Spooky season is upon us, and there’s lots of great books for every reading and scare level. For animal lovers, there are many Halloween books featuring pet protagonists.
This list features some of the cutest ones, as well as some more traditional thrills and chills.
— by Joanna Harris, Teen services coordinator, D.C Public Library
Picture Books
“Boo Bark!” by Kathryn Selbert
This is the ultimate picture book for kids who love Halloween and dogs. Readers will enjoy colorful, full-spread illustrations of adorable dogs in adorable costumes. Which will be your favorite? The piranha pup, the corgi frog, the skeleton poodle or somepuppy else?
“Creepy Carrots” by Aaron Reynolds
Jasper, a baseball-playing young rabbit, is haunted by the carrots he likes to snack on in Crackenhopper Field. It sounds crazy, but he swears they are following him — as he walks home, in the house and under his bed! Can Jasper figure out a way to get these creepy carrots off his case? A very funny take on a “spooky” haunting story.
Easy Readers
“Happy Halloween, Mittens” by Lois Schaefer
Nick is getting ready for Halloween, and his pet kitten, Mittens, just wants to help. Readers who live with cats will laugh in recognition as they watch Mittens get underfoot while her boy, Nick, decorates the house, paints a pumpkin and makes Halloween cookies. Is there anything a little cat can do to help for Halloween?
“The Pug Who Wanted to Be a Pumpkin” by Bella Swift
Chloe is nervous to go trick-or-treating with all that scary stuff out there on Halloween night. Her pet pug, Peggy, must help her be brave by going trick-or-treating with her — even though she’s a bit scared herself! Chloe and Peggy have other types of Halloween fun as well, including a sleepover, a party at a pup cafe and more. This title is a great pick for first-time chapter book readers, and if they like this one, there are many other Peggy the Pug books.
Middle Grade
“Bunnicula: The Graphic Novel” by James Howe and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Stephan Gilpin
This well-loved classic about a vampiric bunny gets a graphic novel retelling. Chester the cat is suspicious of the newest addition to the family, a little bunny with pointed teeth that the human members of the family have named “Bunnicula.” He is convinced that Bunnicula is an actual vampire, and will do anything to expose the truth! However, Harold, the dog, is not so sure. Howe’s original story comes to life with Gilpin’s illustrations, which include lots of fun visual gags.
“Doll Bones” by Holly Black
The author of The Spiderwick Chronicles chills and enchants with this standalone title about three friends who stumble upon a haunted doll. Poppy is visited in a dream by Eleanor, the young girl whose spirit is haunting the doll, who tells her she wants to be reunited with her family. This sends the trio on a harrowing and fantastical quest to find her family’s graveyard. An adventure-filled story about growing up and the evolving nature of friendships.
Teens
“The Honeys” by Ryan La Sala
A new take on a camp horror story, “The Honeys” is the story of Mars, a genderfluid teen, trying to figure out the reason behind his twin sister’s violent death. His search takes him to the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy, where his sister would go every summer. What he finds there is more than he bargained for — a bucolic mini society isolated from the rest of the world, ruled by old-fashioned values. Will Mars make it out, sanity intact? An atmospheric tale that’s Midsommar meets Fear Street.
“The Weight of Blood” by Tiffany D. Jackson
Jackson’s retelling of Stephen King’s “Carrie” is just as chilling, but with a new cast of characters and dimensions of social commentary. Jackson’s version of the story does a great job of reworking the plot points, characters and setting of “Carrie” to tell a chilling story about the massive effects of microaggressions and what true allyship really means. If you’re familiar with the original “Carrie,” it will come as no surprise that this one has a gruesome end, but with a few twists. Highly recommended for young adults who love straight-up horror.
