Our Favorite Halloween Reads

Halloween is this week! Can you believe it’s finally here? We know our educators are gearing up for an exciting holiday with their students, so we decided to share our favorite Halloween reads with you.

The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything

By Linda Williams

We love this classic children’s book for two reasons. First, we love that the little old lady confidently tells each obstacle in the road that she is not afraid of anything. We hope this mantra can inspire our own children and students when they are nervous or afraid. Second, this book offers a great opportunity for your students to engage with you as you read. Whenever an article of clothing makes a noise (for example, the two shoes go ‘clomp, clomp,’ and the gloves go, ‘clap, clap’) you can look to your students to say and/or do those sounds and actions. This interactive participation will keep your students focused on the reading and bring some life into your story time.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

By Charles M. Schulz

Another great classic, we love any excuse to follow along with the adventures of the Peanuts gang. The suspense of finding out whether or not Linus will see the Great Pumpkin will keep your little readers on the edge of their seats. We love Linus’s optimism throughout the entire book and want to encourage our students to be the same.

Bonaparte Falls Apart

By Margery Cuyler

This cute book follows a group of little monsters that try to help one of their friends, Bonaparte. We love their persistent and creative solutions throughout the book and hope our students can approach their own problems in a similar way.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

By J.K. Rowling

Honestly, any of the Harry Potter books would be a great read this Halloween, but the Sorcerer’s Stone has a special place in our hearts. It is the first book of the series that experts claim has inspired young boys to read again. It is full of magic, witches, wizards, goblins, and plenty of Halloween worthy creatures. Whether it’s your first time or seventh, consider reading Harry Potter this Halloween!

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

By Alvin Schwartz

If any of your older students are looking for a chilling read, this classic is sure to make them jump. Originally illustrated by Stephen Gammell, the publisher recently released a new edition of this book with new illustrations. These less horrifying images have caused some controversy among dedicated fans of the original book. They argue that the original, terrifying illustrations are what made the book so thrilling. Why not pick up a copy and see for yourself?

Frankenstein

By Mary Shelley

Everyone thinks they know the story of Frankenstein, but watch your students’ surprise when they read the original scary story. Frankenstein also has many thought provoking themes to discuss as a class, such as monstrosity, the pursuit of knowledge, alienation, and more. Not only a fun read for Halloween, but Frankenstein is a great book for students to have in their repertoire when preparing for standardized tests.

Do you have any great book suggestions for Halloween? Let us know! We’re always looking for great books to read!

Author: Brindisi Olsen Bravo

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