Halloween is this Sunday and everyone from toddlers to teens are getting in the mood for the spookiest night of the year. If your children love to read or love to be read to, then here are five kid-friendly books for Halloween all about witches that are all magical and spooky at the same time.
1. Room on the Broom By Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) $7.99
Room on the Broom is a classic Halloween treat geared towards ages 3-7. This book is a treat for the entire family as it tells the story of friendship and adventure as a witch and her cat are flying through the air on a broomstick. When they get into a bit of trouble, they find three friendly animals that end up helping them out. The book reads in rhyme which is fun to listen to and read.
2. The Witches by Roald Dahl $5.21
Geared towards children in grades 6-9th grade, The Witches by Roald Dahl is a true Halloween classic. Leaning a little more towards the creepier side of the season, the book, set in Norway and England, recants the tale of an English boy who lives with his Norwegian grandmother in a world where witches exist. Except they’re not ordinary witches — they are child-hating witch societies and they secretly exist all over the world. Bonus: there is a movie that was made based on the book and can be seen on HBO Max.
3. The Witch who was afraid to Fly by Yonit Werber, Bhangga Santoso, $2.99 (Available on Kindle)
As a part of Amazon’s funny bedtime story collection, this is a cute tale that has a teachable moment to the story as well-helping children deal with their fears and encourages them to find their own courage. Geared towards those who can’t quite read for themselves, Werber’s story is about a young witch who was too afraid to fly on her broom because she was scared she would fall. One day, a fairy queen visits her in a dream and asks her a question that helps to encourage the witch to face the reason for her fear, and changes her life forever.
4. The Girl Who Drank The Moon by Kelly Barnhill $9.95
The best selling, Newberry Medal winner, The Girl Who Drank The Moon, unquestionably has to be on our list! Geared towards ages 10-14, it is 400 pages long, is one book that any reader won’t soon forget. In this book, the people of the Protectorate leave one baby every year as an offering to a witch who lives in the forest so that she won’t terrorize their town. The witch happens to be very kind, rescues the children, feeds them starlight, and sends them off to happy families. One day, she feeds a baby moonlight instead, and ends up having to raise her as her own.
5. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare $8.99
Another Newbery Medal-winning novel rounds out our list. The Witch of Blackbird Pond is not only a fascinating read, but it is a magical tale as well. The story chronicles the life of 16-year-old Kit Tyler who faces accusations of witchcraft. The book takes place in 17th century Connecticut, where witches are being hunted. Kit was forced to leave her home and family on the island of Barbados and try to fit in with a new family. She struggles to be herself until she finds a friend, who is a witch, and helps her learn how to be herself through tough lessons.
Want more options for a scary night of reading? Click here for a list of additional titles and enjoy!
