Halloween is the perfect time to curl up with a spooky story. Whether your young reader loves witches and wizards, ghosts and ghouls, magical adventures or stories that are genuinely scary, we've brought together some of our favourite Halloween books for children and young adults.
From not-too-scary picture books for little ones to spine-tingling reads for older children and teens, explore our Halloween book recommendations by age below - all selected by our expert team of reviewers.
We've also got plenty of Halloween activities, puzzles and creative ideas to keep children entertained this spooky season.
Our Favourite Halloween Books for Kids
Looking for somewhere to start? Here are some of our favourite spooky reads for Halloween, including new books and much-loved favourites. Look out for our LoveReading4Kids Star Books and Books of the Month throughout this collection. These are the books our editorial experts think really stand out from the crowd, alongside some of the most exciting new spooky books on the shelves.
Halloween Books for Babies & Toddlers
For the littlest readers, Halloween is all about pumpkins, friendly ghosts, funny monsters and plenty of spooky fun.
Halloween Books for Ages 3–5
From witches and monsters to ghosts and magical adventures, these Halloween books are perfect for younger children who enjoy a little spookiness without things getting too scary.
The House With Nobody in It by Jon Klassen is a recently-awarded LoveReading4Kids Star Book from award-winning author and illustrator Jon Klassen. Our expert reviewer Phoebe Demeger describes it as "a quietly macabre peep-through board book, perfect for sharing – and scaring – with young readers."
Children are taken on a tour through an apparently empty house - but sharp-eyed readers will soon spot that its ghostly inhabitant might suggest otherwise. Spooky enough to produce a gleeful shiver, but still reassuringly playful for younger readers.
We also adore Willa's Monster Muddle by Fabi Santiago for 3+ / 5+ readers, another LoveReading4Kids Star Book: a brilliantly funny Halloween mix-up involving witches, monsters, fancy dress and one little girl who has accidentally followed the wrong mummy to the wrong party.
LoveReading4Kids' expert reviewer Andrea Reece calls it "a funny, eye-catching story perfect for Hallowe'en but a hoot at any time of year." With fabulous screen-print illustrations, skeletons, witches and lots of visual jokes to spot, it's an ideal Halloween read-aloud.
Halloween Books for Ages 5–8
For children ready for longer stories and independent reading, we've selected some wonderfully spooky books filled with magic, mystery, monsters and Halloween adventures.
Frank the Monster by Mats Strandberg and Sofia Falkenhem is another star of stars for 7+ readers. On his ninth birthday, Frank turns into a monster. What begins with an accidental bite leads him to discover a secret community of friendly monsters hidden beneath his local library. Andrea Reece describes it as "a distinctive, quirky and very satisfying story", with short chapters and illustrations on every page making it particularly rewarding for children starting to read independently. Spooky, funny and full of heart, it's a terrific Halloween choice.
Spooky Books for Ages 9–11
For readers who like their stories with a few more chills, these spooky books bring together ghosts, mysteries, supernatural adventures and plenty of things that go bump in the night.
Ben's Gargoyle by Keith Gray and Keith Robinson was our June 2026 Book of the Month. It's a creepy gothic tale about Ben, whose new home comes complete with a sinister stone gargoyle that seems to be getting closer every night.
LoveReading4Kids' reviewer Amy McKay describes it as "a creepy, powerful story that lingers long after the main page", with the looming gargoyle delivering more than enough menace to send a shiver down the spine. At just 92 pages and with a reading age of 8, it's also a great way to give more readers access to a genuinely atmospheric Halloween story.
Scary Books for Ages 11–13
Ready to turn up the fear factor?
These books are ideal for confident readers looking for darker mysteries, ghost stories, supernatural adventures and seriously spooky reads.
Alex Abbott Is [Un]Dead by Louise Austin and Katie Kear is another LoveReading4Kids Star Book. After an unfortunate playground accident, Alex wakes up to discover that he's dead - and, even more alarmingly, that he's been turned into a vampire.
LoveReading4Kids' Amy Mckay calls it "a ghoulishly good, laugh-out-loud story" as Alex's attempts to become human again accidentally unleash a host of monstrous creatures. Vampires, demons, mythical monsters and lots of humour make this a very entertaining Halloween read.
Halloween and Horror Books for Teens
For older readers who enjoy something genuinely chilling, discover our selection of Halloween, horror, gothic and supernatural books for teens and young adults.
Irish folklore becomes genuinely terrifying in the gripping YA fantasy thriller - The Call by Peadar Ó Guilín.
LoveReading4Kids expert reviewer Joanne Owen describes The Call as “super-suspenseful and ferociously intense”, as Peadar Ó Guilín takes the Irish Sídhe into terrifying territory in a story of survival, revenge and endurance. Dark, frightening and relentlessly tense, this is a great Halloween choice for older readers who want something with real bite.
If you’re into hard-hitting horror and ghost stories that pack psychological punch, we highly recommend Lily’s Monster by Cliff McNish.
Halloween Activities for Kids
Looking for something to do this Halloween as well as something to read?
Our Kids Zone has lots of Halloween inspired activities including colouring pages, puzzles and party packs.
3+ 5+
Who Said Boo? by Jeanne Willis and Brian Fitzgerald
A joyful, rhyming text about a mischievous castle ghost, perfect for Halloween. Young readers will love this pantomime-like caper, with the opportunity to call out "he's behind you!" every time the little green ghost appears.
Download this playful collection of teaching ideas and activities and this Spot the Difference activity.
Colin's Monster by Holly Swain
Colin and Duck are back - and this time, there's something lurking in the castle dungeon! Uh-oh! Colin and Duck have never been inside the dungeon. What - or who - is making the noise … and why?!
Download these fun-filled activity sheets with puzzles and colouring pages.
7+
A Werewolf Ate My Homework by Emily Snape
With fresh and funny illustrations, this is the first in a new series diary-style series that is perfect for reluctant readers. When Asher thinks he sees his future stepbrother's werewolf reflection in the mirror, he races to tell his mum before they all become a midnight snack!
Download these colouring in sheets and give the werewol and monsters your own colourful twist.
Pocket Potters for fans of JK Rowlings Harry Potter Stories
Beautifully illustrated, collectable little books that offer a mini magical look into the lives, adventures, and personalities of your favourite characters and creatures from the Wizarding World.
Download an activity pack with over 15 colouring in pages, word searches and puzzles.
9+
The Haunting of Old Splinter by Jack Mackay
A village steeped in spooky legends and a mansion in a state of disrepair serve as the ominous settings for this creepy mystery. Centred on a creepy Wishing Claw relic, this will thrill and chill 9+-year-olds who enjoy tales of the more menacing kind rising to a climax Edgar Allan Poe would be proud of.
Corpse Talk by Adam Murphy and Lisa Murphy
A brilliantly inventive, tongue-in-cheek comic-book take on history, featuring the names you know (and those you should) interviewed from beyond the grave!
Download this fun activity sheet and become a Corpse Talk reporter creating your own comic.
Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull by Martin Howard & Pete Williamson
Comically spooky and woven with whimsy this ghostly read presents an inventive raising-the-dead adventure around breaking a necromancer’s curse. Mallory is a marvellous character to die for — a kooky smart cookie, in fact — with sidekick Maggoty Skull providing plenty of flamboyant humour.
11+
The Nightmares of Finnegan Quick by Larry Hayes 11+ readers - A thrilling, chilling comic quest that sees Finnegan battle all manner of nasty beings in a world of nightmares. Fuelled by fear and friendship, this tense thriller hits the spot for fans of funny contemporary horror fiction.
Download an activity pack with puzzles and a page to create your own monster.
13+
Bram Stoker's Dracula: A Retelling by Tanya Landman
Part of the Classic Retellings from Barrington Stoke, Tanya Landman delivers a terrifyingly enthralling and truly accessible retelling of Bram Stoker's legendary Gothic horror novel.
Radiantly refreshing, this rom-com, zom-com debut revolves around a duo of kiss-ass characters, and a kick-ass concept. Namely, the trickiness (to say the least) that comes of declaring your undying love for your best friend while your hometown is overrun by undying zombies.
We've got a brilliant selection of Halloween activities inspired by children's books, including puzzles, activity sheets and creative challenges.
The History of Halloween
Our Halloween traditions are drawn from ancient religious and pagan festivals celebrated over the end of autumn. The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows' Day" (also known as "All Saints' Day"). Halloween was also sometimes called All Saints' Eve. 
Allhallowtide was a time for Christians to remember the dead as the nights grew longer and winter arrived.
Halloween may also have roots in the Gaelic festival Samhain, a day of celebration to mark the end of harvest, when bonfires were lit, pranks were played and people dressed up in costumes. The Irish immigrants took their Halloween traditions with them when they settled in the United States, swapped turnip lanterns for the much easier to carve pumpkin and their guising became trick-or-treating.
The long, dark nights of October bring ghostly connotations as it was believed to be a time when the veil between the living and the dead was the thinnest, and when humans could communicate with those beyond the grave.
Our modern Halloween has appropriated the customs from all of these festivals and is now a chance for fancy dress and pumpkin carving, apple bobbing, trick or treating and enjoying a scary movie or of course, a scary book!
Write a Spooky Story this Halloween
Ghouls and ghosts that go bump in the night. Wailing witches flying by the eerie light of the moon. Monstrous mummies emerging from the mist. One thing’s for sure, spooky settings and characters can spark a host of brilliantly creative story ideas. With that in mind, here are some top tips to help kids (witch)craft their own terrifying tales. And remember, spooky stories are for life, not just Hallowe’en - some of these tips and techniques can be applied to all kinds of stories, and terrifying tales are fun and thrilling to read and write all through the year!
Find the Perfect Halloween Book
Scroll on for a frighteningly good selection of books for children of all ages as well as grown-ups who have never quite grown up. Whether your young reader prefers funny monsters, friendly ghosts, magical witches or genuinely scary stories, there's a Halloween book for everyone.
Explore our recommendations above and find the perfect spooky read for Halloween. Close the curtains, lock the doors and settle down with one of our spooky reads...
And remember, when you buy books through LoveReading4Kids, 25% of the cover price can be given to a school of your choice to spend on books, helping schools put more books into the hands of children. Happy Halloween!
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