Are all of the Halloween books checked out in the holiday section? Do you need a scary or not-so-scary tale to tell your kids on Halloween. Do you put things off to the last minute like I do? Never fear! The library is here! There are still some great books available at the library with a Halloween theme. Check out some of these titles.
Preschool – 3rd Grade
I Need My Monster
Gabe the monster has gone fishing. Ethan needs a monster under his bed in order to go to sleep. Night after night other monsters try to do the job, but none of the monsters are as good as Gabe. The illustrations are detailed and comical and the story will make you laugh out loud while the monsters are trying to be scary. Watch below as actress Rita Moreno reads I Need My Monster for Storyline Online. This title is also available for checkout on Hoopla.
Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies
Mo is a Zombie.
Mo loves to eat vegetables.
Mo’s family says, “Zombies don’t eat veggies.”
Mo’s family tries to get him to eat “finger” food and “brain” cakes while Mo tries to get his family to try “heads” of lettuce and Grains (instead of Brains). Finally, they all learn to love and accept each other. Even though they are different, they are family and that is enough. Listen to Jaime Camil read Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies in Spanish for Storyline Online.
If you would like some more not-so-scary, scary picture books check these out: Monster Mess by Margery Cuyler, Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner, Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island by Gail Herman or Ginny Goblin Cannot Have a Monster by David Goodner.
4th Grade and Up
Dugout: The Zombie Steals Home
Zombies, witches and BASEBALL! What more could you want from a graphic novel? This is an exciting story of two twin sisters on rival baseball teams who also happen to have a touch of witchcraft in their family. When one of the twins decides to try out her powers to help her team win, a zombie crawls out of the pitcher’s mound all chaos breaks out. This is a fun tale of family, rivalry, magic and baseball.
Bloom
If you like to read scary stories, dystopian novels or sci-fi books about alien species then this is the book for you. The book starts by introducing three soon-to-be friends. Two of the friends have unusually severe allergies and one has unexplainable scarring on his body from a surgery in his childhood. All three have strange, realistic dreams.
If you would like some more scary book ideas check out these titles: The Nest another intense book by Kenneth Oppel, The Aviary by Kathleen O’Dell, Wig in the Window by Kristen Kittscher, Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelley Moore Thomas, Doll Bones by Holly Black, Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, Scary Stories for Young Foxes by Christian McKay Heidicker , The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein, or The Graveyard Book, a graphic novel by Neil Gaiman.
You can kick the terror level up a bit by listening to frightening tales on audiobooks or find a podcast at Kidcasts: Scary Stories. The sound effects and music in these stories will make it extra hair-raising.
Pop some popcorn, turn out the lights, light some candles and get ready to be scared out of your socks. Happy Halloween!
The O'Fallon Public Library News 