Halloween is a great time to engage your newly independent reader with early chapter books that advance their reading skills — and there are plenty of teacher-approved options to choose from this Halloween!
Teachers typically recommend early chapter books with a healthy mix of familiar and new vocabulary words, thoughtful illustrations that support the text, and an engaging storyline.
Mildy Spooky, Majorly Fun
- Early chapter books are great for kids who enjoy mildly spooky stories — take, for instance, Mister Shivers #5: The Face in the Mirror. With full-color artwork on every page and an invisible message on the cover, there is so much to explore. The Mister Shivers series is part of the Scholastic's early reader line, Acorn, and provides support to kids learning how to read. “There are several stories in one book and guided drawing instructions in the back of the book with some of the characters,” says Kathleen Sahagian, a first grade teacher in California.
- There's also Dave Pilkey's Dragon's Halloween, a sweet story about a lovable dragon who is planning his best Halloween yet! Only he can't find the right pumpkin and making his dream costume doesn't work out. Plus, he hears some scary sounds in the woods on his walk. Will Dragon be able to pull off the best Halloween ever, or will he get more tricks than treats?
Page Turners with a Twist
- Another popular series that beginning readers will find engaging is Eerie Elementary, about a living, breathing, spooky school. These books are part of Scholastic's early chapter book line Branches, which helps kids bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books.
- Theresa Rindt, a third-grade teacher in Illinois, particularly loves Eerie Elementary #1: The School is Alive! for early readers. “The Eerie Elementary books are page-turners,” she says. “Kids simply can't put them down! I love the looks on their faces as they are so engrossed in the books.”
Magic Meets Mischief
- Another Branches series, kids can also dive into 1 of the 4 titles in Pixie Tricks. In Pixie Tricks #4: The Halloween Goblin, readers join in as Violet, Leon, and their fairy friend, Sprite as they defend their town against Bogey Bill — a Halloween goblin that turns normal things into scary ones.
Shop Halloween early chapter books recommended by teachers below! You can shop more Halloween titles at The Scholastic Store Online.
