Spooky season is back! Below is a list of our favorite diverse picture books for Halloween to help you diversify your read alouds both at home and in the classroom. We hope you enjoy these slightly scary books and we would love for you to comment below with other Halloween themed books you recommend.

• Diverse Books for Halloween•

IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA

This bouncy, bilingual picture book is an enchanting, rollicking read-aloud for small ones with big imaginations.

On the night before Halloween, a new babysitter might be more than she appears. If she wears a black sombrero and cackles like a crow, she might just be a bruja! One little girl is determined not to fall victim to an evil witch or her cats. She knows bath time is really the bruja’s way of putting her in a boiling cauldron, and the only way to keep her at bay is with a magic potion–or is it?

With a boundless imagination and plenty of tricks up her sleeve, the young protagonist may just have the best night ever!

IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA
Written by Ana Siqueira and Illustrated by Irena Freitas
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Bonus: Halloween FUN!

Let’s make ZOMBIE EYEBALLS for HALLOWEEN!

Recipe inspired by IF YOUR BABYSITTER IS A BRUJA

HALLOWEEN IS COMING!

A fun, rhyming read-aloud Halloween picture book that starts a new holiday tradition. Perfect for kids 4-8 or any young child wanting to celebrate the spookiest season of the year!

Marching in the school parade
in frightening costumes that we’ve made;
Look around, the signs are clear,
Halloween is getting near!

Halloween is Coming is a lyrical celebration of the building excitement that children–and adults!–feel as the magical and mysterious night of Halloween approaches.

HALLOWEEN IS COMING!
Written by Cal Everett and Illustrated by Lenny Wen
Published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

A COSTUME FOR CHARLY

Trick-or-treat! Non-binary Charly must think outside the box to create the perfect Halloween costume: one that represents both their feminine and masculine sides.

Halloween is always tricky for Charly, and this year they are determined to find a costume that showcases both the feminine and masculine halves of their identity. Digging through their costume box, they explore many fun costumes. Some are masc. Some are femme. Some are neither. But all are lacking. As trick-or-treating looms, they must think outside the box to find the perfect costume–something that will allow them to present as one hundred percent Charly.

A COSTUME FOR CHARLY
Written by C. K. Malone and Illustrated by Alejandra Barajas
Published by Beaming Books

ONE GOOD NIGHT ‘TIL HALLOWEEN

Celebrate Halloween in a special way with this bright, joyful board book.

The day is almost here! It’s only “one more good night” until Halloween. As a child goes to sleep, they can’t wait for all the fun that comes with celebrating their favorite holiday with their loved ones. They know the next day will be filled with the best Halloween decorations, treats, and costumes! Experience familial traditions in this sweet holiday primer.

ONE GOOD NIGHT ‘TIL HALLOWEEN
Written by Frank J. Berrios and Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia
Published by Hachette Kids

AMARA AND THE BATS

Environmental activism gets a nocturnal twist in this utterly charming picture book about a young girl and her mission to save the bats!

Amara loves bats! Her favorite thing to do is to collect bat facts and watch the amazing mammals fly at night by her house. But when Amara moves to a new town, she learns that her beloved bats no longer roost nearby because so many trees are being cut down.

Amara is upset. What can she do to help? She’s just one person, and the problem feels so much bigger than her. But after doing some research, she discovers that there are many young people making big changes all around the world. Inspired to take action, Amara gathers her new friends to help save the bats. Together, she knows they can make a difference!

Emma Reynolds crafts an inspiring story about community action, perseverance, and what to do in the face of climate anxiety. At its heart, this is a story about hope and finding a place to call home.

AMARA AND THE BATS
Written and Illustrated by Emma Reynolds
Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Love this list and want more Halloween recommendations? Check out this resource:

5 Diverse Picture Books for Halloween

KidLit Arts and Crafts for Halloween

Bethany Edwards is an elementary educator as well as a reading and literacy
specialist. On Biracial Bookworms, she focuses on multiracial and multicultural resources for teaching literacy skills using reading, travel, and learning multiple languages. Additionally, she offers online and self-paced courses for parents and caregivers on Biracial Bookworms Academy.