There’s a chill to the air and pumpkins are everywhere. Why not curl up with a hot apple cider and download one of these spooky eBooks, eAudiobooks or movies from Hoopla? As Arnold Lobel wrote in Days with Frog and Toad, having the shivers can be a “good warm feeling”.
Each book or movie on this list is notated for spookiness from one (not very spooky) to five (very spooky). For even more suggestions, try this list of not-too-scary picture books!
Littlest Kids
Five Little Pumpkins, opens a new window by Dan Yaccarino
An illustrated version of the famous seasonal finger rhyme.
0 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Vampirina Ballerina, opens a new window by Anne Marie Pace
How can a vampire become a ballerina?
1 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Creepy Carrots, opens a new window by Aaron Reynolds
Could menacing carrots really be following a young rabbit?
1 out of 5 on the spooky scale
That Is Not a Good Idea, opens a new window by Mo Willems
Who is really the villain in this silent-movie-esque book?
1 out of 5 on the spooky scale
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, opens a new window by Linda Williams
The little old lady who was not afraid of anything goes into the woods and meets some spooky clothes that start to follow her home.
1 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Emerging Readers
The Zombie Chasers, opens a new window by John Kloepfe
A spooky Diary of a Wimpy Kid read-alike.
2 out of 5 on the spooky scale
The Funniest Spooky Joke Book Ever, opens a new window by Joe King
This book is funny and spooky at the same time!
1 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Araminta Spookie: Frognapped, opens a new window by Angie Sage
Araminta Spookie lives in a haunted house with her spooky family and friends.
1 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Corey and the Spooky Pony, opens a new window by Bonnie Bryant
A scary, Halloween Pony Tails story.
1 out of 5 on the spooky scale
The Yggyssey, opens a new window by Daniel Pinkwater
All of the ghosts in LA are disappearing and Iggy wants to find out where they are going.
2 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Big Kids
Are You Afraid of the Dark?, opens a new window
The classic Nickelodeon TV show.
4 out of 5 on the spooky scale
The Girl Who Drank the Moon, opens a new window by Kelly Barnhill
In a world full of witches and magic, one girl with enormous magical powers needs to learn how to control them before it’s too late.
5 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Serafina and the Black Cloak, opens a new window by Robert Beatty
Serafina must go into the dark woods to save the children who have started disappearing from the Biltmore Estate.
5 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Fablehaven, opens a new window by Brendan Mull
When Kendra and Seth visit their grandparents, they discover that a variety of magical creatures live there too, both good and bad.
4 out of 5 on the spooky scale
The Dagger in the Desk, opens a new window by Jonathan Stroud
A short story spin-off of the Lockwood & Co. Novels. The Lockwood Agency heads to a private school to investigate some unexplainable happenings that started shortly after the construction of the new school library.
4 out of 5 on the spooky scale
Spirit Hunters, opens a new window by Ellen Oh
Harper’s brother starts acting oddly when they move into a new house.
5 out of 5 on the spooky scale
The Night Gardener, opens a new window by Jonathan Auxier
Two young servants in an old house built around a gnarled old tree notice dirty footprints in the halls in the morning and strange sounds at night.
5 out of 5 on the spooky scale
What are some of your favorite spooky reads for Fall? Let us know in the comments!
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