broom and Five Little Pumpkins, but there are so many more interesting books out there.
For this list, I wanted to focus on books by authors from marginalized communities and especially books that bring in different folklore, traditions, families, and ways of experiencing Halloween. Some are mildly spooky, some are funny, and some are barely spooky at all, but they’re all books I’d be happy to add to our October reading pile.
Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales. Skeletons, witches, ghosts, and other creatures head to a monster ball in this bilingual Halloween poem, with English and Spanish woven throughout. The rhymes and playful language make it especially fun to read aloud, while Morales’s illustrations give the book a wonderfully eerie feel. Ages 4 to 8.
Trick-or-Treating in the City by Tiffany D. Jackson, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud. Janelle knows exactly what she wants to be for Halloween, but her mom has to work and her dad has to run his store, so the usual trip to the suburbs to trick-or-treat isn’t happening. Instead, Janelle’s New York City neighbors share their own Halloween traditions and help her find a way to celebrate. Ages 4 to 8.
A Costume for Charly by C. K. Malone, illustrated by Alejandra Barajas. Charly is a bigender child who uses they/them pronouns and wants a Halloween costume that shows both their masculine and feminine sides. When none of the costumes in the box feel quite right, Charly gets creative and makes something new from the pieces they already have. Preschool to grade 2.
The Goblin Twins by Frances Cha, illustrated by Jaime Kim. Doki and Kebi are 601-year-old Korean goblin twins inspired by the dokkaebi of Korean folklore. When they move to New York City, Halloween gives them plenty of opportunities to discover that humans can be surprisingly difficult to scare. Kebi loves frightening people, while Doki would rather hand out bags of gold and read. The book also includes an author’s note about dokkaebi, and there’s a sequel, The Goblin Twins: Too Hard to Scare. Ages 3 to 7.
Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago. Gustavo is very good at being a ghost. He can float through walls, play music, and make objects move, but making friends is much harder when nobody can see him. Set against the imagery of Día de los Muertos, this beautifully illustrated story is a gentle choice for kids who like their spooky stories on the softer side. Drago has also created other books featuring Gustavo, including Gustavo and the Nightmare, so there are more gentle spooky adventures to explore.
Princess Truly Picks a Pumpkin by Kelly Greenawalt, illustrated by Amariah Rauscher. Princess Truly and her dog, Sir Noodles, go looking for the perfect pumpkin, but none of the ordinary ones at the pumpkin patch will do. So Truly uses her magical curls to create one of her own. The Princess Truly series was inspired by Greenawalt’s daughters and celebrates confidence, individuality, and curls of all kinds. Ages 3 to 5.
¡Vamos! Let’s Celebrate Halloween and Día de los Muertos by Raúl the Third, illustrated by Raúl the Third and Elaine Bay. Little Lobo and his friends dress up and trick-or-treat on Halloween before helping their neighbors prepare for Día de los Muertos. Spanish vocabulary, colorful illustrations, and details drawn from life along the El Paso–Ciudad Juárez border make this a particularly lively read. Raúl the Third is a three-time Pura Belpré Award-winning author-illustrator. I highly recommend the audiobook!
Before You Pick
A quick reminder: kids have wildly different ideas of what counts as “scary,” so preview the spookier books before reading them aloud if you’re not sure how they’ll land.
And check your library before buying anything. A surprising number of these are easy to find there, which means you can try them out before adding another book to the shelf.
What are you reading this Halloween? If your family has a favorite Halloween book (especially one by an author from a marginalized community) leave the title in the comments. I’m always looking for more books to add to the list.
Leave a Reply