• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

What Do We Do All Day logo

  • Books
    • Classics
      • 20th Century Classics
    • Early Chapter Books
    • Easy Readers
    • Folktales
    • Holiday Books
    • Middle Grade (8-12 years)
    • Nonfiction
    • Picture Books
  • Games
    • Traditional Games
  • Kids Activities
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy & Writing
    • Math
    • Playful Activities
    • Science
    • Toddler
  • Parenting
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Books
  • Games
  • Activities
  • Parenting
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Books / Halloween Early Chapter Books for Kids

     

    Halloween Early Chapter Books for Kids

    2541 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    There is something so magical about a newly independent reader. A child is starting to pick his or her own books out from the library. It's also so fun to match one's reading to the season!  This list of Halloween early chapter books will delight any independent reader. I am very picky about early chapter books, so while essentially every early chapter book series has a Halloween book, I'm only listing the very best Halloween chapter books here that I have read and enjoyed.

    Early halloween chapter books for kids ages 5 and up

    These Halloween chapter books are generally for kids ages 5-10 (depending on reading level, of course!) and for kids who love comic books you'll find several more choices on the list of Halloween graphic novels. For chapter books for kids ages 8-10, that also make excellent family read alouds, check out these fantastic Halloween novels. And for many hundreds more early chapter books for kids ages 5-10 see all of my lists in the archives here.

    Note: this list contains Amazon and Bookshop affiliate links. Purchases made through these links may earn a commission for this blog. Bookshop also supports independent bookstores.

    Halloween Chapter Books for Ages 6-10

    I made an attempt here to arrange the books from the earliest reading level to the latest. Nate the Great starts us off with a Halloween book that is close to an easy reader and Invisible Inkling easily qualifies as a middle grade book that is great Halloween reading for 8-10 year olds.

    nate the great halloween chapter books

    Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, illustrated by Mac Simont

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    This series is perfect for kids on the upper level of easy reader books who are excited about moving on to books with real chapters. Nate the Great is a classic, reliable series. In this book he helps a friend find her lost cat.


    Dragon's Halloween by Dav Pilkey

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    Words cannot express how much I love the hysterical misadventures of Dragon. This whole series is a hoot, especially if you like dry, tongue in cheek humor. It's Halloween and Dragon is going in search of the biggest pumpkin so he can make a super scary jack o'lantern. But all that is left in the pumpkin patch are 6 tiny pumpkins! This is a very easy to read, very early Halloween chapter book that will have kids in stitches.


    Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    Porcine wonder Mercy Watson is a seriously crazy pig and of course Halloween with her will be both disastrous and hilarious. It will also include buttered toast.


    Princess Posey and the Monster Stew by Stephanie Greene, illustrated by Stephanie Roth Sisson

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    There are a number of early chapter book series that have Halloween editions. This Princess Posey edition is quite enjoyable. I found it surprisingly charming and it thoughtfully addressed anxieties over the Halloween scare factor.

    The Skull by Jon Klasson, book cover

    The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    I adored the weirdness of this tale. On a dark night, Otilla meets a talking skull who becomes her friend. Otilla aims to protect Skull from headless skeleton chases, which pursues him each night. More oddball than spooky, Klassen's signature illustrations and wry humor are on full and glorious display.

    Crimson Twill Witch in the Country book cover

    Crimson Twill: Witch in the County by Kallie George, illustrated by Birgitta Sif

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    In the sequel to Crimson Twill: Witch in the City, the eponymous witch invites her friends from New Wart City to Cackle County. Things go a little haywire, however, when it starts to rain rotten applesauce and magic broom straw causes Wesley to float away. Not to worry–with humor, word play and a cauldron of stew, Crimson Twill will figure things out.


    Jenny's Moonlight Adventure by Esther Averill

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    Jenny and her urban feline friends gather together on Halloween to hear a performance from nose-flutist Madame Butterfly. But, oh no! The nose flute has gone missing. I love the Jenny and the Cat Club series and your kids will enjoy these classic books that easily stand the test of time.


    The Best Halloween Ever by Barbara Robinson

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    The chaos-creating band of kids from the classic, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, bring just as much mayhem to Halloween as they did to Christmas.


    Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins by Emily Jenkins

    Find it: Your Library | Amazon

    I absolutely adore this series set in Brooklyn, and so do my two boys. This is the second book about fourth grader Hank Wolowitz whose invisible pet loves Halloween and decides to take charge of the holiday. Quirky, kooky and lots of crazy hijinks that will have your kids laughing out loud.

    Goosebumps box set

    Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

    Find it: Bookshop | Amazon

    I won't lie. I have never enjoyed horror genre books. However, that's not to say your kids won't love the very popular Goosebumps series. It goes without saying that this is the most Halloween-ish of Halloween chapter book series! Ghosts, monsters, witches, slime and spooky scares galore. There are several spin-off series, including Goosebumps House of Shivers.

    If your child has a favorite early chapter book series, whether it be My Weird School or Katie Kazoo or Ready Freddy, check the shelves because there is sure to be a Halloween themed book in the series!

    More Halloween Reading:

    • Diverse Halloween picture books
    • Halloween picture books with a self-esteem theme
    • Halloween novels the whole family will love
    • October read alouds 
    « 75 Books for 11-Year-Olds
    The Gift You Never Thought Of: Make Your Own Board Game Kit »
    2541 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jennifer says

      October 04, 2012 at 10:00 am

      I forgot about Neil Gaiman. My 11-year old is not much of a reader, but he does better when I "assign" things for him to complete.

      Reply
    2. Raising a Happy Child says

      October 04, 2012 at 3:51 pm

      Great collection. I think my husband read The Graveyard book recently. We have two German chapter books - The Little Witch and The Little Ghost. They are translated to English in Germany and don't seem to be available on Amazon.

      Reply
    3. PragmaticMom says

      October 11, 2012 at 12:48 pm

      Great list! Thanks for coming to my blog (I have a post on same topic but with different books). I am sharing your link so readers will have lots of books to choose from!

      Reply
      • Momand Kiddo says

        October 11, 2012 at 3:13 pm

        Thanks. Kid books are a bit of a passion of mine and I love sharing new books and reading other people's lists to find even more books!

        Reply
    4. Shirley says

      October 15, 2014 at 2:22 am

      Thank you so much for this list. I just picked up a great chapter book about Frankenstein's son. I cannot wait to read it aloud to my students to help kick start Halloween. Keep up the great work that you do and the wonderful information that you are sharing.

      Reply
      • Erica MomandKiddo says

        October 15, 2014 at 9:20 am

        Thanks!

        Reply
    5. Delene Halsey says

      October 06, 2017 at 10:22 am

      Thanks for the list. I have several grandkids who are beyond Halloween picture books. This will help in the hunt for Halloween books for older kids. Great job

      Reply
    6. Book Lover says

      March 23, 2023 at 7:14 pm

      I'm so excited to read this one. It's wonderful!!

      Reply
      • Erica says

        March 31, 2023 at 8:38 am

        Happy reading.

        Reply
    7. Linda Malone says

      October 21, 2023 at 6:42 pm

      I’m afraid my grandniece is still a teensy bit young for the Herdmans, but I can’t wait to read it!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Erica! I believe parents can stay sane without giving their kids an electronic device. Learn how!

    More about me →

    Newsletter

    Join over 19,000 subscribers who said "Yes! I want to unplug my kids!" We'll send you 10 waiting games your kids can play anytime, anywhere. Join here -->

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About the Site
    • No AI

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and join over 19,000 other families finding ways reduce screen time.

    Other Stuff

    We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

    Copyright © 2023 What Creative Media LLC

    Want More Free Activity Ideas?
    Join our email list and as a thank you gift I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games that will make your kids smarter.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    Want your kids to love being unplugged?
    Join our newsletter and as a thank you, I'll send you a list of 10 waiting games.
    Your email will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party. Click here to view our privacy policy.
    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you keep using this website we will assume you are OK with that. Read our privacy policy for more.OKRead more