The most popular question I receive during the month of October is, “Where are your Halloween books?” The library has a vast collection of Halloween and holiday books, but sometimes there are families that prefer not to participate in the holiday or have children that get too scared from Halloween stories. The books listed below are ones that can be enjoyed all year round. I laughed out loud when I first read Something Smells by Blake Liliane Hellman. A little boy spends the entire story walking around his house trying to figure out what smells so bad. You as the reader realize the smell is coming from his skeleton costume that he refuses to take off despite his mother’s protests.
“Not one more day in that costume, Elliot!”—Something Smells! by Blake Liliane Hellman
There are also books listed that can be used to inspire family activities such as, Flashlight Night by Mark Forrest Esenwine. Turn the lights off and have your flashlights ready to tell stories and discover adventures everywhere you walk. Author Ed Embelry has a great step by step drawing instruction book titled, Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Weirdos. Finally, you can quiz each other about how many bones are in the human hand, (twenty-seven) using author Steve Jenkins’ Bones: Skeletons and How They Work.
Don’t forget about chapter books that make great read-alouds during bedtime or for entertaining independent readers such as Bunnicula, the classic series about of a vampire bunny by Deborah and James Howe. Right now, I am loving the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series. Desmond is a professional and fearless eight-year-old that runs his own ghost patrol.
I know you’ll find a book to enjoy with your family. Happy Halloween and as always, Happy Reading!
Not Too Spooky Books
