There weren’t a lot of Halloween books for kids when I was growing up.
Or if there were, I never found them. Instead, my friends and I relied on telling each other scary stories at slumber parties about guys with hook hands hiding in backseats and Weeping Marys in cemeteries. Also we read comic books like “Tales from the Crypt,” which specialized in stories about people being accidentally buried alive, which contributed to my lifelong fear of being buried alive.
Memo to my family: You guys! Don’t accidentally bury me alive!
There were more titles for children when my own kids were little. I must have read them “The Mystery of the Flying Orange Pumpkin” by Steven Kellogg and “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything” by Linda Williams about a million times. Still, the choices were nothing like the choices available now. I offer the following list of holiday titles, all published this year, as evidence.
“Bonaparte Falls Apart” by Margery Cuyler, illustrated by Will Terry
No bones about it, Bonaparte is a skeleton with a problem. He keeps losing pieces of himself wherever he goes. His monster friends (Franky Stein, Blacky Widow, Mummicula) try to help, but none of their suggestions takes care of business. Nothing works, in fact, until a dog named Mandible arrives on the scene. Local artist Will Terry’s illustrations are loads of fun.
“I Want to Be in a Scary Story” by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Jean Jullien
Little Monster has big dreams of starring in a scary story. But, as the old saying goes, you better be careful what you wish for because you just. Might. Get. It. As things progress, Little Monster definitely wonders if being in a scary story is all it’s cracked up to be.
“The Scariest Book Ever” by Bob Shea
On the first page we’re introduced to a nervous ghost who warns us NOT TO GO INTO THE DEEP DARK FOREST “a few pages back.” Why? Because it’s probably crawling with all kinds of creepy things. But what if we ignore the ghost’s advice and turn the page anyway? What surprises lurk between the covers of this book? (HINT: surprises!)
“Duck & Goose Honk! Quack! Boo!” by Tad Hill
Duck and Goose are excited to go trick-or-treating. Sort of. The problem is that they’ve been warned to watch out for (gulp) a swamp monster. However, the lure of Halloween candy is strong, so Duck and Goose put on their big-boy pants (as well as their costumes) and head out, hoping to avoid swamp monsters and other things that go bump in the night.
“Creepy Pair of Underwear!” by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown
Reynolds and Brown follow up the success of “Creepy Carrots!” with this story about a pair of green underwear that terrorizes its owner. Why? Because it keeps turning up in unexpected places. Also, it looks like Frankenstein. Also, it glows in the dark. Who knew underwear could be so terrifying? It’s hard to imagine a kid (or a parent) who wouldn’t love this book.
“Boo Who?” by Ben Clanton
It’s tough being the new ghost in town, especially if you’re the only ghost in town. It’s also tough to join in all the reindeer games because ghosts can’t catch a ball or pick up sticks or play tag. But it turns out there’s one game a new ghost is good at. Any guesses? Clanton’s bold, simple illustration style suits this story just fine.
“Herbert’s First Halloween” by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Steven Henry
Although his father LOVES Halloween, Herbert isn’t quite sure what to make of the holiday. It might be just a little too scary. Fortunately, Herbert’s father is there to explain what’s happening and to help Herbert create the perfect costume.
“Mary McScary” by R.L. Stine, illustrated by Marc Brown
“Meet Mary McScary. She likes to be scary. She doesn’t shout BOO! She shouts . . . ‘Beware of Mary McScary!’” Thus begins famed horrormeister R.L. Stine’s new picture book about a girl who can scare literally everybody except for her sweet-natured cousin Harry, which is why she decides to go for broke. Will she succeed?
“An A to Z of Monsters and Magical Beings” by Rob Hodgson and Aidan Onn
You’ve probably heard of imps and ghosts and dragons and (of course) a sea monster named Nessie. But do you know what an eloko is? Or heard of Ushi-oni? Or Xing Tian? This funny, fabulous book introduces readers of all ages to monsters from around the world, beginning with “aliens” and ending with “zombies.” P.S. Here’s what the book says about Xing Tian: After being beheaded in battle, this brave Chinese giant “refused to be beaten. He continued to fight by growing new eyes and a mouth on his gigantic belly. So be warned: Giants are not easily defeated!”
Finally I want to give my annual shout-out to a pair of old favorites.
“Frankenstein: A Monstrous Parody” by Rick Walton, illustrated by Nathan Hale
This holiday sendup of the beloved Madeline books is guaranteed to make kids and their grownups laugh out loud. Illustrated by local artist Nathan Hale and written by the late Rick Walton, who was a genius when it came to inventive wordplay, “Frankenstein: a Monstrous Parody” never fails to entertain.
“The Hallo-Wiener” by Dav Pilkey
This story about a dog who finally wins the respect he deserves on Halloween evening belongs in every home in America, is what I’m saying. Why? Because you can never go wrong with a story featuring a dachshund dressed like a hot dog. Obv.