6 of the best new Halloween books for kids in 2023
As the leaves turn fiery shades of red and orange and the crisp autumn air begins to carry whispers of spookiness, it can only mean one thing: Halloween is just around the corner!
The spooky season is the perfect time to ignite your child's imagination with some bewitching chapter books, whether you’re looking for fun or frights!
We’re excited to have curated a collection of 20+ fantastic Halloween-themed chapter books but read on here for our top 6 reads for different age groups.
Fun Halloween books for younger readers aged 5+
Ivy Newt and the Time Thief by Derek Kielty
Every Halloween at sunrise, a spooky haunted house appears near Newt Castle, only to disappear again at the stroke of midnight. Ivy and Tom set out to solve the mystery, stumbling upon an imprisoned witch, a powerful sorcerer and a curse they must break before time runs out!
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When Frankie Made a Human by Rachel Delahaye
Frankie is fed up of his nasty monster classmates and bored of being lonely in freaky Frankenstein Castle. What he needs is a friend. But since monsters are mean and werewolves are scary, Frankie decides to make his own friend – a human!
Spooky Halloween books for kids aged 8+
Read, Scream, Repeat curated by Jennifer Killick
This collection of thirteen spooky stories by prize-winning authors is perfect Halloween reading! Enjoy thrilling short stories from Joseph Coelho, Polly Ho-Yen, Sharna Jackson, Elle McNicoll and more.

The Train of Dark Wonders by Alex Bell
Bess has always loved her grandfather’s collection of curiosities. So she’s delighted when she’s handed the keys to his Odditorium. But unless she finds a way to draw in the crowds, she’ll have to close its doors for good. When a mysterious train pulls into town, bound for The Land of Halloween Sweets, Bess sneaks onboard. But the land is ruled by the fearsome Candymaker. And beneath the sugary surface, things are more dangerous than they first appear…
Spine-tingling Halloween reads for tweens and early teens
Bite Risk by S.J. Wills
Sel Archer lives in a normal town with normal residents, except for one night a month. When the full moon comes out, almost all of the adults turn into werewolves, and it's up to the young people to protect themselves from danger. When everyone's a vicious beast, it's hard to spot the monsters...
This title was sent to our Macaw subscribers accompanied by a fantastic activity pack.

The Haunting of Tyrese Walker by J.P. Rose
After a shocking event leaves Tyrese struggling with grief, he’s taken to visit family in Jamaica. From the first night, strange things start happening: impossible visions, blackouts, swarms of insects… Tyrese can’t explain what’s going on and he’s scared that he’s losing his grip on reality. Then Tyrese is warned he’s being hunted by the mysterious Shadow Man. Tyrese and his friends set out on a gripping journey across the island to try and uncover the Shadow Man’s sinister history.
This title was sent to our Macaw subscribers accompanied by a fantastic activity pack.
More Halloween fun
Why not also check out our simple and easy Halloween craft ideas, plus our guide to having Halloween fun at home?.
For some brilliant Halloween book recommendations head to our Halloween Bookshop Collection
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