Spooky Reads

October is filled with spooky, mysterious and haunting tales. Werewolves, witches, vampires and ghosts creep and stalk about. To accompany such wicked things you must have some eerie reads!

For the youngest little ghouls that you may not want to frighten to tears try these fun and lighthearted picture books. First The Hallo-Weiner by Dav Pilkey. The story of bullied Oscar, a dachshund who made the bad choice of being a hot-dog for Halloween but everything changes when Oscar saves all his tormentors from a Halloween fright! Next is The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree by Stan & Jan Berenstain, the classic and beloved Berenstain Bears go out for a scary adventure to the Spooky Old Tree! Lastly is Zombelina by Kristyn Crow featuring the warm and lustrous illustrations of Molly Idle (Tea Rex and Flora series), little Zombelina just wants to dance but being a zombie in a human world can make that difficult but with the love and support of her ghastly family she puts on a spook-tacular performance.

For older monsters you can read slightly more terrifying stories. The classic and renowned Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz is a must read! The reprinting featuring illustrations by Brett Helquist (Series of Unfortunate Events) still have the horrifying stories but any reader will tell you that you MUST get ahold of the original with the signature illustrations from Stephen Gammel. The stark black and white illustrations truly complete the stories and will haunt your mind for years to come. Next is the more jovial Bunnicula by James Howe. Three house pets are very leery of the newest addition to the family -  a small bunny with fangs found when their owners went to a midnight showing of Dracula. Their suspicions are heightened when helpless vegetables are found sucked of all their juices. This book delights any reader thirsty for a hilarious Halloween read. The last recommendation is one of my all-time favorites, The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury, the famous author truly loved the macabre. This story has a rich vocabulary and is a good challenging read for a young reader or you can sit down and read it together! The book follows the story of a group of boys heading out Halloween night when a magical stranger appears and takes them on a fantastic journey through the history of Halloween.

For the adults who still love the black cats and jack-o’-lanterns here are some Halloween reads to get in the witchy mood. First is the classic from the Queen of mystery Agatha Christie’s Hallowe'en Party. One of my favorite Poirot novels! It’s Poirot at his best and with the wonderful accompaniment of Mrs. Oliver. Next is the cozy mystery from the League of Literary Ladies series by Kylie Logan called The Legend of Sleepy Harlow. Imagine Murder, She Wrote but on Halloween in a small town. The series focuses on Bea Cartwright, a bed and breakfast owner, and her neighbors as they solve murders that continually plague their small island they call home.

Take time before trick-or- treating to get a little fright from a ghost story, discover a new folktale or mystery that will give you chills! Enjoy the scares and spooks of the season!