It’s less than a week away from Halloween. I loved the night as a child. I loved all the preparation that went into finding or making the perfect costume for trick-or-treating each year. As a young mother I think I had even more fun dressing my children for their school parties and a night of scouring the neighborhood Halloween night looking for the house that gave out full size candy bars. I remember reading at least one spooky, or not so spooky, story before bed each night the week before Halloween. Here are some favorite picks for spooky, sometimes kooky, Halloween reads

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson tells the tale of a kind witch who repays some helpful animals with a ride on her broom. Just how many animals will fit? You will have to read the book to answer that question.

A great board book for the little ones is, Llama Llama Trick or Treat by Anna Dewdney. The simple and rhyming text helps introduce babies and toddlers to Halloween as Llama Llama finds a great costume and the best pumpkin before heading out to trick-or- treat with mama.

Tim carves a pumpkin for the first time in the story Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell. Not wanting to let Jack go after Halloween, Tim puts it in the garden to see what happens to the jack-o-lantern after the festivities are done.

One of my personal favorites is The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams. If you read it with feeling, this story is just spooky enough to make the kids jump. But by the end of the book your listeners will be laughing too much to be scared.

The poor witch in The Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman is dreaming of pumpkin pie. Her only problem is getting the huge pumpkin she’s grown picked from the vine and into her home. You will be surprised to see who comes to help.

For the readers who might like a longer tale try Mercy Watson Princess in Pink by Kate DiCamillo or Horrible Harry at Halloween by Suzi Kline. For those junior readers who like a really good creepy story you could try Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn or The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.

Last but by no means least I suggest the Asylum series by Madeline Roux for the teen reader. The author collected authentic photos of old asylums to incorporate in one of the creepiest series I have ever read.

Please ask at the children’s desk if there is something you’re looking for and can’t find right away; we’re here to help. Check out our monthly calendar of programming too. We offer a variety of activities for all ages, from story time to book club for teens. You can find more information on our website at www.newulmlibrary.org on the Library Events page.

The library is located at 17 N. Broadway and is open to the public Monday- Thursday 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday- Saturday 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

I wish you all a Happy Halloween!