10 Not-So-Spooky, Teacher Approved Halloween Books For Kids

Halloween is the holiday kids dream of: dressing up, silly fun and, of course, the candy! These not-so-spooky Halloween books for kids have been favorites in my classroom to enjoy the novelty of this fun holiday.

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I love to celebrate for the fun, novelty, candy and costumes of Halloween. It also comes with some themes that can be scary and aren’t always appropriate for the early childhood classroom.

Many of these books approach themes and characters that could be scary, like witches, ghosts and even a mummy. Instead these characters are fun, sweet, caring and relatable. There are also books that don’t have any of those things and focus on themes like pumpkins.

There is something for everyone on this list!

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10 Teacher Approved Halloween Books for Kids

Room on the Broom

In this story, a witch and her cat are riding on a broom when the wind carries her hat away. When they swoop down to get it, a friend wants to join their journey. There is definitely room on the broom! It happens again and again. Will there be room for everyone who wants to ride?

The cat doesn’t think so, but when a disaster strikes, it turns out to be a great thing that everyone was riding on the broom!

This is my favorite Halloween book to read to my students because it captures the theme perfectly while also teaching an invaluable lesson: there is always room for more. Everyone has value and can contribute something unique.

See “Room on the Broom” on Amazon

Where’s My Mummy

This book walks the fine line between scary and silly with a little mummy who plays hide-and-shriek with his Big Mama Mummy. You are introduced to several different could-be-scary characters that really aren’t.

My students love this sweet book and can easily relate it to their own bedtime adventures with mom or dad. This book is always requested again and again.

See “Where’s My Mummy?” on Amazon

Pumpkin Jack

Pumpkin Jack is a book is a story about a boy named Tim and the first pumpkin he ever carved. He set it out for Halloween but when the holiday was over, it began to rot and change.

The story takes students through the cycle of a pumpkin through an engaging story and intriguing illustrations. We love to use this book as an accompaniment to our pumpkin unit, too.

See “Pumpkin Jack” on Amazon

Little Boo

This adorable story is about a pumpkin seed named Little Boo who is doing his very best to be scary. He tries to scare the snowflakes in winter, the bees in the spring and even a watering can…but he just can’t do it!

He waits and waits but doesn’t know if he’ll ever be truly scary. This story is a great lesson in patience as well as the life cycle of a pumpkin. Does Little Boo’s wish to become scary ever com true? You’ll have to read it to see! 😉🎃

See “Little Boo” on Amazon

There’s a Monster in your Book

I pull this Halloween book for kids out when we all need a break. They will tilt, shake, wiggle and spin to get the silly monster out of this book. The twist at the end will have everyone giggling.

This interactive book is so much fun, I guarantee you’ll read it at least 10 times and that still won’t be enough for your students. 🤪 Since my goal is for my students to love books and reading, that is a big win for me!

See “There’s a Monster in Your Book” on Amazon

Go Away, Big Green Monster

This book is amazing for helping students overcome a fear of monsters at bedtime or other scary themes. It’s vibrant, die-cut pages are super engaging for kids and the underlying message is excellent.

Readers “contstruct” a monster as they turn pages. New adjectives and elements are added until the monster is complete. Then you all tell the monster, “You don’t scare me. Go away!”

Then you “deconstruct him,” a page at a time, taking elements away. At the end, you make sure to say “Don’t come back!”

I like to pair this with an art activity where students construct their own not-so-scary monsters with construction paper.

See “Go Away, Big Green Monster!” on Amazon

Bonaparte Falls Apart

Bonaparte is a skeleton who just can’t keep it together…literally! When he tires to throw a ball, his arm goes with it. At lunch, his jaw really drops. He is especially nervous to start school.

Thankfully he has friends who are ready to help him pull himself together. In the end, it’s all about his confidence.

This story makes characters who would normally be scary, very sweet, funny and kind. It covers themes that are familiar to our students in a way that is approachable. It teaches that friendship and believing in yourself can help you overcome your fears.

See “Bonaparte Falls Apart” on Amazon

Creepy Carrots

I know this book has “creepy” in the title, but it is anything but creepy! Jasper Rabbit really loves carrots, probably a little too much. He gets greedy and soon he fears the carrots are following him.

I love to read this book in a super dramatic voice, that captures my students but also makes them giggle.

I am especially drawn to the illustrations and love to talk about them with my students. A lot of them recognize that the use of black and white illustrations with just orange helps draw their attention to the carrots. There are also a lot of illustrations without words that encourage inferencing.

See “Creepy Carrots!” on Amazon

The Ugly Pumpkin

This book may not seem like a Halloween book because it’s about an ugly pumpkin that doesn’t get chosen for Halloween. All October, he feels sad and lonely. He leaves the pumpkin patch in search of a place he can fit in.

Little does he know, he is the perfect Thanksgiving pumpkin! I love reading this story the day after Halloween. It’s such a great example of things not working out how we expected. Sometimes they are even better!

See “The Ugly Pumpkin” on Amazon

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

I couldn’t write this list without including this classic. I love, love, love this story of Linus and his dreams of the Great Pumpkin. It includes all of the things we love about Halloween: costumes, candy, friends and pumpkins.

It also explores the idea of believing in something, despite people telling you it’s not real. We always end this book with writing our own letter to the Great Pumpkin, asking for another great Halloween.

See “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” on Amazon

Shop ALL the Halloween Books

See all of these Not-So-Spooky Halloween Books on Amazon!

What are your favorite Halloween books for kids? Do you read any that are spooky? I would love to know! Let me know below. 👇

Halloween Resources for K-2