Surprisingly children actually love a good, spooky tale every now and then. With Halloween just a few weeks away, now is the perfect time. Here are some of our favorite Halloween books:

Pumpkin Pumpkin. This beautifully-illustrated book contains minimal words and is great for new readers (or parents wanting to hurry along bedtime). It begins with a little boy planting a seed that eventually sprouts and turns into a big pumpkin.
The Ghost Family Meets Its Match. A personal favorite, this spellbinding story chronicles the history of a large house built in the 1880s. Left empty by an African explorer, a family of ghosts moves in. The ghost family scares off would-be buyers for decades, but in the 1980s a family moves in that strangely isn’t repelled by all the ghosts’ nasty tricks. Perhaps they have a secret of their own?
One Witch. A wicked counting story that follows a witch as she prepares an “oozing stew” for all her Halloween guests (including you!) Your little one will enjoy the fascinating, yet creepy illustrations.
The Witches’ Supermarket. An intriguing story about a little girl who stumbles into a secret grocery store just for witches. Luckily it’s Halloween and she’s dressed as a witch. The detailed illustrations of the supermarket — the produce section is stocked with “poison apples” and “goatweed” — are fun to read for kids and adults alike.
Trick or Treat? Board Book. Perfect for even the youngest trick or treaters, this life-the-flap book is filled with all the spooky favorites: a pumpkin, bat, spider and owl. On my daughter’s favorite page the flap reveals two children in their Halloween masks.