Picture Books
“The Biggest Pumpkin Ever”
by Steven Kroll
Two mice named Desmond and Clayton help a pumpkin grow into “the biggest pumpkin ever,” each without the other’s knowledge. Find out what happens when they discover each other. Who will enter the Biggest Pumpkin competition? And who will win?
“This Year, a Witch”
by Zoey Abbott
A little girl has been every adorable thing you can imagine for Halloween, and she is done with being cuddly, sweet and precious. This year, she’s rebelling big-time and going for a totally different vibe: the spookiest thing out there. She’s going to be … a witch! With only a little help from Dad, she works hard on her witchy locks, brew, spells and enchantments, and power to petrify. But what happens when what she sees in the mirror is so spooky that she scares even herself? Nothing that an understanding dad — and maybe a quick restorative nap — can’t handle.
Early Readers
“Got Me a Cat”
by Darcy Pattison
This enchanting Halloween short chapter book is about cats, sign language and a surprising friendship.
“Wallace and Grace and the Owl-o-ween Mystery”
by Heather Alexander
When three friends show up to the Owl-o-ween party with the same costume, no one knows whooo had the idea first — or whooo should win the boo-berry pie. Can owl detectives Wallace and Grace solve the costume mystery?
Middle Readers
“The Ghost Tower”
by Gillian Cross
The creepy Ghost Tower on the hill has loomed over the town for as long as anyone can remember. Now boarded up and dangerous, the time has come to knock it down. When Ryan and his friend Dot make a sneaky last visit to the tower on Halloween, they discover that it’s been hiding a fascinating secret. Can they find a way to save the tower before it’s too late? (This is an Everyone can be a Reader book, which is dyslexia-friendly.)
“Ghost Squad”
by Claribel Ortega
Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd’s witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely’s firefly spirits before it’s too late. (This book is also available as a Playaway.)
Teen Readers
“Shadow Over the Pumpkin Queen”
by Megan Shepherd
In this series inspired by Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Sally refuses to rest until she and her king, Jack Skellington, can stop their enemy forever. But as a new dark force causes Halloween Town citizens to go missing and Sally and Jack prepare to fight back, the unthinkable happens: The mysterious force takes Jack, too.
“Confetti Realms”
by Nadia Shammas
A group of teens is transported from a graveyard to another realm where they must collect teeth — and learn about themselves — in order to return home. But the allure of staying in a fantasy world is a hard one to beat, and going home to their normal lives is starting to sound less and less appealing for some. Will these friends return home?
These titles are thoughtfully selected by Frederick County Public Libraries. You can find these books and more by visiting fcpl.org.
