Hello there! 
It’s Hallowe’en tomorrow! 

Today I thought I would share a few of the brilliant Hallowe’en-ish books I’ve either been sent or bought over the past few weeks! I’m featuring picture books and MG books today and would love more recommendations!

First up the lovely people of Puffin sent me ‘Hortense and the Shadow’. A gorgeous picture book, written like a brilliant fable. It’s dark and beautiful. The kids at school absolutely loved this. The art work is just brilliant. 

“Hortense is a kind and brave girl, but she is sad–even angry–that her shadow follows her everywhere she goes. She hates her shadow, and thinks her shadow must hate her too. But one cold, dark night, when bandits surprise her in the woods, Hortense discovers that her shadow is the very thing she needs most.”

Next up, I saw this gorgeous ‘First Day at Skeleton School’ in a bookshop and I’m not going to lie, I bought it purely for the amazing skeleton teacher on the front cover! Just look at him! It’s a fun book incorporating starting school and the characters we associate with Hallowe’en! Looking forward to passing this on to one of the younger classes to read!

“Listen … can you hear it?
There’s a creepy noise …
‘Welcome!’ smiles Mr Bones.
‘Meet the spooky girls and boys.’
At Skeleton School they howl in assembly, fly broomsticks in the library and learn how to float through walls! Join in the fun with this comic caper from a bestselling author/illustrator of Calm Down, Boris, Mr Pusskins and First Day at Bug School – it’s perfect for back to school and Halloween.”

The final picture book is another the brilliant humans of Puffin sent me – Hide and Seek by the incredible Anthony Browne. His books all have a little bit of dark and deception about them and this one is no different. Despite it not actually being a Hallowe’en book, I think the illustrations in this book are PERFECT for this time of year! This book is one which definitely kept my kids engaged. Lovers of Anthony Browne will NOT be disappointed.

“When their dog goes missing, Cy and Poppy play hide and seek to distract themselves. Poppy counts to ten and looks for Cy – but she can’t find him anywhere. But then there’s a rustling from the woods – maybe someone else can help her find him…?”

Now, some MG books. 

First up, I have had my eye on Amelia Fang for a while. That cover is EVERYTHING about Hallowe’en to me. There’s a pumpkin, it’s orange and black, she’s clearly a witch, there’s a bat: all of the Hallowe’en. It’s absolutely spot on for this time of year and I can’t wait to get to read this!

“Welcome to the world of Nocturnia, where darkness reigns supreme, glitter is terrifying, and unicorns are the stuff of nightmares! Amelia Fang would much rather hang out with her pet pumpkin Squashy and her friends Florence the yeti (DON’T CALL HER BEAST!) and Grimaldi the reaper than dance at her parents’ annual Barbaric Ball. And when the King’s spoiled son Tangine captures Squashy, Amelia and her friends must escape the party to plan a daring rescue! In their race against time, they begin to realise things in Nocturnia may not be quite what they seem . . .”

Another beautifully orange book is the brilliant Jack Beechwhistle: Rise of the Hairy Horror by Kes Gray. When I saw this on the Puffin list, I knew I needed to get my hands on this for the kids at school – they love these books. This book has been in the hands of a few of my kids and they’ve all loved it! It’s grizzly, fun and “miss, it’s just brilliant!”. 

“The world’s a dangerous place. Luckily, Jack Beechwhistle is around to protect it. He might look like an ordinary boy, but really he’s a junior secret agent. He’s tackled all sorts of missions – exploding conkers, zombie sweet-shop owners, and man-eating giant slugs – with a bit of help from his best friends and sidekicks, Colin and Harry (as long as it’s not past their bedtime). Then Jack notices something strange and suspicious about the hairdresser in town, Valentino. Every time Valentino cuts someone’s hair, he sweeps the hairs up and collects them in a big plastic bag. But what is he using them for? Everything points to Valentino being an evil enemy agent! And Jack Beechwhistle’s on the case . . .”

The last book I’m going to feature today is an anthology of sorts – Stories of Wizards and Witches by Enid Blyton. As a child, I loved Enid Blyton books and when I saw this in the supermarket, I picked it up. It’s brilliant and packed full of short stories all about wizards and witches. These short stories have been brilliant to read at the end of the day or during down time in school!

“Get ready for broomstick rides and bubbling cauldrons in these magical short stories from Enid Blyton – ideal for reading aloud, or for children over 7 to read alone! This bumper collection of 25 short stories is populated by every sort of magical and mysterious creature, from a grumpy wizard who is outwitted by an elf to pixie who rides on a rabbit. The stories are the perfect length for reading aloud in a classroom or at bedtime. With lots of humour and fantastic characters, these will appeal to newly confident readers to read alone as well as to younger children being read to.”

And that’s the books I’ve collected this year! 

Can you recommend any more spooky reads?
Do you have a favourite time of year?
What are your plans for Hallowe’en?

Let me know in the comments, or on twitter! 

S x