Tag: Halloween

Halloween Children’s Books: Picture Books and Nonfiction–2023
2023 Children's Books · Children's Book Recommendations

Halloween Children’s Books: Picture Books and Nonfiction–2023

The Retired School LibrarianLeave a comment

Halloween Children’s Books–2023 recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

Children’s book titles are carefully handpicked by a certified elementary school librarian who, although retired, still enjoys reading children’s books, especially picture books, and recommending them to busy teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book lovers.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris reads before recommending are checked out from the public library, except for those much-appreciated complimentary copies sent to her for an honest review. Those are noted. 

The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, she may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.

Picture Books

Halloween scene in the apple orchard with scarecrows, jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, squash, ghosts, apples, a tractor, and a black cat

Halloween in the Orchard (Countryside Holidays, 3) 

by Phyllis Alsdurf (Author), Lisa Hunt (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Beaming Books
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-3
  • Hardcover ā€ picture book: ā€Ž 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 1506487688

Brief summary: A young boy and his parents dress up in costumes to visit an orchard on Halloween, where there are many fun activities, including trick-or-treating with scarecrows, a corn maze, and a hayride.

Comments: What child(or adult) wouldn’t like to go to an apple orchard like this on Halloween night!?!

Rating: 4/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

This is the third book of the Countryside Holidays series.

Bruce the bear has a grumpy look on his face as he stands on a stage wearing clothing from the 1800s while his three mice friends are in disguises or inside a pumpkin full of Halloween candy

Bruce and the Legend of Soggy Hollow (Mother Bruce Series) 

by Ryan T. Higgins (Author, Illustrator)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Disney Hyperion
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-3
  • Hardcover ā€ picture book: ā€Ž 48 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 1368059589

Brief summary: Although grumpy Bruce does not like holidays, especially Halloween, with all of those visitors appearing at his door, Bruce gets talked into and agrees to role-playing a scary story called “The Legend of Soggy Hollow” with his forest friends…but were they indeed all of his friends?

Comments: A cute and hilarious parody of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, one of my favorite spooky stories.

Rating: 4/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

Dokkaebi Doki and Kebi are in the countryside with their magical clubs

The Goblin Twins 

by Frances Cha (Author), Jaime Kim (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Crown Books for Young Readers
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-3
  • Hardcover picture bookā€ : ā€Ž 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 059348021X

Brief summary: Doki and Kebi are dokkaebi, a cross between a spirit and a goblin, who will need to move, as their home was being torn down to build a new one. Although Doki likes to give gifts of gold and silver to people with his magic club while his twin, Kebi, wants to scare people with his, they decide to live together in a haunted house in a strange land called America just in time for Halloween.

Comments: This is based on Korean lore. A more detailed explanation can be found in the back of the book in the Author’s Note.

I love to read monster/mythical creature lore from other countries. This would make an excellent addition to the Halloween or folklore section of a library.

Rating: 4/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

Nonfiction

There are pumpkins and jack-o- lanterns with lit candles and a fake black spider on the steps of a house for the traditional Halloween house

Halloween (Traditions & Celebrations) 

by Charles C Hofer (Author)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Pebble Books
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: 2-4
  • Paperback ā€nonfiction picture book : ā€Ž 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 0756575605

Brief summary: Young readers will learn how Halloween began, how we celebrate it today, and how other countries(Mexico, Germany, France, and Japan) celebrate holidays like it.

Comments: Words in bold are in the glossary. The back sections are Glossary, Read More, Internet Sites, Index, and About the Author.

Rating: 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

Jack-o-lantern with a candle inside, a black cat, spilt candy corn, and bats are spread on the cover of this Halloween book

Halloween (Holiday History)

by Spanier Kristine Mlis (Author)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Pogo Books
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: 2-4
  • Paperback nonfiction paperback–32 pages
  • ISBN-13 ā€ : ā€Ž 979-8885241298

Brief summary: Young readers will learn about the origins of Halloween, the traditions, and how South Korea and Ireland celebrate.

Comments: Several “Did You Know?” squares give more information about the page’s topic. The back sections are Quick Facts & Tools: Halloween Place of Origin, Glossary, Index, and To Learn More.

Rating: 3/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

šŸ‚šŸRelated book recommendations are Fall Children’s Books: Picture Books and Nonfiction–2023 and Pumpkin Children’s Books–2023. šŸ‚šŸ

Fall Children’s Books: Picture Books and Nonfiction–2023
2023 Children's Books · Children's Book Recommendations

Fall Children’s Books: Picture Books and Nonfiction–2023

The Retired School Librarian4 Comments

Fall Children’s Books: Picture Books and Nonfiction book recommendations–2023 are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.

Children’s book titles are carefully handpicked by a certified elementary school librarian who, although retired, still enjoys reading children’s books, especially picture books, and recommending them to busy teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book lovers.

Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris reads before recommending are checked out from the public library, except for those much-appreciated complimentary copies sent to her for an honest review. Those are noted. 

The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, she may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you.

The cover for It's Fall is a young girl has her hands above her head where there are leaves falling from a tree. She is smiling as well as her dog and a flying bird

It’s Fall! (Celebrate the Seasons, 1)

by RenĆ©e Kurilla (Author, Illustrator)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-2
  • Hardcover ā€ picture book: ā€Ž 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 0316363995

Brief summary: A young girl shares what the fall season brings with back-to-school, Halloween, and Thanksgiving.

Comments: Illustrations are in yellows, reds, and oranges. The story is in rhyme.

What a fun book to share with young readers that introduces fall vocabulary.

Large single-page, double-page spreads, and vignette illustrations make this a read-aloud recommendation.

Rating: 4/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

A multigenerational family and their dog are on a fall hike walking over rocks in a stream with trees of orange and yellow behind them

When Fall Comes: Connecting with Nature as the Days Grow Shorter (When Seasons Come) 

by AimĆ©e M. Bissonette (Author), Erin Hourigan (Illustrator)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Little Bigfoot
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: PreK-3
  • Hardcover ā€ picture book: ā€Ž 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 1632174529

Brief summary: Young readers will read how humans, wildlife, and nature prepare in the fall for the winter months ahead. Some will harvest and stock up on food, others will build places to sleep, while others will migrate to warmer weather.

Comments: This season series would be an excellent choice to have in any library. I’m looking forward to seeing When Spring Comes.

Rating: 4/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

Nonfiction

Blue tennis shoes are standing on fall colored fallen leaves

On a Gold-Blooming Day: Finding Fall Treasures 

by Buffy Silverman (Author)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Millbrook Press ā„¢
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: Todders-2
  • Library Binding nonfiction picture book ā€ : ā€Ž 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 1728442982

Brief summary: When fall arrives, nature changes in many ways to prepare for winter.

Comments: Large and brilliant illustrations with fun adjectives, adverbs, and verbs to read aloud.

More in-depth explanations of fall changes are at the end of the book.

The back section includes What Treasures Will You Find in Fall?, Further Reading, and Glossary.

Rating: 4/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

Hanging lit lanterns are handing from the ceiling

Mid-Autumn Festival (Traditions & Celebrations)

by Ailynn Collins (Author)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Pebble Books
  • Year: 2023
  • Grades: 1-4
  • Paperback nonfiction picture bookā€ : ā€Ž 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 0756575680

Brief summary:Ā Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the Moon or Mooncake Festival, is globally celebrated by Asian people. Young readers will learn the origins of the holiday, the lunar calendar, and what traditions and foods people have to observe this holiday.

Comments: The back sections are Glossary, Read More, Internet Sites, Index, and About the Author. Bolded words are found in the glossary.

I wish we had these Traditions and Celebrations books when I was a child. I’m learning so much from reading them as an adult, which has broadened my understanding of other cultures.

Rating: 3.5/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—1/2

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.

A pile of apples on a wodden crate

Orchards (Trip to the Farm) 

by Ursula Pang (Author)

  • Publisher ā€ : ā€Ž Powerkids Pr
  • Copyright : ā€Ž 2023
  • Grades: K-3
  • Paperback nonfiction children’s bookā€ : ā€Ž 24 pages
  • ISBN-10 ā€ : ā€Ž 1725339374

Brief summary: There are many orchards (farms where trees grow)producing fruit, nuts, seeds, syrup, and Christmas trees. Young readers will learn about each type of orchard.

Comments: I placed this book in the fall section as when I think of orchards, I think of apple or fruit orchards because those are the ones in my area that are harvested in the fall. I also had those teachers book requests for fall units before they went and visited a nearby apple orchard.

I enjoyed reading and learning about the different types of orchards and when they were harvested.

Rating: 3.5/5 šŸ“—šŸ“—šŸ“—1/2

Continue reading for more details and buying options on this book’s Amazon page.