Today’s post is from Julie Gribble and Rocco Staino of KidLit TV.
Take it away, Julie!
Hello, By Word of Beth readers! I’ve been super busy at KidLit TV getting ready for our first birthday party, so I’m celebrating a bit early by sharing a post from our super cool site with Beth!
We’re rushing toward the holidays at top speed, and fast approaching is Halloween, one of my favorites. Maybe it’s the candy; maybe it’s the costumes or the memory of staying up late running around the neighborhood — my reasons are many.
And here are a ten more, recommended by Rocco Staino, Contributing Editor at School Library Journal, a contributing writer for The Huffington Post, and Director of Empire State Center for the Book!
10 Spooky Books for Kids! by Rocco Staino
As we say goodbye to summer and welcome autumn, Halloween can’t be far off. In preparation for that ghoulish holiday, I present here a list of ten titles that parents, teachers and librarians may want to share with the kids in their life. This is not a top ten list nor are they Halloween specific. It is a list of ten “spooky” books for kids broken down by age level. Some are new and others you may remember from your own childhood.
Seven Orange Pumpkins: A Counting Book (Dial, 2015) by Stephen Savage. A board book that serves several purposes. It will give the reader the opportunity to introduce Halloween images to the very young children as well as counting and basic subtraction. Those of you who are looking for more pumpkins can checkout Savage’s Ten Orange Pumpkins (Dial, 2013)
Crankenstein (Little Brown, 2013) by Samantha Berger & Dan Santat. This book shows preschoolers that our crankiness can truly turn us into a monster. Santat, the book’s illustrator, is this year’s Caldecott medalist.
Leo: A Ghost Story (Chronicle, 2015) by Mac Barnett and Christian Robinson. What’s Halloween without a ghost story. The story of Leo, a charming classy misunderstood ghost will not frighten children but will teach them to be accepting.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Atheneum, 2007) by Washington Irving and Gris Grimly. Want to introduce this classic to young children? Try this graphic novel edition visually translated by Gris Grimly.
Nightmares (Greenwillow, 1976) by Jack Prelutsky. Looking for a poem about ghouls, ghosts or skeltons? Prelutsky provides them in the classic illustrated by Arnold Lobel.
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery (Atheneum, 1979) by James & Deborah Howe. Consider introducing middle grade readers to this book about a vampire bunny who sucks the juice out of vegetables. This book spawned almost a dozen sequels.
Scary Stories to tell in the Dark (HarperCollins. 1981) by Alvin Schwartz . This is the first of three books that Schwartz wrote drawing upon urban legends and folklore to create stories with such Halloween worthy titles as the Ghost with the Bloody Fingers and The Girl Who Stood on a Grave. Early editions of this book have drawings by Stephen Gammel.
Witches (FSG, 1983) by Roald Dahl . Nothing says Halloween more than a story about child-hating witches. Parents will enjoy sharing this book from their own childhood.
Graveyard Book (HarperCollins, 2008) by Neal Gaiman. This book about an orphan who is raised by ghosts and werewolves won the 2009 Newbery Medal. It has broad middle grade appeal.
Halloween Night (Scholastic, 1993) By R.L. Stine. For readers 12 and up. What’s better than the combination of Stine and Halloween.
Be sure to also check out these Halloween books from KidLit TV guests!
- Tara Lazar’sMonstore
- Steve Light’s Have You Seen My Monster
- Pauls Czajak’s Monster Needs a Party(Monster & Me)
- Emma Walton Hamilton’s The Very Fairy Princess, A Spooky, Sparkly Halloween
Tell us your favorite Halloween or spooky books for kids!
About KidLit TV
KidLit TV, winner of the Parents’ Choice Gold Award! We are a diverse group of parents, educators, librarians, kid lit creators, and award winning filmmakers all working together to bring great books to kids! Our mission is to create fun new ways to reinforce an appreciation of reading that children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
STORYMAKERS, our flagship series, is an entertaining talk show highlighting bestselling authors and illustrators in the kid lit world. The series is hosted by Rocco Staino, Contributing Editor at School Library Journal, a contributing writer at The Huffington Post, and Director of Empire State Center for the Book!
Other KidLit TV programs you won’t want to miss include:
FIELD TRIP – Our crew hits the road to explore the world of kid lit.
INSIDE SCOOP – Sneak a peek at bestselling authors’ new books.
READ OUT LOUD – Read your favorite books with your favorite authors!
Plus exclusive Red Carpet coverage of special events.
“KidLit TV is an exciting and informative destination for authors, illustrators, teachers, publishers, and anyone with a passion for children’s literature.” — Children’s Book Council
Visitors are almost guaranteed to find something interesting and useful, whether they are consumers, producers, or curators of children’s literature.
–Parents’ Choice on KidLit TV
About Julie Gribble
Julie Gribble is the owner of New York Media Works which creates and produces works for children and the children’s literature community in both the United States and Great Britain. She founded KidLit TV to help children’s authors and illustrators broaden their audience by using new technologies to complement and promote their work. KidLit TV is the first online resource of its kind for parents, librarians, teachers, and kid lit creators.
Julie has been nominated for two Emmy Awards and is a multi award-winning writer, screenwriter, filmmaker, and producer. Her charming picture book, Bubblegum Princess, is based on a true story about Kate Middleton and was released on the day the royal baby, who we now know as Prince George, arrived. Copies of the book have been donated to underprivileged children in the US and to children’s hospices in the UK.
In addition to producing KidLit TV’s original shows, Julie is one of the co-producers for Who Killed Nelson Nutmeg, a feature film shot in Dorset, England with Bonnie Wright of Harry Potter fame, and DOG BOWL, a short film by Gordy Hoffman which premiered at the 2015 Raindance International Film Festival in London. Julie sits on the Children’s Committee of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts: BAFTA-NY. You can follow Julie on Twitter at @JulieGribbleNYC.
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Wonderful list of books. I do love Bunnicula. Our daughter red it aloud to us on a car trip years ago, and we all loved it. My favorite Halloween book? I am writing it and it’s not done yet, but soon. 😉
Woohoooo that you are writing a Halloween book! Great news, Rosi!
Hi Rosi, Congratulations on writing a Halloween book! Is it MG or picture book? Thanks for your comment!
Oooooooh — a wonderful list of spooky books for Halloween. I’ve only read a couple of them. Love new suggestions.
I love the concept of KidLit TV, Julie. Sounds like you’ve tapped into a new market. What a great online resource. Will have to check it out!