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Halloween Reads for Kids and Teens
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Arthur's Halloween
by Marc BrownHalloween has Arthur spooked! When his little sister wanders off into the scariest house on the street, Arthur has to find the courage to go in and save her. Will Arthur and D.W. make it out alive?
A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting
by Vivienne To and Joe BallariniThe Last Kids on Earth meets Goosebumps in this hilarious new series about a secret society of babysitters who protect kids from the monsters that really do live under their beds!
When middle schooler Kelly Ferguson’s Halloween plans switch from party-going to babysitting, she thinks the scariest part of her night will be the death of her social life. But then Baby Jacob gets kidnapped by the Boogeyman’s minions and Kelly learns there’s a whole lot more to childcare than free snacks and Netflix. Like chasing shadow monsters, drop-kicking Toadies, and mastering monster-fighting moves like the Naptime Headlock and Playground Punch.
Now, with the help of an ancient handbook and a secret society of butt-kicking babysitters, Kelly sets out to destroy the Boogeyman before he brings Jacob’s nightmares to life. But when the monsters’ trail leads to her school’s big Halloween bash, Kelly will have to prove she can save the world—without totally embarrassing herself in front of her friends.
Packed with black-and-white illustrations and insider secrets from the world of monster hunting, A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting is full of tricks, treats, and terrifying twists!
Babysitting Nightmares
by Rayanne Vieira and Kat ShepherdGot chills? Babysitting can be a real nightmare in this spooky middle grade series!For Rebecca Chin, babysitting has always been fun. But one night, a thunderstorm knocks the power out while she’s watching baby Kyle, and creepy things begin to happen in the house. A locked window opens by itself, mossy handprints streak the wall, and the baby begins acting strange. When she finds out that no one else in town was affected by the storm, Rebecca begins to wonder if something supernatural is going on. Fellow sitters Tanya, Clio, and Maggie help Rebecca unravel the mystery, only to discover something unbelievable. A sinister, paranormal villain has taken the baby and replaced him with a changeling! The girls can save him—if they can survive a scary journey into the Nightmare Realm!An Imprint Book "Fast-paced, action-packed, and just as fun as it is frightening, this series-starter is a sure winner. The cast of real, relatable characters and the thrillingly vivid prose only further ensure that readers—reluctant, eager, or somewhere in between—will be left looking forward to more of Shepherd's delightfully creepy tales." —Jarrett Lerner, author of EngiNerds“This spooky story of friendship and paranormal adventure will have young readers flipping pages well past their bedtime.”— Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, New York Times Bestselling author of Book Scavenger "A wicked fun friendship story, packed with deliciously creepy scares." —Lauren Myracle, co-author of The New York Times-bestselling Upside-Down Magic series
Blood and Salt
by Kim LiggettRomeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror"When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in--blood and salt."These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town's history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself--and discover the truth about Quivira before it's too late. Before she's all in--blood and salt.From the Hardcover edition.
Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop
by Emmeline DuncanBailey Briggs adores her year-round Halloween-themed town of Elyan Hollow, Oregon, but when she takes over her grandfather&’s beloved bookshop, Lazy Bones Books, she accidentally discovers the town&’s secret dark side . . . Normally, spooky season is Bailey Briggs&’ favorite time of year, and her Halloween-themed small town&’s time to shine. But between managing Lazy Bones Books, working on her graphic novel-in-progress, and running the Spooky Season Literary Festival, Bailey hardly has a moment to enjoy Elyan Hollow&’s spot-on seasonal vibes. Not to mention, at every turn she seems to be tripping over the contentious crew of Gone Ghouls, a ghost-hunting reality TV show currently filming around town. Bailey tries to stay focused on the Lit Festival, which is supposed to kick off Elyan Hollow&’s annual Halloween Fair; instead, this year&’s festival begins with a murder . . . It&’s bad enough Bailey discovered the victim, but now, as a lead suspect with some (admittedly) damning evidence pointing her way, she&’s got to clear her name! With the help of her librarian friend, Colby, and Jack Skeleton, her world-class bookshop dog (and the absolute bestest boy ever), Bailey sets out to solve a murder . . . As her investigation weaves through family secrets, professional rivalries, and town feuds, the list of suspects is growing fast . . . and unfortunately, so is the list of victims. If Bailey doesn&’t find the killer soon, Elyan Hollow&’s haunted reputation will get a little too real . . .
City of Ghosts
by Victoria Schwab and V. E. SchwabFrom #1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab comes a sweeping, spooky, evocative adventure, perfect for fans of "Stranger Things" and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.A New York Times bestseller!Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much stranger.When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift," she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil -- and herself.And she'll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.#1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab delivers a thrillingly spooky and action-packed tale of hauntings, history, mystery, and the bond between friends (even if that friend is a ghost . . .).
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
by Holly BlackTana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.
Coraline
by Neil GaimanAcompanya la Coraline i deixa que et transporti a un món de fantasia i terror creat pel premiat autor Neil Gaiman. «Senyors i senyores, nens i nenes, aixequeu-vos i aplaudiu: Coraline és una obra mestra.»Philip Pullman, The Guardian L'endemà de mudar-se de casa, la Coraline explora les catorze portes de la seva nova llar. Tretze es poden obrir amb normalitat, però la catorzena està tancada i tapiada. Quan per fi aconsegueix obrir-la, la Coraline es troba amb un passadís secret que la condueix a una altra casa tan semblant a la seva que resulta esgarrifosa. No obstant això, hi ha certes diferències que criden la seva atenció: el menjar és més saborós, les joguines són tan desconegudes com meravelloses i, sobretot, hi ha una altra mare i un altre pare que volen que la Coraline es quedi amb ells, es converteixi en la seva filla i no marxi mai. Aviat la Coraline s'adona que, rere els miralls, hi ha altres nens que han caigut en el parany. Són com ànimes perdudes, i ara ella és la seva única esperança de salvació. Però per rescatar-los haurà també de recuperar als seus veritables pares, i complir així el desafiament que li permetrà tornar a la seva vida anterior. Ressenyes:«Aquest llibre t'esgarrifarà i la por se't colarà per les sabates. Posseeix el delicat toc de terror dels millors contes de fades i és una obra mestra. Després de llegir-lo, no tornaràs a mirar un botó com abans.»Terry Pratchett «Delicat i extraordinari, es llegeix com un encreuament d'Alícia al país de les meravelles i Stephen King.»Independent on Sunday «Una fantasia magnífica i sinistra; Gaiman mostra un gran coneixement dels temors dels nens i de la seva capacitat per superar-los.»Kirkus Reviews «Un llibre meravellosament estrany i esgarrifós [...] Neil Gaiman és massa subtil per al·ludir al sobrenatural, és molt més misteriós. Els perills són reals i part de la riquesa d'aquesta història es troba en el fet que ofereix molts significats sense imposar-ne cap.»Philip Pullman, The Guardian «Gaiman aconsegueix teixir una apassionant i addictiva narració, a cavall entre els mites dels contes de fades infantils i el suspens propi d'un film de terror [...] Després de la seva lectura no tornarem a mirar els botons de la mateixa manera i cada vegada que hàgim d'obrir una porta ens ho pensarem dues vegades.»Sandra Pérez, ABC «Coraline és una digna hereva de les grans heroïnes de la literatura infantil, però també ho és de les històries gòtiques de Poe, Lovecraft, etc. Gaiman sap inventar ambients i recrear l'atmòsfera necessària per esgarrapar i, fins i tot en ocasions, fer estremir al lector.»Pep Molist, Quadern, El País
Doll Bones
by Holly BlackDiscover the Newbery Honor winner Doll Bones, from Holly Black, the cocreator of the Spiderwick Chronicles. A Kirkus Reviews Best Book. A School Library Journal Best Book. A Booklist Editor’s Choice Books for Youth. A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book. A NYPL “100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.” A 2013 Goodreads Choice award nominee. A People Magazine “Best New Kids Book.” Six starred reviews!Winner of a 2014 Newbery Honor Medal. Zach, Poppy, and Alice have been friends forever. And for almost as long, they’ve been playing one continuous, ever-changing game of pirates and thieves, mermaids and warriors. Ruling over all is the Great Queen, a bone-china doll cursing those who displease her.But they are in middle school now. Zach’s father pushes him to give up make-believe, and Zach quits the game. Their friendship might be over, until Poppy declares she’s been having dreams about the Queen—and the ghost of a girl who will not rest until the bone-china doll is buried in her empty grave.Zach and Alice and Poppy set off on one last adventure to lay the Queen’s ghost to rest. But nothing goes according to plan, and as their adventure turns into an epic journey, creepy things begin to happen. Is the doll just a doll or something more sinister? And if there really is a ghost, will it let them go now that it has them in its clutches?Doll Bones is a winner of the Newbery Honor, is the recipient of six starred reviews, was on four Best Book lists, and was called "perfect" by The New York Times.
Dreamfall
by Amy PlumA Nightmare on Elm Street meets Inception in this gripping psychological thriller from international bestselling author Amy Plum. Seven teenagers who suffer from debilitating insomnia agree to take part in an experimental new procedure to cure it because they think it can’t get any worse. But they couldn’t be more wrong.When the lab equipment malfunctions, the patients are plunged into a terrifying dreamworld where their worst nightmares have come to life—and they have no memory of how they got there. Hunted by monsters from their darkest imaginations and tormented by secrets they’d rather keep buried, these seven strangers will be forced to band together to face their biggest fears. And if they can’t find a way to defeat their dreams, they will never wake up. Dreamfall is perfect for fans of dark and edgy young adult novels from authors like Danielle Vega, Natasha Preston, Kendare Blake, and Madeleine Roux. It is the first book in a spine-tingling duology full of action, suspense, and horror that's sure to keep readers on the edge of their seat until the very last page.
Five Little Pumpkins
by Iris RynbachThe favorite finger rhyme told in schools, libraries, and play groups every Halloween is presented here in wonderfully humorous and endearing illustrations. Five not-so-little pumpkins start out "sitting on a gate." But before long a wild evening is afoot. They roll along a country lane to join some trick-or-treaters--a ghost, two witches, a clown, and a devil. As the lights go out and a magical wind swirls by, all converge on a big, old Victorian house--where every window has a spooky scene, and a skeleton comes to open the door! Full of the Halloween spirit from beginning to end, this playful and inviting book will prove a delight all year long.
Frankenstein Takes the Cake
by Adam RexNo one ever said it was easy being a monster. Take Frankenstein, for instance: He just wants to marry his undead bride in peace, but his best man, Dracula, is freaking out about the garlic bread. Then there’s the Headless Horseman, who wishes everyone would stop drooling over his delicious pumpkin head. And can someone please tell Edgar Allan Poe to get the door already before the raven completely loses it? Sheesh. In a wickedly funny follow-up to the bestselling Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich, Adam Rex once again proves that monsters are just like you and me. (Well, sort of.)
Ghosts in the House!
by Kazuno KoharaAt the edge of town lives a clever girl with a very spooky problem: her house is haunted! Luckily, she knows a little something about taking care of ghosts . . .
Ghost Squad
by Claribel A. OrtegaA New York Times bestseller!Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy.For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business.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.With the family dynamics of Coco and action-packed adventure of Ghostbusters, Claribel A. Ortega delivers both a thrillingly spooky and delightfully sweet debut novel.
The Halloween Tree
by Ray Bradbury and Joseph MugnainiA group of children and a "spirit" go back through time to discover the beginnings of Halloween.
Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween.
After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy gives one year from the end of his life to save Pipkin's.
The Hazel Wood
by Melissa AlbertSeventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels.
But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: Her mother is stolen away—by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
by Charles M. SchulzAdapted for the first time since the late 1960s, this 35th anniversary tie-in to the Peanuts' classic television special features Linus giving up trick-or-treating on Halloween to await the arrival of the Great Pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.
The Jumbie God's Revenge
by Tracey BaptisteIn book three of the popular Jumbies series, Corinne must use her emerging supernatural powers to battle the angry god who would destroy her Caribbean island home. When an out-of-season hurricane sweeps through Corinne’s seaside village, Corinne knows it’s not a typical storm. At first Corinne believes Mama D’Leau—the powerful and cruel jumbie who rules the ocean—has caused the hurricane. Then a second, even more ferocious storm wrecks the island, sending villagers fleeing their houses for shelter in the mountains, and Corinne discovers the storms weren’t caused by a jumbie, but by the angry god Huracan. Now Corinne, with the help of her friends and even some of her enemies, must race against time to find out what has angered Huracan and try to fix it before her island home is destroyed forever.
The Jumbies
by Tracey BaptisteThe start of an exciting series filled with Caribbean folklore, daring adventure, and ancient magic, from New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste. Corinne La Mer claims she isn&’t afraid of anything. Not scorpions, not the boys who tease her, and certainly not jumbies. They&’re just tricksters made up by parents to frighten their children. Then one night Corinne chases an agouti all the way into the forbidden forest, and shining yellow eyes follow her to the edge of the trees. They couldn&’t belong to a jumbie. Or could they? When Corinne spots a beautiful stranger at the market the very next day, she knows something extraordinary is about to happen. When this same beauty, called Severine, turns up at Corinne&’s house, danger is in the air. Severine plans to claim the entire island for the jumbies. Corinne must call on her courage and her friends and learn to use ancient magic she didn&’t know she possessed to stop Severine and to save her island home.
Last Seen Leaving
by Caleb RoehrigFlynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. All eyes are on Flynn--he must know something. After all, he was--is--her boyfriend. They were together the night before she disappeared.
But Flynn has a secret of his own. As he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself.
Los Gatos Black on Halloween
by Marisa MontesFollow los monstruos and los esqueletos to the Halloween party. Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren't even there yet! This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season.
Winner of the Pura Belpre Medal
Megabat
by Anna HumphreyA sweet and hilarious chapter book about a boy and a bat, two unlikely friends who bond over loneliness, jellyrolls and Darth Vader.Daniel Misumi has just moved to a new house. It's big and old and far away from his friends and his life before. AND it's haunted . . . or is it?Megabat was just napping on a papaya one day when he was stuffed in a box and shipped halfway across the world. Now he's living in an old house far from home, feeling sorry for himself and accidentally scaring the people who live there. Daniel realizes it's not a ghost in his new house. It's a bat. And he can talk. And he's actually kind of cute. Megabat realizes that not every human wants to whack him with a broom. This one shares his smooshfruit. Add some buttermelon, juice boxes, a lightsaber and a common enemy and you've got a new friendship in the making!This charming, funny story is brought to life by Kass Reich's warm and adorable illustrations. There's never been a bat this cute -- readers will be rooting for Megabat and Daniel from page one!
The Merciless
by Danielle VegaDanielle Vega delivers blood-curdling suspense and terror on every page of this thrilling debut novel. Fans of Asylum by Madeleine Roux and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will devour this terrifying series. Brooklyn Stevens sits in a pool of her own blood, tied up and gagged. No one outside of these dank basement walls knows she’s here. No one can hear her scream. Sofia Flores knows she shouldn’t have gotten involved. When she befriended Riley, Grace, and Alexis on her first day at school, she admired them, with their perfect hair and their good-girl ways. They said they wanted to save Brooklyn. They wanted to help her. Sofia didn’t realize they believed Brooklyn was possessed. Now, Riley and the girls are performing an exorcism on Brooklyn—but their idea of an exorcism is closer to torture than salvation. All Sofia wants is to get out of this house. But there is no way out. Sofia can’t go against the other girls...unless she wants to be next. By the shockingly twisted end, readers will be faced with the most haunting question of all: Is there evil in all of us?
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
by Ransom RiggsA mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience.
As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow--impossible though it seems--they may still be alive.
A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.
Monsterland
by James CrowleyIt’s Halloween, and everyone in Charlie’s small town is excited for this year’s festivities. Charlie's grandfather, Old Joe, is famous for his holiday haunts, and his pumpkin patch is the center of the town’s zealous celebrations. But for Charlie, Halloween’s just one more reminder that his cousin Billy isn’t around anymore. Charlie plans to keep to himself this year, hanging out in the haunted barn with his trusty dog Ringo. But when Charlie runs into some neighborhood bullies who are after his candy, he heads off into the woods to escape. He quickly gets lost, but spots a kid who he thinks is Billy. As Charlie chases after him deeper and deeper into the woods, he finds himself entering Monsterland—a mysterious place where werewolves live amongst trolls and goblins. Here he meets the Prime Minister, a vampire who tells Charlie he may be able to see his cousin again in this strange new land. Accompanied by a hulking monster chaperone, Charlie’s determined to find out just what happened to his cousin, and sets off to explore the secrets hiding in this uncharted territory.