Trick-or-Read: Trending Halloween Books for Spooky Season

Crunchy leaves, pumpkin spice everything, and just a pinch of spooky, October is the perfect moment to refresh your classroom reads. Our book experts love spooky season and created this list of cozy (and some spooky) Halloween books and autumnal fall books that deliver giggles, kindness, and just-right suspense. From picture-book charmers to thoughtful YA books for Halloween, these titles keep the thrills gentle, the themes inclusive, and the classroom vibes joyful.

Consider this your stress-free seasonal stack: guaranteed giggles, age-appropriate, and brimming with autumn atmosphere. Whether you’re dressing a bulletin board, building a hallway display, or stocking independent reading bins, this guide keeps it fun and fuss-free. Ready to “fall” for your next favorite read? Turn the page for these Halloween books and fall books that make October in school feel downright magical.

Picture Books: Cozy Giggles for Spooky Season

For our youngest readers, Halloween books shine because they blend rhythm, repetition, and friendly frights, perfect for building confidence and delight during classroom reads. Think giggles over goosebumps, with just-right suspense that celebrates pumpkins, costumes, and kindness. Pair these with simple fun (call-and-response refrains, costume show-and-tell, or a pumpkin feelings chart), then let the stories lead the way into autumn magic.

• Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King and Maurice Sendak
• Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
• Beverley, Bat Your Service by Kelly Collier
• It's Almost Time for . . . Halloween! by Maisha Oso
• The Gingerbread Monster by Dan Gemeinhart
• Evelyn Witch Gets a Pet by Beth Ferry

Middle School: Cozy Mysteries & Fun Frights

For emerging tweens, Halloween books hit the sweet spot: clue-filled plots, light scares, and plenty of humor that invite inference, prediction, and rich discussion without going full horror. These classroom-friendly picks balance atmosphere with heart. Think campus whispers, clever monsters, and mysteries that beg to be solved. If you want to extend the fun, try simple add-ons like “clue logs” or mood trackers, but don’t worry, the stories will do the thrilling.

• Hide and Shriek (Ghosts of Fear Street #1) by R. L. Stine
• A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig
• Open Wide by I. M. Eerie
• Phantom Academy by Christine Virnig
• Exit Nowhere by Juliana Brandt
• It’s Watching by Lindsay Currie

High School: Spellbinding Young Adult Reads

For teen readers, ya books for Halloween bring atmosphere, wit, and big feelings—just enough shadow to keep pages turning, with themes (identity, courage, friendship) that light up discussion. These are classroom-safe chills and portal-worthy escapes: edge-of-your-seat mysteries, folklore twists, and worlds where Halloween magic feels real. Get ready for these stories to cast a reading spell over your students!

• And the River Drags Her Down by Jihyun Yun
• Mercy by Patricia Ward
• Hour of the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas by Megan Shepherd
• Immortal Consequences by I. V. Marie
• The Thirteenth Child by Erin A. Craig
• The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard

Advanced Reading: Goosebumps Guaranteed

For mature readers who want full-on chills, these Halloween books lean into eerie atmospheres, high stakes, and twisty revelations, perfect for independent choice, book clubs, or teacher/library picks. Expect sophisticated prose and true frights that linger after lights-out; as always, preview for fit with your audience and celebrate the thrill of being deliciously scared during the Halloween season.

• Boom Town by Nic Stone
• Widow’s Point by Richard Chizmar
• Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones
• King Sorrow by Joe Hill 
• Overgrowth by Mira Grant
• Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

As the leaves crunch and the costumes come out, we hope this cozy-not-creepy roundup helps you stock your classrooms with books that feel like pure October magic: giggles, gentle thrills, and a dash of wonder. When you’re ready to build your stack some more, browse educator-favorite books for classrooms or simply request a quote to get exactly what you need. Here’s to a season of pumpkins, page turns, and the kind of stories that linger like a friendly ghost.