Photo by Professor Bop
Fall is my favorite time of year! I absolutely love changing leaves, warm sweaters and most of all Halloween! Halloween is my favorite holiday- mostly because I love scaring people! Growing up I liked to scare people, it was a lot of fun, especially scaring my little sister. I would hide in her closet and jump out when she least expected it. To this day she is still afraid that I might be in there, lurking and waiting for my next scare. What I love even more than scaring people is scary movies, TV shows, and above all scary books. To get in the spirit for this frightful holiday I am sharing this list of 13 scary kids books to read on Halloween- with quick links to purchase for a great price at Target! Some of them may be too scary for younger children, but most kids will really enjoy these spooky picture books. Read them to your kids right before bed to turn their sweet dreams into nightmares... MUHAHAHAHAHA!
I'm grouping the spooky Berenstain Bears books by Stan & Jan Berenstain together because I can't pick only one. I loved this series growing up. There are quite a few scary and Halloween themed Berenstain Bears books to choose from. These books are just scary enough to put your kids in the Halloween spirit, without giving them nightmares.
CLICK the book title to purchase online: Trick or Treat, Spooky Old Tree, Happy Halloween, Ghost of the Forest, Spooky Stories, The Haunted House, Ghost Walk
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It doesn't get much spookier than In a Dark Dark Room and Other Scary Stories! This book- retold by Alvin Schwartz and illustrated by Dirk Zimmer- is filled with terrifying tales and twist endings. It is my favorite book on this list. These stories are seriously creepy; I remember my friends and I taking turn reading these stories out loud in the dark. The artwork is so creepy; Dirk Zimmer is a master of scary illustrations. I can read The Green Ribbon over and over! In a Dark Dark Room is suspenseful and terrifying. These stories are classics and are so memorably even to this day. This book is only for the bravest kids because it is nightmare material!
CLICK HERE to purchase online!
This book is absolutely bone chilling. I know this story supposed to be for children, but it sends shivers down my spine. The Wolves in the Walls is beautifully written by Neil Gaiman and brilliantly illustrated by Dave McKean. The book is a horrific story, but at the same time a work of art. Poor Lucy is trapped in a scary fairy-tale- a "scary-tale" if you will. She hears wolves in the walls, but no one else does. The real trouble starts when the wolves start to come out of the walls! It's a must read even for adults.
CLICK HERE to purchase online!
Let's lighten things up a little! This is Paws For Reaction after all! I need to feature at least one Halloween book about pets! This is The Hallo-Wiener, an unlikely hero and one hot dog! This adorable book by Dav Pilkey is about Oscar the Dachshund. Oscar is smaller than most dogs and gets made fun of a lot, but not for long! This is a fun Halloween story with a great message that appearances aren't everything.CLICK HERE to purchase!
Another one of my childhood favorites illustrated by Dirk Zimmer is Bony-Legs by Joanna Cole. Dirk Zimmer seems to have a knack for finding the creepiest kids books to illustrate. Sasha is in a world of trouble when the evil witch Bony-Legs vows to eat her for dinner. Much like Hansel and Gretel, it is another children's tale about a scary cannibal witch- what's the deal with that? Sasha's incredible adventure is a page turning!CLICK HERE to purchase online!
I loved the Corduroy Bear series when I was young. A Pocket for Corduroy was a book I read again and again. So I had to include my furry friend in this list. Corduroy's Halloween is based on the character created by Don Freeman and written B. G. Hennessy, and is an adorable Halloween classic.CLICK HERE to purchase online!
This Dr. Seuss classic is updated with glow in-the-dark ink, making it a perfect read on a dark, spooky Halloween night. Available at Target, this glow-in-the-dark version of What was I Scared of? A Glow-in-the-Dark Encounter isn't just special because it glows, it is an incredible and hilarious story about facing your fears. Halloween gives us a great opportunity to teach children to be brave. CLICK HERE to purchase online!
I love Winnie the Pooh! I love the original books, the Disney movies, the TV shows- EVERYTHING! I love all things Disney, but I've always had a soft spot for Pooh Bear. We both love honey! If you have small children this book is the perfect Halloween book! Pooh's Halloween Pumpkin is available at the Disney Store. It's a sweet story about what happens when Pooh finds a pumpkin. Its unique shape and handle make it a fun edition to your child's library. CLICK HERE to purchase online!
The title of this book series is as literal as you can get: Scary Stories To Tell in the Dark. That is exactly what you should do with this stories in these books- tell them in total darkness. Target has all three of the Scary Stories books available in a pack for a great price! These terrifying tales are definitely a good choice for older kids. Alvin Schwartz of A Dark Dark Room is the writer on these books. These are the perfect stories to tell in a darkened room with one flashlight, and a group of people that are just as scared as you are!
CLICK HERE to purchase online!
Clifford made the list- it shouldn't come as a surprise, I love big red dogs! I have to of my own! I love the curious and fun-loving nature of Clifford, and read many of Norman Bridwell's Clifford books when I was a child. Clifford and the Halloween Parade is a great choice for dog lovers.CLICK HERE to purchase online!
This one is not exactly Halloween themed, but it was one of my favorite childhood picture books and it's just too good not to include. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is the classic tale from a different perspective; the villains perspective. Alexander T. Wolf tells his side of the story as a way to justify huffing, puffing and eating the tree little pigs. We had it wrong all along according the author Jon Scieszka. What I love even more than this brilliant story is Lane Smith's incredible artwork!
CLICK HERE to purchase online!
Jan Brett has created a Halloween classic. The illustrations in this book are gorgeous. The art is so engaging and the colours are really vivid. Scary, Scary Halloween is the ultimate picture book for kids who love Halloween. This book has just the right amount of scary! It is a MUST BUY and will likely become a favorite to read with your family on Halloween for years to come. Have a safe and happy Halloween Paw's peeps!! CLICK HERE to purchase online!
