If you’re looking to engage your senior students with the best Halloween read aloud books, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve searched high and low for some fun, spooky, and informative picture books that are sure to have our students laughing, singing, or sitting on the edge of their seats this Halloween season.
You are reading: Halloween picture books for upper elementary
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you can click on any of the images below to find the mentioned book on amazon.
1. bone soup
This book is a Halloween edition of Soup Stone. In this story, Finnigan, who is always ready to eat, arrives in a new town on Halloween. he hopes to join a big party, but no body or soul is willing to share with him. When Finnigan begins to stir his cauldron that includes a secret ingredient, everyone is curious.
See Also: 7 best cookbooks for clean eating – State of Salt
excellent standards to cover:
- determine a story theme
- use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
- analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to meaning, tone or beauty of a text
2. in the light of the halloween moon
This book is a fun, cumulative story about a girl sitting on a ledge that reminds me of the “there was an old lady who” series. as the girl taps her toe, different creatures come out trying to touch it. when one goes up, another comes after him. it’s fun, rhythmic and repetitive. contains many vivid adjectives and vivid verbs, as well as some alliteration.
3. Halloween
This book of poetry focuses on different characters associated with Halloween, including Frankenstein, mummies, witches, and more. the poems are mostly fun and rhythmic.
some poems are written in the first person and others in the third person.
See Also: 7 best cookbooks for clean eating – State of Salt
excellent standards to cover:
- compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are told, including the difference between first and third person narratives.
See Also: Kyla Stone – Book Series In Order
4. the pomegranate witch
In Pomegranate Witch, a group of neighborhood kids try to steal a pomegranate from a tree that is protected by a witch. whenever the kids come up with a new plan, the witch is able to dissuade them. The story ends with a twist, somewhat similar to Miss Nelson’s foul.
See Also: 7 best cookbooks for clean eating – State of Salt
excellent standards to cover:
- make inferences from the text
- summarize the text
5. she made a monster: how mary shelley created frankenstein
This non-fiction book tells the story of how Mary Shelley came up with the idea for Frankenstein. This story gives an insight into the history behind one of the world’s most famous novels.
See Also: 7 best cookbooks for clean eating – State of Salt
excellent standards to cover:
- determine the main idea and supporting details
- refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
- describe the overall structure
6. frankenstein makes a sandwich (and other stories that you will surely like because they are all about monsters and some are also about food)
This is another fun poetry book that focuses on different characters associated with Halloween, such as Frankenstein, Bigfoot, Godzilla, and the creature from the Blue Lagoon. this book is definitely a bit scarier than the previously recommended book of poems.
7. day of the dead
This book is beautifully illustrated and reviews the traditions associated with the “day of the dead”. it’s a great way to expose students to different cultures.
See Also: 7 best cookbooks for clean eating – State of Salt
excellent standards to cover:
- determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details
- accurately cite a text by explaining what the text explicitly says
- use the context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
8. the spider and the fly
the spider and the fly is a “stealth” tale. the spider continually tries to persuade the fly to enter.
See Also: 7 best cookbooks for clean eating – State of Salt
excellent standards to cover:
- determine a story theme
- plot
- story elements
9. the widow’s broom
After a witch drops her broom into Minna Shaw’s garden, Minna realizes the broom has powers. She likes to teach the broom new tasks, but her neighbors don’t like the way the broom acts. this book has a great twist at the end that students are sure to love and make you want to read it again.
This book lends itself to discussing minna’s character traits and comparing them to the neighbor’s traits.
See Also: 7 best cookbooks for clean eating – State of Salt
excellent standards to cover:
- make inferences from the text
- compare and contrast two or more characters
10. creepy carrots
This book lends itself perfectly to teaching on the subject. As the rabbit tries to grab carrots from the field, he is chased by creepy carrots everywhere he looks.
See Also: 7 best cookbooks for clean eating – State of Salt
excellent standards to cover:
- make inferences from the text
- topic
Because most of these stories have a plot, having students complete a plot map is a great way to integrate reading standards through fun and engaging read alouds. If you would like a free parcel map to use with your students, simply click on the image below.
I hope this list of the best halloween books to read aloud gives you some great suggestions to share with your students. be sure to check out these great halloween activities you can implement in your classroom.
See Also: 15 Necessary Thrillers to Read from 2020 – She Reads