BOOK MARKED
Spooky Stories
12 Children’s
Books to Read on Halloween
BY MIERKA WILLIS AND TARA THOMAS, DC PUBLIC LIBRARY
When the District’s leaves begin turning and the rain starts bringing cooler weather,
Halloween is drawing near. There’s no better way to celebrate than creating a new family
tradition of settling inside with a chilling tale.

PICTURE BOOKS
Halloween, but when she goes trick-or-
treating with her friends JoJo and Pedro, she
isn’t scaring anyone. Katie’s story is a good
Written and illustrated by Kazuno
pick about finding another way to enjoy a
Kohara A little witch moves into an old house on the holiday when it’s different than expected.

edge of town that turns out to be haunted.

How inconvenient! Luckily, she knows just ‘In a Dark, Dark Room and other
what to do in order to make her new house a Scary Stories’
home. Kohara’s minimalist illustrated picture Written by Alvin Schwartz,
book is perfect for a non-scary Halloween illustrated by Victor Rivas
read. One of the most lasting collections of horror
and urban legends for early readers, this
‘The Scariest Book Ever’
book was re-released in 2017 with updated
illustrations by Victor Rivas. A strong preface
Written and illustrated by Bob Shea
Are you braver than a ghost? This nervous for a family read aloud of Schwartz’s “Scary
ghost does not want you to visit the dark Stories to Tell in the Dark,” brave readers are
forest. Why would you do that when you could sure to love these spine-tingling tales.

just stay home with the cat and eat donuts?
Find out how brave you are with this funny MIDDLE GRADE
and brightly colored book by the author of ‘The Jumbies’
“Dinosaur vs. the Library.”
Written by Tracey Baptiste
Corinne doesn’t believe in the dangerous
‘Los Gatos Black on Halloween’
creatures her fellow islanders call “jumbies,”
but when she chases an agouti deep into
Written by Marisa Montes,
the forest and senses a creature following
illustrated by Yuyi Morales
In this lively poem, written primarily in her, she’s not sure what to believe. This
English, los muertos rise from the dead, los thrilling read, the first of a trilogy, is lush with
esqueletos dance while rattling their bones Caribbean folkloric elements.

and young readers are introduced to Spanish
words in a playful and humorous manner that ‘The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales
of the Supernatural’
begs to be read aloud.

‘Ghosts in the House’
EARLY READERS
‘Ollie’s Halloween’
Written and illustrated by Olivier Dunrea
Excellent for beginner readers, this seasonal
addition to the Ollie series introduces
Halloween themes. Join Ollie and his other
farm friends as they dress in costume to spend
the evening having haunting fun together.

‘Boo, Katie Woo!’
Written by Fran Manushkin,
illustrated by Tammie Lyon
Katie wants to dress up as a monster for
36 Washington FAMILY OCTOBER 2020
Written by Patricia McKissack,
illustrated by J. Brian Pinkney
A half an hour before it becomes totally
dark, the monsters come out. This is the
dark-thirty—an eerie time that serves
as a perfect setting for nine short spine-
tingling tales and one poem that span
pre-Civil War to modern times. African-
American storytelling comes alive as Black
characters confront the realities of living in
America’s racist history. Each story contains
an author’s note that provides historical
context and is accompanied by black-and-
white scratchboard illustrations.




BOOK MARKED
‘Spirit Hunters’
Written by Ellen Oh
When Harper moves with her family to a creepy
Victorian house in D.C., her brother Michael starts
acting strangely. Harper urgently wants to get out
of the house and figure out why she’s experiencing
an eerie sense of déjà vu with Michael’s new
personality. Oh is a local author, and the book’s
familiar setting make it a great choice for kids who
want an extra realistic scare.

YOUNG ADULTS
‘The Cabinet of Curiosities: 36 Tales
Brief & Sinister’
Written by Stefan Bachmann, et al
‘Cuckoo Song’
Written by Frances Hardinge
Triss wakes up from a traumatic experience and
something doesn’t seem right. She’s hungry all the
time, her sister Pen is acting strange around her and
she can’t shake the feeling that her dolls are watching
her. Part mystery, part fantasy, part sentient doll
terror, “Cuckoo Song” is a wonderful Halloween pick.

‘Through the Woods’
Written and illustrated by Emily Carroll
With horrifying stories and skillful illustrations,
this graphic novel contains a masterfully illustrated
collection of five tales that will make you want to
sleep with the light on. A variety of classic horror
techniques gives each story its own ghastly feel and
creates an unforgettable and terrifying read your
teens will want to experience more than once. n
NATALIE / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS
This thick collection of three dozen haunting
short stories is a collaboration between four
authors. Featuring black-and-white illustrations
throughout the book, these themed tales span
from slightly creepy but merely shiver-inducing
to realistically and frightfully disturbing,
providing any teen with a definite case of the
heebie-jeebies. WashingtonFAMILY.com 37