SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • *Best New Books*
    • Annual Best Lists
  • Reviews
    • One Star Review
    • Nonfiction
    • Toon Reviews
  • Articles
    • Authors
    • Link Du Jour
  • Covers
    • Covering the Newbery
    • Cover Curiosity
    • Unfortunate Covers
  • News
    • Books on Film
    • Morning Notes
  • Newsletter

October 27, 2017 by Travis Jonker

5 Recent Recommended Halloween Read Alouds

October 27, 2017 by Travis Jonker   4 comments

tumblr_mchfiz0RzL1r9ko4ro1_400

‘Tis the season for slightly creepy picture book read alouds. Here are five recent picks that have gone over well in my K-4 school library.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

9781442402980_cbea5

Creepy Pair of Underwear! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown.

The last time this author/illustrator pair made a book together – Creepy Carrots – it won a Caldecott honor. This sequel doesn’t disappoint – a bit creepy, a lot funny, and a worthy successor.

9781484730461_04268

The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea

Where do you do after The Happiest Book Ever? If you’re Bob Shea, you go scary. Although, since it’s Bob Shea, it still ends up being hilarious. It’s the first book I’ve seen that features both:

  1. Real talk about the creepiness of the word “moist”.
  2. A naked ghost.

9780763689537_9a73a

I Want to Be in a Scary Story by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Jean Jullien

Not just metafiction – s p o o k y metafiction. Little monster wants to be in a scary story, but everything seems just too scary for the little guy. Until he turns the tables on the narrator (and the reader). Librarian Julie Jurgens recently told me she has kids read the little monster parts – a stroke of story time genius that I endorse.

9780763688240_46277

Boo Who? by Ben Clanton

I’ve been reading this with the youngest students I see. A story about being the new kid, when the new kid is a ghost.

9780316369831_4d9be

The Little Shop of Monsters by R.L. Stine, illustrated by Marc Brown

For some reason, I didn’t want to give this one a chance when it first came out, but now I’m a believer. The format is basically, “let’s meet a bunch of different monsters”, but it works so well. There are some genuinely gross and funny moments. And kids love it.

Filed under: Articles

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

February 2023

Notes on January 2023

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

Your 2023 Caldecott Comment Card

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

Who's Published the Most Newbery Winners in the Last 25 Years?

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

2023 Caldecott Medal Predictions

by Travis Jonker

January 2023

The Ten Most Eye-Opening Caldecott Books of All Time

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Surprise! Announcing CABOOSE

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

Jump Into this Guest Post by Shadra Strickland About Her Latest Book: Jump In!

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

Kiss Number 8 | Review

by Johanna

Heavy Medal

What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

by Steven Engelfried

Teen Librarian Toolbox

WRITING FOR YOURSELF FIRST, a guest post by author M. K. Lobb

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

A Book 25 Years in the Making: Marla Frazee Visits The Yarn

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

The hOle Story: Kids’ Books Come to Life on a Giant Scale at a New Kansas City Venue

Truth Teller, A. S. King | The Year in SLJ Covers

Changing the Narrative | The Year in SLJ Covers

Ellen Oh, Linda Sue Park, and Ami Polonsky Speak Out Against Censorship at Florida School Board Meeting

Luminous Review, Twitter Exodus, and a Thoughtful Airport Encounter | Readers Respond

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. BISWAJIT SAHA says

    October 27, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    Hi Travis, this is awesome!

  2. Nicole Barnes says

    October 27, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    These all look so fun! I will have to put them in my back pocket for next year! 🙂 My students LOVE A Creepy Pair of Underwear!! A great follow up to Creepy Carrots!

  3. jules says

    October 30, 2017 at 11:19 am

    I have read A Creepy Pair of Underwear at so many story times this year that I think I can quote it. Funny stuff.

    • Travis Jonker says

      October 30, 2017 at 1:54 pm

      Oh cool – glad you agree with this one. So much fun

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

  • Author/Illustrator Blogs

    • Erin Stead Illustration
    • Hey, Rabbit!
    • James Preller's Blog
    • MATTHEWCORDELLBLOGS
    • Mo Willems Doodles
    • The Scop
  • Book Blogs I Like

    • A Book and a Hug
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • A Kids Book a Day
    • A Year of Reading
    • Abby (the) Librarian
    • Awful Library Books
    • Becky’s Book Reviews
    • Better Book Titles
    • Book-A-Day Almanac
    • Bookends
    • books4yourkids.com
    • bookshelves of doom
    • Bottom Shelf Books
    • Calling Caldecott
    • Caustic Cover Critic
    • Chad C. Beckerman
    • Charlotte’s Library
    • Cheryl Rainfield
    • Chicken Spaghetti
    • CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
    • Collecting Children’s Books
    • Cybils
    • EarlyWord
    • educating alice
    • Finding Wonderland
    • For Those About to Mock
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Good Show Sir
    • GottaBook
    • Great Kid Books
    • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
    • Hi Miss Julie!
    • Jen Robinson’s Book Page
    • Kidsmomo
    • Maria T. Middleton Design
    • Nerdy Book Club
    • Neverending Search
    • Nine Kinds of Pie
    • One Book, Two Books, Old Books, New Books
    • Out of the Box
    • Oz and Ends
    • PlanetEsme
    • Read Roger
    • Reading Rants!
    • Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
    • sharpread
    • ShelfTalker
    • so tomorrow
    • The Children's Book Review
    • The Miss Rumphius Effect
    • Uncovered Cover Art
    • Waking Brain Cells
    • Watch. Connect. Read.
  • Library Blogs

    • ALSC Blog
    • Blue Skunk Blog
    • librarian.net
    • LISNews
    • Stephen's Lighthouse
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology
    • Unshelved
  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023