Best Children's Books for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Fall Season Reading

5 Favorite Fall Holiday Read-Aloud and Read-Alone Books for All Ages

Feeling spooked looking for the right fall holiday children's book? Chill-out with the giggles and surprises in these top choice read-aloud and great read-alone books for the fall season, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.

Los Gatos Black on Halloween: By Marisa Montes. Illustrated by Yuyi Morales.
32 pages. Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, c2006.

Los Gatos Black on Halloween, by MarisaMontes, is scarier than most picture books. It's a terrific read-aloud or read-alone for 8 to 12 year olds who adore creepy stories and pictures. However, it is cautioned against younger children and even 8 to 12 year olds who do not thrive on eerie stories and illustrations. The publisher's website says it's meant for ages 4 to 8, but the book is kind of dark for kids so young, even though it is a picture book. Adults should pre-read it before deciding whether or not to present it to such young audiences. However, Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a terrific book for the kids who can take it for exactly what it is - just a fun fictional read with great pictures!

Los Gatos Black on Halloween uses Spanish and English words interchangeably, making it fun for both solely English and solely Spanish speakers to pick up vocabulary of another language. Also, it opens up opportunity for discussion questions on different Halloween traditions, like "Why do people dress-up on Halloween?" and what is "Mexico's tradition of Dia de los Muertos?"

The Case of the Halloween Ghost: By John R. Erickson. Illustrated by Gerald L. Holmes.
123 pages - paperback. Publisher: Puffin Books, c1999.

The Case of the Halloween Ghost, by John R. Erickson, is a funny and suspenseful detective mystery story. Hank the cow dog and his cowardly companion, Drover, find themselves in their scariest adventure ever!