Whether you’re creating a Halloween-themed classroom library or planning some eerie read-alouds, these titles deliver thrills, chills, and laughs. Many are proudly written or illustrated by Canadian talent. We love to share scary books all year. Our students ask for them. Many of them want to read a haunted story or something that is a little creepy. You don’t have to read scary Halloween books at Halloween, but that is part of the fun.
Whether you are buying Halloween books or just finding great reads, we want you to talk with your local bookstores and librarians. Big box stores sell many of these titles, but your local bookshop can also find them for you. We do not include links to books in our posts. We want you to go to your local bookstore and shop there. This way, your business dollars stay in your community. They keep your local economy running.
Ghost Stories & Haunted Tales
Ghosts of the Titanic by Julie Lawson. A boy in Halifax is pulled into a century-old mystery tied to the Titanic and a ghost who won’t rest.
The Dollhouse: A Ghost Story by Charis Cotter. When Alice finds a creepy old dollhouse, she discovers it may hold the spirits of children trapped in time.
The Swallow: A Ghost Story by Charis Cotter. Two girls—one alive, one possibly a ghost—forge a friendship haunted by secrets.
Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel; A lighthouse ghost sends Gabe on a mission to stop a terrifying spirit from returning.
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier. Two orphans discover a haunted manor and a mysterious figure who feeds off their darkest fears.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illustrated by Canadian Dave McKean. A boy raised in a graveyard by ghosts must escape the man who murdered his family. Keep this one for the more mature students.
The Ghost Road by Charis Cotter; Ruth travels to Newfoundland and uncovers family secrets tied to a haunted road.
Haunted Canada 1–10 by Pat Hancock & Joel A. Sutherland; Real ghost stories from across Canada written just spooky enough for young readers. This series is always a huge hit with our students. We have multiple copies of the books in our school.
Haunted: The House Next Door by Joel A. Sutherland; A haunted house isn’t just a Halloween story—it’s something Matt must survive.
Zombies, Monsters, and Mayhem
Zomboy by Richard Scrimger; A half-zombie boy tries to fit into a regular school—cue chaos and humour.
Zombie Elementary: The Real Story by Howard Whitehouse. A student discovers his classmates are turning into zombies and must save the school.
My Zombie Hamster by Havelock McCreely (pseudonym of Canadian author Kevin Sylvester). What happens when your cute pet hamster becomes undead? You fight it off with snacks and a touch of sarcasm.
Night of the Living Ted by Barry Hutchison, illustrated by Lee Cosgrove. When teddy bears come alive as zombies, two siblings must stop a fuzzy apocalypse.
The Creature Department by Robert Paul Weston. Two kids discover a secret lab of monsters and must save their world with invention and slime.
Monsters 101 by Cale Atkinson. A not-so-scary monster just wants to make friends—but he’s in for a crash course in scary!
The Undead Series by RR Virdi. A kid discovers his drawings of zombies come to life… and one of them has a plan.
The Curse of the Were-Penguin by Allan Woodrow, illustrated by Canadian Rachel Ignotofsky. A hilarious gothic tale of a boy cursed to turn into a penguin creature every full moon.
Creepy Mysteries & Strange Happenings
A Dark, Dark Cave by Eric Hoffman, illustrated by Canadian Corey R. Tabor; What’s in the cave? A playful—and slightly spooky—story about imagination and adventure.
Skeleton Tree by Kim Ventrella. A boy discovers a skeleton growing in his backyard, and it might be a key to something beyond this world.
The Nest by Kenneth Oppel, illustrated by Jon Klassen. A wasp queen offers to “fix” a baby—but at a terrible cost in this psychological thriller for kids.
Boo! by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Michael Martchenko; A boy’s Halloween costume scares everyone—even the neighbours!
Inkling by Kenneth Oppel; A mysterious inkblot comes to life with its own ideas—and secrets.
Monster Science by Helaine Becker; Learn the science behind mummies, vampires, and Frankenstein’s monster in this STEM-meets-spooky read.
The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane by Julia Nobel. Strange symbols and secret societies surround a boarding school mystery with an eerie twist.
Creeps by Darren Hynes; Bullies, secrets, and ghost stories swirl in this suspenseful coming-of-age mystery.
Lightly Spooky Picture Books and Funny Frights
Sir Simon: Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson. A ghost who’s bad at haunting gets help from a living kid—sweet and silly.
Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween by Mélanie Watt. Scaredy Squirrel makes a checklist to survive Halloween night in this hilarious take on fear.
That One Spooky Night by Dan Bar-el, illustrated by David Huyck. Three strange Halloween stories—witches, monsters, and a vampire baby—perfect for reluctant readers.
A World Full of Ghosts by Charis Cotter. A global ghost tour filled with spooky, funny, and fascinating tales from around the world.
The Spotted Dog Last Seen by Jessica Scott Kerrin. Cemeteries and unsolved mysteries make this eerie tale quietly haunting and thoughtful.
A Beginner’s Guide to Goodbye by Melanie Mosher. A girl grieving her mother finds comfort in ghost stories and quiet woods.
I Want to Go Home by Gordon Korman. A classic funny tale about kids trying to escape camp—with hints of “Are the counsellors evil?”
Favourite Halloween Books & Honourable Mentions
Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine; It’s not Canadian, but still a classroom favourite for spooky season!
Gloom Town by Ronald L. Smith; A strange seaside mansion, mysterious master, and creeping darkness.
The Phantom’s Gold by Eric Murphy; A maritime ghost and a pirate’s treasure make this a haunting coastal adventure.
Fangsiving by Ethan Long. When the vampire family’s perfectly planned Fangsgiving dinner is interrupted by spooky relatives, chaos and compromise take over the feast!
Ghost Train by Paul Yee. Set in Canada, this haunting tale follows a Chinese worker who loses his life building the railroad—and returns as a ghost seeking justice.
Night of the Gargoyles by Eve Bunting; This is an oldie but a goodie. When night falls, stone gargoyles on buildings come alive to roam the city in this eerie, poetic classic.
The Ugly Pumpkin by Dave Horowitz. A lonely “ugly” pumpkin searches for a place to belong—only to discover he’s not a pumpkin at all!
Hallo-weener by Dav Pilkey. Oscar the dachshund gets teased for his silly hot dog costume, but ends up saving the day on Halloween night.
Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell. Tim carves a jack-o’-lantern and watches it slowly return to the Earth, teaching a gentle lesson about the life cycle.
Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds; Jasper Rabbit loves carrots—until they start following him in this hilarious, suspenseful picture book.
Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds. Jasper insists he’s not afraid of the glow-in-the-dark underwear he begged for… but they seem to have a spooky life of their own.
Find More Halloween Books
Do you like to have your students recommend books for your classroom? It’s a great way to keep up with new books or classroom favourites. Use this set of Book Recommendation Notes with your students. They can be found in our Resource Library, along with many other general classroom forms to help you organize your classroom, or we can send them directly to your inbox when you become a teaching ninja.
Looking for Activities to Use With Your Halloween Books?
We like to create resources that students can use during Halloween without celebrating the holiday. Some of these resources are specifically for Halloween, too.
- Halloween Art Lessons: Complete lesson plans, photos of the projects, and reflection pages in English and French. Projects can be adapted to be less Halloween-y. Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
- Halloween Logic Puzzles: 15 puzzles that can be completed on paper or using Google Slides. Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
- Types of Sentences (Halloween-themed) Lesson. A complete lesson plan with a set of task cards that can be completed on paper, Google Slides, or a self-checking Google Forms version. Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
- Halloween Reading and Writing Activities: Different Halloween-themed reading passages and comprehension activities to practice main idea and supporting details. Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
- Halloween Writing Prompts: A set of ten days’ worth of prompts. Each day has three choices of narrative, persuasive, or expository writing. Prompts can be printed or used digitally. Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
- Halloween Collaborative Poster: Our posters include sets of 18, 24, or 36 pieces to accommodate any size class. Students colour their pieces and assemble them into a poster. We’ve even included a simple Halloween activity. Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
- Pumpkin Collaborative Poster: Find it on TpT ($USD) or in our BN Shop ($CAN).
Does Your Class Celebrate Halloween?
We have a few posts that you might find interesting.
We love to feature Canadian talent. If you know of a book we’ve missed, please share it with us in the comments below.
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