Halloween, thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival Samhain, is just around the corner! Whether you’re planning to spend the holiday pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, or just relaxing with a cup of steaming hot apple cider, we have six diverse books full of thrills and chills to add to your Halloween festivities!
1. Ghosts for Breakfast by Stanley Todd Terasaki, illustrated by Shelly Shinjo
In this humorous story set in the 1920s, a Japanese American boy and his father investigate their neighbors’ report of ghosts in a nearby farmer’s field.
2. The Monster in the Mudball by S.P. Gates
When Jin’s little brother is kidnapped by the monster Zilombo, Jin teams up with Chief Inspector of Ancient Artifacts Mizz Z on the streets of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England to find him and defeat the monster.
3. Angels Ride Bikes and Other Fall Poems/Los Ángeles Andan en Bicicleta y otros poemas de otoñ by Francisco X. Alarcón, illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Award-winning team Francisco Alarcón and Maya Christina Gonzalez team up for a bilingual poetry collection about fall.
4. Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
Fifteen-year-old Odilia and her younger sisters embark on a journey to return a dead man to his family in Mexico, and must outwit monsters and witches to make it back home again in this YA fantasy that retells Homer’s The Odyssey.
5. The Closet Ghosts by Uma Krishnaswami, illustrated by Shiraaz Bhabha
Anu doesn’t feel at home in her new town, and the ghosts in her closet aren’t helping matters. Luckily, the Hindu god Hanuman is there to help!
6. Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac
In this YA novel based on Apache legend, Lozen is a monster hunter in the post-apocalyptic Southwest for four tyrants holding her family hostage .
