Fun and Spooky Halloween stories with activities.
For those who love the spooky magic of Halloween, I have compiled a little list of some great picture books. Some are newly published and some are not. But all contribute to the excitement and spookiness enjoyed at this time of year. Often kids can become inspired to get creative as All Hallows Eve approaches, whether using a variety of mediums for Halloween art or to write Halloween stories or poems. Its a great time for reading aloud and get kids reading!
In my opinion, these older stories have reasonable word count (up to current popular standards) and still have the ability to engage readers of today! There are so many second hand book stores with seasonal selections, so make sure to have a peek at their Halloween collection as you may find some literary gems!
So crack those paper spines and read to children! Get children reading! Get creating! Halloween is here!
High as high can be.
He was hung there by my sister and me.
High in our sycamore tree.
2. In the Haunted House
Open the door and step softly inside.
An organ is playing a funeral air.
It’s playing and playing, but nobody’s there”
3. Ghost’s Hour, Spook’s Hour written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by Donald Carrick. Told in the first person this suspenseful story chronicles a boy, having woken in the night, walking through his quiet dark house to discover ghost’s hour, spook’s hour.
“When I woke up it was really dark.
Something went Woooooo outside my window.
‘Don’t be scared,’ I told myself. ‘It’s just the wind.’ I slid out of bed.”
4. Scary, Scary Halloween
That makes me shiver, spikes my hair.
It must be Halloween.
A skeleton with bones so white
They gleam and glimmer in the night,
Has come for Halloween.
5. The Haunted House That Jack Built
“This is the ghoul, that scared the ghost,
that sampled the stew,
that cooled in the house that Jack built”
6. The House That Drac Built written by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. Although along the same theme as the previous ‘Jack’ book, this one is quite different because ‘Drac’ built this house! There are some ghoulish creatures that create some mischief in Drac’s house… and then along come some trick or treaters!
A few more pages and…
“This is the fearsome manticore
that wrestled the werewolf
that chased the cat
that bit the bat
that lived in the house that Drac built.”
7. By the Light of the Halloween Moon
A lean and gleaming toe
That taps a tune in the dead of night
By the light, by the light
By the silvery light of the Halloween moon!”
8. Cinderella Skeleton
Dwelt in Boneyard Acres near the wood,
third mausoleum on the right,
Decayed, decrepit– what a fright.
On the door a withered wreath
Invited guests to REST IN PEACE.
It was the pride of the neighbourhood.”
9. At the Old Haunted House
lived a warty green witch and her wee witchy one.
‘SPELL!’ cried the witch.
‘POOF!’ cried the one.
And they both practiced spells in the room with no sun”
10. Halloween ABC
“More gruesome than any groan,
more dreadful than any moan,
most trembling, terrifying sight:
white silence in the dark of night.”
11. Ghosts!: Ghostly Tales from Folklore
Some people do.
And the stories they tell about them are strange and scary and fun”
12. In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories
When there is no real danger, feeling scared is fun.
The best time for these stories is at night-in front of the fire or in the dark.
Tell them s-l-o-w-l-y and quietly, and everyone with have a good time.”
13. The last books I’ll list here are actually in a series called, EEK ! Stories To Make You Shriek-Haunted Bike
Right-unless it’s a bike with a mind of its own!
Let Emma tell you her story. It’s about her new bike
and the new friend that she makes. There is more to both
of them than meets the eye!”
Others in the series:
Kim Benson - Writer and Educator 