Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
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SALT LAKE CITY — A few weeks ago my 5-year-old daughter asked, “Mom, when are we gonna set up the Halloween stuff?”
“Soon," I answered, "but not until after my Studio 5 segment, 'cause I'm using some of our decorations for the show."
“But I can’t wait any longer,” she said with her token 5-year-old-diva whine. “I really want to read that book.”
“What book?” I asked.
“You know, the Halloween one with the little old lady and the shoes that go clomp, clomp,” she explained, stomping her own feet to the sound.
I resisted the pleading and begging until the afternoon after my Studio 5 Witch Book Club Party appearance. When I finally brought the dusty boxes up from the basement, the first thing those kids dug for was the stash of Halloween books.
If your kids are also dying to celebrate the season with some spooky reading, here are a few of my favorite choices. Each one is a quick, satisfying, not-too-scary Halloween read:
Picture books for little goblins
1 – “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything” by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd. Ages 0-5.
This delightful story is an oldie but a goodie. The little old lady, who is not afraid of anything, goes for a walk in the woods one evening. After the sun sets and the woods grow dark, she meets some strange creatures who are determined to scare her with their eerie noises. My kids love the funny repetitive text that they can shake, wiggle and clap along with.
2 – “Skeleton Hiccups” by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by S.D. Schindler. Ages 0-5.
My son thinks this book is hilarious and laughs every time we read it, no matter how many times he’s heard it. This silly story of a skeleton with a stubborn case of the hiccups is the perfect short read for little guys full of energy or small goblins with Halloween-candy sugar highs.
3 – “Scaredy-Cat Splat!” by Rob Scotton. Ages 3-8.
Rob Scotton is one of my favorite author/illustrators. His illustrations and stories are unique, playful and full of life. Splat the Cat is a hilarious character, and in this story he is determined to be the scariest cat in the class. But poor Splat is just too much of a scaredy-cat. Laugh-out-loud funny, this is a Halloween favorite, sure to delight little cats and their mummies.
4–“Marsipity” by Barbie McConnell and illustrated by Rusty Gregory. Ages 3-8.
I got to meet McConnell and Gregory at the Children’s Book Festival last weekend and couldn’t resist their fun book. All it takes is one piece of magic pumpkin pie, and young Marsipity and her friend Marlin embark on the most exciting trick-or-treating night ever. The bright pictures and clever rhyming text have made this my kids’ new favorite.
Middle-grade and young adult books for older spooks
1 – “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean. Ages 12-adult.
This Newbery Medal winner is a feast of all things spooky: witches, ghosts, vampires, murderers and cemeteries. Gaiman’s perfectly conjured story of an orphaned boy who is raised in a graveyard by ghosts will have you looking over your shoulder and double-checking the locks.
2 – “Breathe: A Ghost Story” by Cliff McNish. Ages 9-adult.
This suspenseful ghost story will keep young readers turning pages late into the night. McNish’s story of a young boy with asthma who sees ghosts in his new house is well-written and thoughtful. Not only do spooky ghosts haunt this tale, but the unwanted visitors are the key to a nail-biting mystery.
3 – “Something Wicked This Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury. Ages 12-adult.
When the Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show rolls into Green Town, Ill., two young friends experience the danger of a wish and the reality of a nightmare. One of my favorite books, this poetically written Halloween tale is a must-read. No one can bring to life the sinister, the macabre and the memorable like master fantasy writer Ray Bradbury.
4 – “Deep and Dark and Dangerous” by Mary Dawning Hahn. Ages 9-adult.
Thirteen-year-old Ali is spending the summer with her aunt at her cozy lakeside cottage. When she finds an old photograph of her mother, her aunt and a third mystery person, torn from the picture, Ali is determined to discover the secrets of the past. Incorporating a dark, mysterious lake, stormy weather, ghosts and a head-spinning mystery, this book will have readers gripping the pages and rubbing away the gooseflesh.
What is your favorite spooky Halloween book? Share your ideas on the Comment Board or the Motherhood Matters Facebook page.
- The Purple Cow Bookstore: storytime, Oct. 21, 11:30 a.m.; author Terron James, Oct. 22, 2 p.m.; pumpkin-carving contest, Oct. 25.
- UVU Bookstore: Halloween sale, 30 percent off books, and author signings, Oct. 31, 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
- The King's English Bookstore: author Sara Zarr, Oct. 20, 7 p.m.; Westminster Poetry Series, Oct. 21, 7 p.m.; cartoonist, illustrator and author Mark Pett, Oct. 22, 11 a.m.; author Sam Brower, Oct. 26, 7 p.m.; author Kathy Reichs, Oct. 26, 7 p.m., SLC Public Library; author Ron Scott, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.; author Michael Gills, Oct. 28, 7 p.m.; author Ally Condie, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.
- Utah Humanities Council Book Festival: Ongoing events statewide.
- Dolly's Bookstore: author Tamara Littrell, Oct. 26, 7 p.m.; Modern Book Club - "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman, Nov. 3, 7 p.m.; author Andrew Tilin, Nov. 5, 2:30 p.m.; Classics Book Club - "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, Nov. 22, 7 p.m.
- Ken Sander's Rare Books: authors Matt Kirkpatrick and Davis Schneiderman, Oct. 26, 7 p.m.
- Check your local library for fun, free events.
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Teri Harman writes and reads from home amid the chaos of three young children. For book reviews, book suggestions and more book fun, visit book- matters.com. Find Teri on Facebook (Book Matters-Teri Harmon) or Twitter (@BookMattersTeri)
