Halloween Faves

Scary season is upon us, and what better way to lean into all the haunting than with some books that are fun for the whole family.  Here are few to add to your Halloween reading list!

Room on the Broom - Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)

OMG Room on the Broom!  This sing-songy, rhyming book is simply the best.  Our friendly witch just cannot catch a break.  As she flies through the air on her broomstick, she loses so many things-her hat, her bow, her wand, and more!  Luckily her animal friends are there to help, but in return they’d like a space on her broom!  When they encounter a horrible dragon, the animals come to the witch’s rescue, and they all work together to create something “truly magnificent!” 

There’s so much that can be done with this fun story.  Reading aloud and letting kids finish off the rhyming words helps with their phonemic awareness, or understanding of the sounds that make up words.  “Down cried the witch, and they flew to the ground.  They searched for the wand, but no wand could be ________!”  This simple reading “game” instills a sense of pride in new readers--they know what comes next!  They can read!  Kids can also make predictions about the animals that come next in the story if they look closely at the smaller illustrations on the right side of the page.  Because it has a step-by-step, repetitive format, it’s also great for sequencing and retelling a story from beginning to end.  Grab your copy ASAP or get it on sale after Halloween. :) 

Little Blue Truck’s Halloween - Alice Shertle and Jill McElmurry (Illustrator)

I was introduced to Little Blue Truck years ago when my first niece and nephew were just babies.  Grandpa does the best reading of this new-ish instant fave.  But until recently I had no idea that it was literally an empire!  So many Little Blue Truck stories to choose from!  As we start to build our at-home collection of holiday stories, Little Blue Truck’s Halloween has become one of our first loves.  Little Blue is going to a costume party, and he must pick up his friends along the way!  But who are these friends?  It’s hard to tell when they’re all in disguise!  Meet all of Little Blue’s friends and see his ghostly costume, then celebrate with them when you get to the end! 

The guessing and anticipation that comes along with a lift-the-flap book is always fun, no matter how many times you read it and even if you already know who’s under there!  There is so much to love about this treasure, from the toad in a magician’s hat and cape (I just love him!), to Little Blue’s ghost costume, to the Pumpkin Heads party at the end.  It is perfect to read all October long, but will be especially fun on trick-or-treat night when kids could insert themselves into the story.  Make up a rhyme for their costumes and continue the story!  “Who’s this puppy with lots of black spots and a collar with a bow that Mama bought?”  Under that costume, who do you see?  It’s Cameran!  Okay I hope you’re way better at this than me, but gotta start somewhere!  Beep! Beep!  Happy Halloween!

The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything - Linda Williams and Megan Lloyd (Illustrator)

This is such a fun book to read during Halloween season.  A little old lady walks into the forest to gather some items she needs.  While there, she is met with some strange articles of clothing that won’t seem to let her be.  They follow her through the forest and all the way home, where she is still not afraid.  Rather, she has an idea that will put her new scare-hungry companions to good use!  With some repeating lines, kids can join along in the reading and/or telling of this story.  I love that every page turn leaves you in suspense.  It totally gives off a scary vibe as you carefully peek to see what happens next!

The best part about this book is the MOVEMENT!  Do you have little ones that need to get some wiggles out before bed (or anytime really!)?  This book has you covered!  As the pages turn, new sound words are added and they’re perfect for adding actions and voices to go along with them.  CLOMP, WIGGLE, SHAKE--you’ll be moving until the very end. 

There’s also some rich vocabulary that might warrant a “What does that mean?” conversation, along with talk about the order of events in a story.  Because of its sequential nature, The Little Old Lady makes it easy for kids to share what comes first, next, before, after, etc.  Don’t forget to let kids make a prediction at the end...What could all of these things end up to be?  What idea do you think the little old lady has?  

The Little Old Lady has become a Halloween classic that begs to be read again and again.  It’s also available in Spanish!

Creepy Carrots - Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown (Illustrator)

Jasper Rabbit loves carrots...until he doesn’t.  The carrots have turned on him!  He sees them everywhere!  They’re coming for him!  Ahhhh!  But, Jasper has a plan to get rid of those carrots once and for all, and--as it turns out--it’s actually just what the carrots have been wishing for.  A great book for the Halloween season, Creepy Carrots might make you take an extra look over your shoulder to see who--or what--is creeping up on you. :)     

This story invites some questions once the back cover has been closed.  Were the carrots really being creepy or was Jasper just imagining it?  Do you think this was really the carrots’ plan all along?  We may never know!  The Caldecott Honor-winning illustrations are grayscale with a pop of orange, setting up the creepy vibes right from the front cover.  The pictures are also great for talking about emotions, body language, and or facial expressions.  You can often tell how Jasper and the carrots are feeling just by looking at them!  And don’t forget to check out the endpapers for some sneaky carrots!  Can you spot the difference in the front and back endpapers?  Follow this one up with Creepy Pair of Underwear, you won’t be disappointed!

Happy Reading...and Happy Halloween!  

-Amy-