Our Halloween Book List – UPDATED

Hola! I know…we’re well beyond witches and ghoul season, and if you’re following the 2020 trend right now of seeking out all the joy regardless of the month, you’re probably fa’la la’ing your way to Christmas already. And so may be wondering WHAT ON EARTH am I doing posting Halloween stuff. But the truth is these holidays give me joy, and these BOOK NOOKS really give me joy as well, so I just couldn’t let a year go by again without sharing this year’s Halloween Book Picks.(Also I spotted some sales on these books!)

Also we finally have a new (and I think permanent) book nook space which I really wanted to show you. Not only because I like, and my KIDS LOVE it, AND my dog…But those cute little banners/buntings you see strung up there have all my heart eyes, and as such so does the woman and her little company have my heart. That is Claire from The Little Banner Company. Check out her IG for more of the sweetest handmade goods like this!

Now we just need a new lick of paint, some extra cushions and we’ll be good about our new book nook. It was done on a budget, so we’ll be doing it up even further slowly over time.

Now onto my book picks.

So instead of having separate posts for each year, I decided to keep it all in one post, that I will repost every time, with updates, so that you don’t have to go looking for the different year’s picks – it’ll all be right here in place for you choose. So I’ll place this year’s picks here, and you can scroll down to previous years below that.

Without further ado…

Halloween Book Picks 2020

1. Five Little Pumpkins – not to be confused with 2018’s pick of the same title that focuses more on counting. This is the classic tale of five little pumpkins out on Halloween Night. Its short its sweet. Coco and Remy love it, and the board book style mean they wont break it.
Also ps I saw it was on sale on Takealot now.(i linked it to the title)

2. B is Boo! – This Halloween themed alphabet book is gloriuously illustrated with vibrant colours and interesting pics that have both my smallies and even my two big kids so interested in it. We’re working on letter recognition with Coco, and this book keeps her attention. Remy also loves paging through it on his own over and over. Also a board book, so great for small hands.
(It was also marked down when I last looked on TakeAlot!)

3. The bad seed – this is my NEW halloween fave book. I had to get it for my big kids. Its about a little seed who’s had a very hard life, and has made him a bad seed…but sometimes, things can change…Then is he really such a bad seed afterall? Great little easy read with a sweet lesson.

ps. TakeAlot has it marked down by 40%!!So if you wanted this title, now is a great time to get it!!

And then on the side of the Book Nook I keep a basket of Halloween Activity Books. I usually buy these through the year if I catch them at a good price (+/-R35 each) And these keep ALL 4 kids very busy at their little craft table.

And that’s it…till next year! Or at least for THIS book nook…Christmas one is COMING IN HOT!! 😉

Book Nook 2018

Ghoul afternoon, my lovelies (muhahahahaha…)….yes, I totally hit you with the Halloween cheese straight off the bat…and it’s not even October….Sue Boo me! All I’m saying, you’ll have to get used it real quick, ’cause when October hits I turn into a full blown Halloween dork…snorts and all.

Now, whilst I am breaking every Halloween dork blog covenant here (that I just made up) by breaking the blog seal by posting something spookalicious a whole FOUR days early! Gasp! (They’ll have my head for that!) But the truth is, I actually wanted to get this book list out to you ASAP so that you can have at least a tiny jump on October if need be, and get these treasures on your book racks in time to enjoy throughout the month!

Now it’s no secret that we have little book lovers in our home. And whether it’s a bible story or a geography or bio lesson I want them to get, it’ll always be books that I turn to as my number one teaching aid. It also helps get excitement levels up for silly and fun things like Halloween up a huge notch. So books are always a big hit with my girls.

I normally start shopping for new ones to add to our growing book collection for each season (be it christmas, Easter, Halloween or even an actual season like Autumn) round about three months before the time, but the truth is, I’ve now learnt to always just keep my eyes peeled, as you never know when that bargain will strike.

Where do I get my books? (many have asked in the past) Mostly at book stores that are nearby, like Bargain Books, CNA or PnA. Sometimes I’ll splurge at Exclusiv Books, and other times online with Amazon or Takealot. It just depends..but mostly I like going into the bookstores themselves, where we can feel the pages on our palms and smell the settled ink as we run our fingers across the pages. The girls love it too – especially my eldest. If I want to make her feel spoiled, I take her to the bookstore – it’s a win every time!

But enough of that and our love affair with books, onward to our list…behold, ladies and gents…our 2018 reading list for Halloween: (Also, I’ve taken the liberty of linking it where possible!)

1. Room on the Broom (currently on special!) – Gotta love this latest classic from the very same team that brought you The Gruffalo! It has a charming repetitive nature to it, with a nice twist at the end. I adore this one!

2. Halloween Masks Sticker Activity Fun- (CNA, but also on Amazon) – Ok, so not so much of a reader as it is more of an activity book. But kids will still love it all the same, keep their minds engaged and little fingers busy. There are 8 press-out masks to make complete with elastics – my kids can’t wait to get cracking on this one.

3. Five little pumpkins – (CNA)- Now, whilst she may be little, our little Coco’s love of books is already quite evident. And I love it. So this year I made sure there was something sweet in our collection for her to enjoy as well. It not only incorporates counting into it, but has the a sweet and easy reading rhythm for littles too. And not to mention has some great texture options mixed in with fine motor skill encouragement with those little rubber pumpkins that can be squeezed and squeaked.Our little Coco is gonna love it! (ps.I used the incorrect pic for this one)

4. Halloween Activity Book – (PnA) Yet another activity book with stickers and games. It’ll keep them busy for at least two to three half-hour to an hour sessions.

5. The Leaves on the Trees – (Going for less than $2 on Amazon!) I know this one plays more to the American market what with their “Fall” coinciding nicely with their Halloween. But truth is, my sister is American and she sent this beauty to our girls some time back. So hell yeah, it’s a part of our October reading list!

6. Corduroy’s Best Halloween – Another American flavoured book from my sissy. And we are not complaining! Its a cute and simple story about kiddies choosing their halloween costumes (something we are still in the midst of negotiations right now), and about being kind and sharing and innovative in your thinking. So it’s on our list for sure!

7. Humbug Witch (also currently on special)– crazily charming little story that I simply had to get for the kids. Its about a witch that doesnt seem to be very good about being a witch, in fact even her laugh comes out a giggle instead of a cackle! It’s the latest hot-stuff in the international Halloween books circles,so go grab it while it’s still in stock!

8. Vampirina, Going Batty – All about a little girl trying to fit into the new neighbourhood, and then goes a little overboard in trying to get a playdate. Good lesson for all kiddies in there. Also it has stickers. Your kids will adore you.

9. Vampirina, Vee’s Slumber Party – A character so sweet she featured twice on our list! Truth is, there’s a lot to choose from in the Vampirina collection, also my girls are SO into slumber parties right now – not that I’ve ever let them have a real one with anyone yet. But I do like letting them get to satisfy their curiosity in it, albeit vicariously through these little books.

And there you have it…our Halloween Book fest for the coming month. If we do add anything to it, I’ll be sure to keep you posted ghosted. But, are there any favourites you’d like to add to this collection? Anything we really cannot be missing out on this year? I’d love to hear!

Happy reading, folks! X