This year YABC has the perfect list of spooky books to really get excited about Halloween!
Check out our list of Spooktacular Stories of 2023 for kids below and then enter the awesome giveaway for a chance to win the books from the list!!
Ready for some creepily fun stories?
Go!
IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN
Author: Charles M. Schulz
Publisher: Simon Spotlight
Release Date:7/18/23
A spooky season classic gets new life in this lap board book edition of the Peanuts gang’s whimsical Halloween adventures!
It’s Halloween night, and the Peanuts gang is busy dressing up in costumes, trick-or-treating, and bobbing for apples. Meanwhile, Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin to rise from the pumpkin patch and bring toys to all the children of the world. Could this be the year it finally appears?
© 2023 Peanuts Worldwide LLC
Vlad, The Fabulous Vampire
Author: Flavia Z. Drago
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: September 12, 2023
Vlad is a vampire with the misfortune of having rosy cheeks that—gasp!—make him look abysmally alive. But being the fabulous vampire that he is (and hoping to avoid rejection), he hides his rosy complexion behind elaborate vampire outfits in traditional black. That is, until he finds out that his best friend has a pink secret of her own . . . With signature flair, Flavia Z. Drago offers a story about being yourself and finding your community, strikingly illustrated in a distinctive, detailed art style influenced by her Mexican heritage.
The Skull, A Tyrolean Folktale
Author: Jon Klassen
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: July 11, 2023
on Klassen’s signature wry humor takes a turn for the ghostly in this thrilling retelling of a traditional Tyrolean folktale. In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit—with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note—The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.
A #1 New York Times bestseller!
Caldecott Medalist and New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Jon Klassen delivers a deliciously macabre treat for folktale fans.
Poultrygeist
Author: Eric Geron, Pete Oswald (Illustrated by)
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: August 10, 2021
It’s punny. It’s spooky. It’s a meta picture book that puts a fresh spin on an old joke and elevates chicken comedy to ghastly new levels. A little spring chicken crosses the road but quickly gets flattened under a semitruck. The barnyard beasts who’ve gone before break the news: now that Chicken’s fried—dispatched to the Other Side—Chicken has a job, an unwanted job, as a noisy troublemaking ghost. This fowl may be weak in the beak, but Chicken knows that scaring people isn’t nice. There is such a thing as a friendly ghost, after all—isn’t there? Loaded with laughs and shivers, this Halloween-ready treat features ghoulishly funny art by the illustrator of the #1 New York Times best-selling Bad Seed series. Let the haunting begin!
No chickens were harmed in the making of this book.
Halloween in the Orchard
From the author of Thanksgiving in the Woods and A Simple Christmas on the Farm comes another fall holiday story.
The apples are ready for harvest and Halloween is here! What better way to celebrate than by donning homemade costumes and going to the local apple orchard? In this charming story, a boy and his family enjoy everything the orchard has to offer, including searching for scarecrows, getting lost in a corn maze, and going on a hayride. Phyllis Alsdurf’s nostalgic storytelling and Lisa Hunt’s cozy illustrations will have you counting down the days until Halloween and apple orchard season!
Backmatter includes a search-and-find key for finding scarecrows in the book and instructions for decorating a homemade trick-or-treat bag.
Halloween in the Orchard is the third in the beloved Countryside Holidays series, along with Thanksgiving in the Woods and A Simple Christmas on the Farm.
Invite kids to prepare for Halloween with this free guide that shows how they can make their own trick-or-treat bag.
Trick-or-treat! Non-binary Charly must think outside the box to create the perfect Halloween costume: one that represents both their feminine and masculine sides.
Halloween is always tricky for Charly, and this year they are determined to find a costume that showcases both the feminine and masculine halves of their identity. Digging through their costume box, they explore many fun costumes. Some are masc. Some are femme. Some are neither. But all are lacking. As trick-or-treating looms, they must think outside the box to find the perfect costume–something that will allow them to present as one hundred percent Charly.
THE LIGHT INSIDE
Author: Dan Misdea
Publisher: Penguin Workshop; Penguin Young Readers
Release Date: August 8, 2023
Nighttime can be scary, especially when you don’t know what might be lurking in the dark. So this little jack-o’-lantern always keeps its favorite toy close by for comfort. But when a huge gust of wind separates them one day, the jack-o’-lantern must gather up bravery and set off on a journey—just as nighttime draws closer—to get its friend back.
Dan Misdea’s eye-catching artwork and charming story will remind readers that they can overcome most fears by trusting in themselves and finding the courage that lives inside their heart.
FIRST NIGHT OF HOWLERGARTEN
Author: Benson Shum
Publisher: Penguin Workshop; Penguin Young Readers
Release Date: August 8, 2023
First-day-of-school jitters take on a whole new meaning at howlergarten, where future werewolves prepare for their big transformation!
Most kids go to kindergarten, but there is a special place for those who turn into werewolves. Instead of attending school during the day, these supernatural students go to howlergarten at night! There they practice tracking scents, listening to whispers on the wind, and more. But when one student named Sophie doesn’t seem to possess the basic skills, she worries she won’t become a werewolf at all. What will happen if she remains human when the full moon appears? Will she still be accepted as part of the pack, or will she be cast aside as an ordinary outsider?
MELVINA WHITMOORE (MORE OR LESS A HORROR STORY)
Author: Faith Capalia
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 9/5/2023
Perfect for fans of The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, Melvina Whitmoore (More or Less a Horror Story) is a spooky picture book debut by author/illustrator Faith Capalia that follows a fearful old woman named Melvina.
Melvina Whitmoore is afraid of everything, from spiders to snails, and even her own shadow. Which is why she can’t wait to move into her new house—a safe place where nothing will be able to get to her!
But she’ll soon discover that surprises hide around every corner and not everything is as it first seems. . . .
From debut creator Faith Capalia comes a spooky and thrilling tale that reminds us that unexpected things can happen when we face our fears.
NIMBUS
Author: Jan Eldredge
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: 9/5/2023
From the author of Evangeline of the Bayou comes a classic middle grade animal-fantasy adventure about a black cat who must go on a magical journey to be reunited with her beloved owner. For fans of Katherine Applegate, Rosanne Parry, and readers of the Familiars series.
Nimbus had a rough start as a kitten. But her fortunes changed the day she met Fletcher. The boy nursed her back to health from a life-threatening injury and adopted her.
But when Fletcher’s aunt brings home a mysterious jar, an ancient nightmare demon is unwittingly unleashed. Despite battling the monster to save her friend, Fletcher’s superstitious aunt blames Nim for the attack and secretly abandons her at a dump.
There, Nim is befriended by a theater-loving rat and taken in by a kindly witch named Agatha and her motley crew of cats. Nim soon discovers that her battle with the demon left her with special powers—but more than that, she begins to suspect that she has always been destined for something extraordinary.
To return to her beloved Fletcher, Nim will need to harness her magical powers and enlist the help of her new friends. Along the way, she will discover she may be braver and luckier than she ever imagined.
Why Did the Monster Cross the Road?
Author: R.L. Stine, illustrated by Marc Brown
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release Date: July 4, 2023
From beloved, bestselling children’s book icons, R.L. Stine and Marc Brown, comes a storybook filled with hilariously spooky jokes and fun-loving monsters that will have everyone giggling!
Why did the monster cross the road?
To BITE someone on the other side!
Turn scary to silly with this laugh-out-loud joke book. Hunny and Funny are monster best friends. When Hunny is feeling sad, Funny knows exactly how to cheer up his friend… with laughter!
Renowned bestselling children’s book talents R.L. Stine, creator of the Goosebumps series, and Marc Brown, creator of the Arthur Adventure series, join forces once again in this sweet, fun-filled story that not only teaches readers hilarious jokes to share but also reminds children that laughter is the best medicine when you’re feeling down. With Stine’s humorous text and Brown’s bold artwork, this monster-themed picture book is sure to get the monsters and furry creatures giggling all night!
The Baddies
Author: Julia Donaldson; illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: August 1, 2023
From the creators of Room on the Broom and The Gruffalo, a perfect read-aloud tale of spooky, silly fun!
Oh no! The Baddies are coming! They’re the meanest and nastiest ghost, witch, and troll in all the land, and they just love being bad. When a little girl moves into a nearby cottage, the Baddies can’t wait to scare her out of her wits. But little girls are much braver than they thought, and baddies don’t always win…
Get ready for a rollicking tale of spooky, silly fun in this riotous picture book from the creators of Room on the Broom, The Snail and the Whale, and The Gruffalo.
Emi Isn’t Scared of Monsters
Author: Alina Tysoe
Publisher: Orchard Books
Release Date: August 2, 2022
From Alina Tysoe, the creator of the smash-hit webcomic “What’s Up Beanie?” comes a hilarious bedtime picture book about what it means to show bravery in the face of the creatures that go bump in the night!
Emi is not scared of monsters. Definitely not. Not even a teeny bit. In fact, Emi is so not scared that tonight she has a plan to catch a monster herself. She and her puppy side-kick, Cookie, have set a trap and are, very bravely, hiding in wait under the covers. But, when Cookie chases her runaway ball into the dangerous dark of the house, Emi must face her fears as this monster hunt turns into a rescue mission!
Are you ready to enter to win???
*Giveaway Details*
One winner will receive the books from the Spooktacular Stories of 2023 Kids Edition ~ (US Only)
*Click the Rafflecopter link to enter the giveaway*
There are so many great titles in this haul. Nimbus is at the top 3 of 2023 for me.
This looks like a great group of books..seasonal books are a favorite in our house.
Such a cute collection!
A great collection of books!
so many awesome and spooky books! Love it!
Our media center’s collection of Halloween stories needs an update. We’d love to have these!
Amazing collection for spooky season and all year around.
I’m sure my mom would love these for her classroom!
these are so spookily cute