It’s the night before Halloween and everybody’s stirring—there’s that pesky beating heart under the floorboards, the werewolves howling in the backyard, and your little boys and ghouls clamoring for a spooky read…
Your shelves are bare but don’t despair—we have a stack of frightful stories to share! It’s a witch’s brew of picture book fiction, with mummies, monsters, and bats lurking in the pages of supernatural chaos and friction. Fun and monstrous mayhem await you at story time tonight—are you and your little readers ready for a mad scientist’s healthy dose of fright?
Fright Club, by Ethan Long
Vladimir the Vampire is the meticulous leader of the monsters-only Fright Club. The exclusive group is meeting to review chilling antics for the annual Kiddie Scare when there’s a timid knock at the door. It’s a bunny, and she boldly requests admittance into the club. She’s laughed out of the tree house, but soon returns with a band of ostensibly gentle creatures—is it possible that bunnies, butterflies, and bluebirds have a spooky side too? Hilarious and visually exciting, Fright Club is a perfect addition to your Halloween shelf!
Carl’s Halloween, by Alexandra Day
Join Carl and Madeleine on a trick-or-treating adventure in this exquisitely illustrated picture book. Your little readers will love watching the story unfold as Carl and Madeleine dress up and join the throngs of costume-clad revelers in the neighborhood—just as soon as Mom is gone. A simple act of generosity lights up the night, and the pair wanders into a spooky party in full swing. Bewitching and beautiful—you won’t regret adding Carl’s Halloween to your spooky line-up!
The Monsterator, by Keith Graves
“Enter the monsterator if you dare. Put a coin in the slot…but beware!” In Graves’ richly imagined costume emporium—under the grime and cobwebs—there is a machine that transforms ordinary people into hideous beings. How could this story be anything but an absolute blast to read? You and your child will enjoy the hauntingly zany prose, as well as your personal monsterator at the end; The Monsterator will be a guaranteed hit year after year
At the Old Haunted House, by Helen Ketteman, illustrated by Nate Wragg
The seams are bursting at the old haunted house, what with Ma monster and her wee ones two, a scrawny black cat and her wee kittens three, and Pa goblin and his wee goblins four busily preparing for the Halloween Fright. With verses written in the familiar rhythm of “Over in the Meadow,” Ketteman creates an engaging count-along story for your favorite little ghosts
Bats in the Band, by Brian Lies
Lies’ latest Bat Book deftly demonstrates the power of the music of the night, complete with bat ballads, bat-a-tat drums, and even a bat singing the blues. As always, Lies’ wonderfully imagined world is topsy-turvy, with fun at every turn. Celebrate Halloween (and lull your little ones to sleep) with these musically-inclined bats tonight!
The Fun Book of Scary Stuff, by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Hyewon Yum
While not focused on Halloween specifically, The Fun Book of Scary Stuff is the perfect complement to the numerous frights that confront children during this spooky season. Starting with monsters, ghosts, witches, and trolls, a little boy and his two dogs break down a list of common fears, and offer hilarious antidotes. Witty dialogue and fresh illustrations underscore a heartwarming story that might just become a year-round favorite.
It’s Raining Bats and Frogs, by Rebecca Colby, illustrated by Steven Henry
Delia can’t wait to board her broom for the annual Witch Parade, but she’s not oblivious to the black clouds looming overhead. Indeed, before the boisterous coven has even left the ground, there are sheets of rain pelting their colorful parade. Can-do Delia is unperturbed, however, and quickly dreams up a spell to transform the raindrops into something useful—cats and dogs? Hats and clogs? Bats and frogs? Delia just can’t find the right solution, so perhaps “a little rain never hurt anyone.” Take off with this jolly Halloween story tonight!
The Little Shop of Monsters, by R.L. Stine, illustrated by Marc Brown
Juvenile fiction’s dream team has united to create the ultimate mock-horror picture book sure to make your young readers squeal with delight and fascination. At the Little Shop of Monsters, cute and cuddly pets need not apply, for, at this shop, boys and girls cluster at the window to see horned, bug-eyed, and scaly monsters—not playful kittens and rambunctious puppies. And when boys and girls dare enter, that’s when the real fun begins—at the Little Shop of Monsters, “you don’t choose your monster…your monster chooses YOU!” Sure to become a classic, The Little Shop of Monsters belongs in your shivery shelves.
What frightful books are you reading to get your young ones into the Halloween spirit?
