Guest Post by Lynne Marie
Halloween is a notoriously creepy concept – there’s all manner of monsters: Ghosts, Ghouls, Boogeymen, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, Mummies, Frankensteins, Devils, and MORE! As children’s writers and authors, we’re definitely not in the business of *truly* scaring kids, so how do we write a salable Halloween book and pull it off? And why?
I’ll start with the why. Halloween is, nostalgically, a fun and festive memory for most adults. Memories of school Halloween parties, costume parades, trick-or-treating with family and friends often give parents, grandparents and caregivers that warm and spooky feeling. Also, let’s not forget childhood movies like The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1955), It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966), Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal (1982), Ghostbusters (1984), Wallace & Gromit, the Case of the Were Rabbit (2005), Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween Movie (2005), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Hocus Pocus (1993), Coraline (2009), Hotel Transylvania (2012), Coco (2017), and MORE! I mention these because they are part of the fond recollections that adults build upon to create similar memories for their children. It’s important to remember that, on one level, we are trying to appeal to the parents, and on another level, the children (without scaring them silly). So we want parents to buy, and kids not to cry!
How do we do that when we are writing about an inherently spooky spectacle and scary subjects? It’s not as hard as you think when you have an illustrator on board to make scary characters appealing and even funny or cute. Here’s a spread from my Moldilocks and the Three Scares (art by David Rodriquez Lorenzo).
But since we’re not illustrators, we play a role in achieving a kid-friendly result by crafting characters that kids can connect with in some way. As a result, kids can experience spooky characters, be entertained and ask for more. Here are some ways to do that.
Craft an Inviting Title – We might name the book in such a way to make it inviting, like HAPPY SPOOKY HALLOWEEN by Lebron James with art by Ariel Landy (Harper Collins, 2026). But with this book, it’s not just the title that will hook the reader (and the buyer). The main character in this PB has a problem that little ones can likely identify with. Summary: Zara and her friends think that Halloween is too spooky! Can they work together and find a balance between spooky and fun that satisfies everyone?
Carefully Select the Characters – In SNOWMEN ON HALLOWEEN by Caralyn Buehner with pictures by Marc E. Buehner (Dial, 2019) children get to experience a Halloween party through considerably less spooky characters! Summary: After an early snowfall, a few kids build some snowmen before going trick-or-treating. And when the kids go off to bed, the snowmen have their own Halloween festival! There’s candy and apple-bobbing and costume contests and all sorts of autumn activities. When the kids wake up the next morning, the snowmen are gone… but they’ve left a very special message behind.
Invite the Reader In – In EEENIE, MEENIE, HALLOWEENIE” A FUN PICTURE BOOK ABOUT HOMEMADE COSTUMES AND DRESS-UP by Susan Eaddy with Art by Lucy Fleming (Harper Collins, 2020) introduces the reader to the fun of picking out and making costumes to Trick-or-Treat in: It’s Halloween eve, and a little girl has a dress-up trunk full of different costume ideas! Orange tights and Daddy’s tux can transform her into a penguin—or she could be an elephant, with pillowcases for her ears and a sock for her nose! What costume will she choose?
Add Bears to the Scare – In BEARS AND BOOS by Shirley Parenteau with art by David Walker (Candlewick 2024 / Board Book), cute bears make the Boos considerably less spooky, but still on theme for Halloween. Summary: Big Brown Bear and the four little bears can’t wait to dress up for Halloween. Everyone grabs their costumes from the costume box, but—oops!—in the rush, Floppy is knocked on her furry behind, and now there are no costumes left for her! Fuzzy says she’s sorry and offers Floppy a golden gown. Then each of the other bears shares an item with Floppy, and soon she’s dressed like a queen—just in time for the parade! Shirley Parenteau and David Walker combine cheerful read-aloud rhyme and irresistibly charming art in another story for the youngest cubs and their big bears.
Pair It With Something Familiar – in THE SPOOKY WHEELS ON THE BUS:A HOLIDAY WHEELS ON THE BUS STORY by J. Elizabeth Mills with art by Ben Mantle (Scholastic, 2010) creatures enjoy a haunted ride sung to a tune almost every child knows. This familiarity certainly makes the spooky accessible. Summary: It’s Halloween night! Celebrate and sing along with this bestselling, spooky twist on the classic Wheels on the Bus song! One spooky bus goes RATTLE and SHAKE, RATTLE and SHAKE, RATTLE and SHAKE. One spooky bus goes RATTLE and SHAKE, All through the town. Count from One Spooky Bus up to Ten Goofy Ghosts as this Halloween ride races through town picking up a few unsuspecting passengers along the way! Eye-catching art and a bouncy, countdown rhyme is sure to make this a read-aloud favorite! Rhyme and repetition makes this fun for little ones.
Blur the Lines with an Accessible Monster – In TRICK-OR-TREAT, CRANKENSTEIN by Samantha Berger, with Art by Dan Santat (Little Brown 2021) our main character is a cranky kid who often transforms into a monster. Summary: This year, Crankenstein’s favorite day of all—Halloween—has gone rotten! Creepy-cool costumes, super-scary jack-o’-lanterns, and loads of candy have been RUINED by costume disasters, pumpkin-carving nightmares, and a terribly untimely toothache! MEHHRRRR!!! Can Halloween be saved, or will today turn into the crankiest Halloween in history?
How do I know these methods can work?
For years, I collected Halloween books and even went on to publish two!
In my own MOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE SCARES (Union Square Kids 2019 / Scholastic Books 2020) I draped a monster-filled interface over the popular fairy tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and crafted a heartfelt and satisfying ending. Even though my main character is a zombie, I made her a Zombie with a heart for home and a goal to find one. I even gave the three Scares story goals to make them more “human” and less scary, which also amped up the “just right” ending. Summary: Forget Goldilocks and the three bears—MOLDILOCKS and the THREE SCARES are here, in a delightful new version of the popular story. Papa Scare (a monster), Mama Scare (a mummy), and Baby Scare (a vampire) live in a haunted house where they eat finger sandwiches and alpha-bat soup. One night, they go out to walk their dog (a bloodhound, of course) to let their soup cool down. While they’re away, in walks the zombie Moldilocks, looking for food, a chair, and a bed that’s just right. Kids will love this hauntingly funny story with its surprise ending!
Similarly, in BROOMMATES, A BREWING BOUNDARY BATTLE by me and co-rhymed with Brenda Reeves Sturgis with art by Nico Ecenarro (The Little Press, 2024), I draped a witch interface over a child sibling story inspired by me and my sisters. It ended up being magic and mayhem and ended in social emotional learning for the sisters, hopefully inspiring the reader to embrace the takeaway and work together, rather than against each other.
These are just a few examples – this Halloween season, I challenge you to read as many Halloween books as you can and to take note of what makes them accessible to children. If you do, you will soon be ready to fly through the autumn sky with your own Halloween story!
