15+ Favorite Ghost Books
Ghosts are a classic part of Halloween and many of our Halloween picture books feature ghosts.
(I very much lean toward cute Halloween, rather than scary Halloween).
These are some of our favorite ghost books, perfect for pulling out in October or enjoying all year long!
I hope you find just the right one to read aloud to a classroom, check out from the library or add to your personal collection!
15+ Ghost Books We Love
Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara
This was the first book in my personal Halloween children’s book collection (my mom bought it for me when my oldest daughter was a few months old on her first Halloween) and I love pulling it out every year. When a little witch moves into an empty house she isn’t worried about all the ghosts there – she rounds them up, washes and irons them and turns them into curtains, tablecloths and blankets! Perfect for younger kids because it is short and not scary.
How to Spook a Ghost by Sue Fliess
This cute Halloween picture book follows a group of friends who are getting ready to go trick-or-treating and get some good costumes together, including a ghost costume. Then, when they’re out in the neighborhood, they meet a REAL ghost who hopes to join their friendly crew. The back of the book has a lot of information about the background of Halloween and some of the classic traditions like pumpkin carving, making it a great well-rounded Halloween story!
See the Ghost : Three Stories About Things You Cannot See by David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka
You may already know these easy reader books from David LaRochelle and Mike Wohnoutka (they’ve also done See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog and See the Dog: Three Stories About a Cat) and I was THRILLED to see a third one released that has a Halloween bent, thanks to both a ghost and a fairy. It’s just as silly and clever as you’d expect from the rest of the series and perfect for reading aloud or for a child just getting the hang of independent reading.
Ghost in the House by Ammi-Joan Paquette, illustrated by Adam Record
This is such a good one for kids of all ages. Ghost comes slipping down the stairs only to find another Halloween friend, the Mummy. As they continue to work their way through the house, they continue to find other friends, but you’ll never believe what friend has them the most scared at the end!
The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason, illustrated by Byron Eggenschqiler
This Halloween book feels like it could be 50 years old instead of newly released! Most little ghosts are made from sheets – they can swoop around on every breeze. But our little ghost? He’s made from a quilt. Which isn’t ideal. Until one chilly Halloween night when a quilt ghost is exactly what one little girl needs.
The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo! by Elaine Bickell, illustrated by Raymond McGrath
It’s no good when a little ghost loses her boo! She goes off to hunt for it and many kind friends offer to lend them their sounds, but no one, not a dove or a cow, has quite the right sound (a moo is close to a boo, but not exactly the same). But then the ghost breaks the fourth wall and asks the reader to give her a nice scary boo!
The Ghosts Went Floating by Kim Norman, illustrated by Jay Fleck
My friend Abby the Librarian recommended this Halloween book a couple of years ago and she wasn’t wrong. It is DARLING, going along to the song “The Ants Went Marching.” My little girls were absolutely delighted by the charming illustrations and the sing-along-ability (I just made that word up).
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
Gustavo is great at being a ghost – he glows in the dark and floats through walls and makes objects levitate. But the thing he loves most is making beautiful violin music and he wants to share that with the monsters around him. But when he’s invisible, that’s a tricky prospect. Is he destined to be lonely forever?
A Friend for Ghost by Suzanne Kaufman
Ghost struggles to make new friends since people either get scared or don’t see Ghost at all. But then a bright red balloon appears and suddenly Ghost has the best kind of friend. But. . . how long will a balloon last? And what will Ghost do when Balloon disappears?
The Scariest Book Ever by Bob Shea
This is the scariest book you’ve ever read! Or. . . is it? The narrator is terrified of all the horrible things waiting for him out there, but he is NOT going to be tricked into going out in the scary forest. Even if you tell him that it’s just bunnies out there. Bunnies picking pumpkins, in fact! With cupcakes! There’s no way that can be happening in the scariest Halloween book ever. Could it?
Hank the Cowdog and the Case of the Halloween Ghost by John R. Erickson
We picked a Hank the Cowdog book up from the library on CD when I was a child and on a long long road trip from Las Vegas to Idaho. We all fell asleep, but my mom listened on her own and laughed so hard it woke us all up. We’ve been Hank fans ever since – these are some of the most amusing audiobooks ever. Ella has listened to TONS of the series, and I never get tired of the narrator (who is also the author). There are dozens of books in the Hank the Cowdog series, but this one is perfect for Halloween. This one is a chapter book rather than a picture book.
Leo the Ghost by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Christian Robinson
Leo is a perfect friend – he’s a great cook, he likes drawing and he’s very unobtrusive. He also happens to be a ghost and when he tries to befriend the new family that’s moved into his house, they are terrified. So Leo heads out into the world, hoping he can find a real friend who won’t be scared of him.
Boo Who? by Ben Clanton
This book is available as both a board book and a traditional picture book and it’s the sweet story of Boo, a ghost who wants to play with the other monsters in the neighborhood. But it’s hard to play tag when no one can feel you and hard to play catch when a ball goes right through you. Would anyone even notice if Boo just disappeared?
Sir Simon: Super Scarer by Cale Atkinson
Simon is a professional ghost and he’s just been assigned to a house. Hooray! Bonus? It’s an old lady occupant and she’ll be nice and easy to spook. Except that the old woman has a child with her. Fortunately, Simon is quick on his feet!
Bone Dog by Eric Rohmann
I’ve been reading this one almost every year since it came out, but for some reason, it only became appealing to me a couple of years ago. My girls really latched on to it, and we read it at least a dozen times each season. When Gus loses his beloved dog Ella to old age, she promises him that she’ll always be with him. And when Halloween rolls around and some spooky skeletons corner Gus, she keeps her promise.
And if you’d like a printable copy of this ghost book list that you can take to your library or screenshot on your phone for easy access, just pop in your email address below and it’ll come right to your inbox!
My favorite ghost book is probably out of print, but it is well worth trying to find. “Punkin’s First Halloween” by Esther E. Reinecke was published in 1960. It is an adorable story about a ghost family who live in the attic of the Dalrymple house. These are friendly ghosts who play cute, harmless tricks on the Dalrymples. Punkin is the youngest and has to learn how to disappear by gently pulling a string on his peaked hat so he can go out on Halloween night. It turns into an exciting adventure! Try to find this wonderful story. All of my children and grandchildren have loved it. I’m saving it for future great grandchildren!
So many of our favorite Halloween books on this list! I decided ghosts are my favorite Halloween “character” so I’m always happy to pick up a new (to us) one.