Halloween is one of the most exciting times in the classroom! We have learned that the best way to control that excitement and keep kids learning is by incorporating Halloween-themed lessons into our plans. One of our favorite ways to do this is by reading aloud Halloween books. Check out our favorite Halloween books to read aloud! (affiliate links included)
Pumpkin Jack
Are you looking for a way to tie in science this Halloween? We love Pumpkin Jack because it gets students interested in the life cycle of pumpkins and the science behind how plants grow! Check out this Pumpkin Jack Comprehension Packet which includes a science experiment.
Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk
Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk is a simple chapter book that is perfect if you’re looking to do a novel study this October. Your students will love that the main character is a kid just like them and be on the edge of their seats with just the right amount of spookiness! If you’re looking for resources to go along with a novel study, we love this Stink and the Midnight Zombie Walk Novel Companion!
Room on the Broom
Is it even Halloween if you don’t read Room on the Broom? There is a reason this classic has been popular for years! Use this book to explore questions about friendship, helping others, and teamwork.
Frankencrayon
Your students will never look at crayons the same after this book! Frankencrayon is a great mystery to get your students to predict the next event in a story. We love to use this book to incorporate art into our lesson plans!
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat
We love this Halloween version of “There Was an Old Lady”. Our students love seeing what spooky things the old lady swallows this time! As teachers, we love the repetitive phrases that help engage young readers. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat is always a fun option for Halloween!
Dem Bones
If you’re teaching a unit on the Human Body, Dem Bones is a must! Learning about the skeletal system is easy with this catchy book. We love how it includes informative bone facts as well to make it interesting for older students in 3rd Grade and 4th Grade as well!
Halloween
Halloween from the National Geographic Kids series is perfect for young learners who are starting to read. They’ll love reading about the different activities we do during Halloween. After reading, they can work on making connections to the text and themselves!
Fright Club
Your students will be laughing and cheering during the Fright Club! We love the illustrations in this book and appreciate that it explores the theme of including everyone. This is a great book to use if you’re learning about character traits!
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
We love this classic Halloween tale and the beautiful illustrations inside! One of our favorite activities to do along with this book is story sequencing. You can even create props and have the students retell the story! We always end up turning to The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything is a Halloween book we just keep coming back to!
Creepy Carrots
Creepy Carrots strikes the perfect balance between being funny and scary all at once. Jasper the bunny loves carrots until he notices them stalking him everywhere he goes! This book is great to explore points of view, setting, and cause and effect!
Happy Haunting Amelia Bedelia
Amelia Bedelia is a student favorite! Happy Haunting, Amelia Bedelia combines all of the silliness we expect from her with some Halloween spirit! Students love seeing the funny things she winds up doing! These books are always great for exploring literal language and idioms.
Rattlebone Rock
If you’re teaching rhyming in your classroom, you need to read aloud Rattlebone Rock this Halloween! Your students will love this rhythmic book that has just the right touch of kid-friendly spookiness.
Did we miss any of your favorite Halloween books? Let us know in the comments below!
Check out our other Halloween activities:
