If you’re looking to engage your upper students with the best Halloween read aloud books, you’ve come to the right place. I have searched high and low for some fun, some spooky, and some informative picture books that are sure to have our students laughing, chanting, or sitting on the edge of their seats this Halloween season.
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1. Bone Soup
This book is a Halloween edition of Stone Soup. In this story, Finnigan, who is always ready for a meal, comes into a new town on Halloween. He hopes to join a great feast, but not a body or soul is willing to share with him. As Finnigan begins to stir his cauldron which includes a secret ingredient, everyone becomes curious.
Great Standards to Cover:
- Determine a theme of a story
- Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
- Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text
2. By the Light of the Halloween Moon
This book is a fun, cumulative tale, about a girl who is sitting on a ledge that reminds me of the “There was an Old Lady Who” series. As the girl taps her toe, different creatures come out trying to touch it. As one comes up, another comes behind it. It is fun, rhythmic and repetitive. It contains plenty of vivid adjectives and vivid verbs as well as some alliterations.
3. Hallowilloween
This poetry book focuses on different characters associated with Halloween including Frankenstein, mummies, witches, and more. The poems are mostly funny and rhythmic.
Some poems are written as first person and others as third person.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.
4. The Pomegranate Witch
In The Pomegranate Witch, a group of neighborhood children attempt to steal a pomegranate from a tree that is protected by a witch. Every time the kids come up with a new plan, the witch is able to deter them. The story ends with a twist, somewhat similar to Miss Nelson is Missing.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Drawing inferences from the text
- Summarize the text
5. She Made a Monster: How Mary Shelley Created Frankenstein
This nonfictional book tells the story of how Mary Shelley came up with the idea of Frankenstein. This story gives insight into the tale behind one of the world’s most famous novels.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Determine the main idea and supporting details
- Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
- Describe the overall structure
6. Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich (and Other Stories You’re Sure to Like Because They’re all About Monsters and Some of Them are Also About Food)
This is another fun poem book that focuses on different characters associated with Halloween such as Frankenstein, Bigfoot, Godzilla, and the Creature from the Blue Lagoon. This book is definitely a little more gruesome than the previously recommended poem book.
7. Dia de Los Muertos
This book is beautifully illustrated and goes through the traditions associated with “Dia de Los Muertos,” The Day of the Dead. It’s a great way to expose students to different cultures.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details
- Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
- Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
8. The Spider and the Fly
The Spider and the Fly is a “cautionary” tale. The spider continuously tries to persuade the fly to come on in.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Determine a theme of a story
- Plot
- Story elements
9. The Widow’s Broom
After a witch drops her broom in Minna Shaw’s yard, Minna realizes the broom has powers. She enjoys teaching the broom new tasks, but her neighbors do not like the way in which the broom is acting. This book has quite a twist at the end which students are sure to love and have you rereading.
This book lends itself to discussing Minna’s character traits and comparing them to the neighbor’s traits.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Drawing inferences from the text
- Compare and contrast two or more characters
10. Creepy Carrots
This book lends itself perfectly to teaching about theme. As the rabbit tries to take carrots from the field, he is haunted by creepy carrots wherever he looks.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Drawing inferences from the text
- Theme
11. At the Old Haunted House
This Halloween spin on Over in the Meadow takes students through a counting story filled with creatures lie mummies, skeletons, and witches. The rhyme and rhythm make it engaging, but it’s also a strong mentor text for descriptive writing since it uses vivid adjectives and spooky sound words.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Explain how word choice and description create imagery and mood
- Recognize text structure (chronological/sequencing)
- Write narratives using descriptive details and clear event sequences
12. Zip! Zoom! On a Broom
In this lively read-aloud, ten witches try to fit on one broom – with chaotic results. The story is packed with vivid verbs, onomatopoeia, and rhyme, making it a perfect fit for teaching word choice and fluency. It also includes a great context clue opportunity with the word bicker.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
- Demonstrate understanding of rhyme, rhythm, and word choice in poetry/prose
- Strengthen writing with vivid verbs and precise word choice
13. Halloween Is…
This nonfiction text by Gail Gibbons explains the history and traditions behind Halloween. It’s an accessible way for 4th and 5th graders to learn how the holiday started and how it has changed over time. Pairing this with fictional Halloween stories provides a great opportunity for comparing text types.
Great Standard(s) to Cover:
- Determine the main idea and supporting details
- Identify and explain nonfiction text features
- Compare and contrast informational and fictional accounts of a holiday
If you want to take these Halloween read alouds a step further, pair them with Halloween Fiction & Nonfiction Reading Response activities.
They reinforce many of the skills your students are practicing in these books—such as:
- theme,
- context clues,
- cause and effect,
- character traits,
- and nonfiction text features.
They’re designed with upper elementary in mind, so your Halloween read alouds don’t just create seasonal excitement—they also provide meaningful opportunities to build comprehension and writing skills.
I hope this list of the best Halloween read aloud books gives you some great suggestions to share with your students. Make sure to check out these great Halloween activities that you can implement in your classroom.
