Spooky Storytimes

Halloween is a great time for story times. Many local libraries or book stores offer Halloween themed story times. Many Barnes and Nobles stores also have a Halloween parade, where the kids can dress up and walk around the store to get some treats. Click here to find a Barnes and Nobles near you.

Trick or Treating at the bookstore

If you can't make it to the story times, or if there are not any near you, create your own! There are a ton of Halloween themed books at libraries or online (see below for my Top Halloween Books For Kids). Get a couple books and have a special Halloween story time at your house! You can have the kids color a Halloween themed coloring page or give them a Halloween themed snack at the end of the stories.

You can also make up your own stories! Set the scene by having a fire in the fireplace or fire pit, or simply lighting a candle and turning the lights down. Go around and have each family member tell a spooky story. You could also have a progressive story; someone starts the story and tells it for a minute, then the next person continues where the last person left off.

If you have creative kids, or if spooky story time is too scary, have them make their own books. Use index cards, or cut squares of paper, hole punch them and tie together with ribbon or string. Give the kids crayons and stickers to create their own stories. When Higgins made his first one, many many years ago, I had to write down their story as he told it to me and then he decorated the pages. (If you do this each Halloween, keep the books! It's a great way to see how your child's imagination and drawing abilities grow.)

My Favorite Halloween Books:

Younger Kids: 

• Who's There On Halloween
• Halloween Bugs: A Trick or Treat Pop Up Book
• Curious George Goes To A Costume Party
• I Need My Monster (I love this book!)
• The Night Before Halloween
• Halloween Night
• The Spookiest Halloween Ever!
• Caillou: Happy Halloween
• Have No Fear! Halloween Is Here! (Dr. Suess) 
• Clifford's Halloween 
• Scooby Doo:   
• The Haunted Pumpkins
• Scooby-Doo! and The Halloween Hotel Haunt (glow in the dark)
• The Haunted Halloween Party (Scooby Doo) 
• Scooby Doo and the Witching Hour 
• Scooby-Doo and the Trick or Treat Thief 
• Scooby Doo Comic #1 A Haunted Halloween 
• Scooby Doo Magic Pumpkins (Kindle version) 
• Scooby Doo Halloween Activity Book, another version
  

Kids 7+: 

• Magic Tree House has a few haunted/ghost themed stories (Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve, Ghost Town on Sundown, A Good Night for Ghosts) (Ages 7-10) 
• Geronimo Stilton (The boys are BIG fans of these books too!) (It's Halloween, You 'Fraidy Mouse!, The Peculiar Pumpkin Thief, The Mummy With No Name 
• Creepella Von Cacklefur, an offshoot of Geronimo Stilton, is ghost and monster themed books. (The Haunted Dinosaur,  The Thirteen Ghosts, Return Of The Vampire, Ghost Pirate Treasure, A Suitcase Full of Ghosts, Meet Me In Horrorwood.)

Ages 10+:

• The Halloween Tree  
• Something Wicked This Way Comes  
• Goosebumps  
• American Chillers