Looking for haunted house picture books that are more fun than frightening? These not-so-spooky stories are perfect for parents searching for festive read-alouds, teachers planning Halloween lessons, and speech-language pathologists bringing seasonal fun into their speech rooms! From silly monsters to sweet haunted houses with big hearts, these haunted house children’s books are filled with laughter, imagination, and just the right amount of spookiness. Keep reading to discover engaging stories your kids and students will love this October!
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Now, let’s take a peek inside some of my favorite haunted house picture books!
How to Build a Haunted House by Frank Tupta
This playful story walks readers through every eerie detail of building the perfect haunted house—from crooked windows to squeaky floors! It’s packed with descriptive language and sequencing opportunities (first, next, then, finally). Kids love seeing the spooky construction come together, and it’s a great way to work on adjectives, following directions, and retelling. This will be sure to delight young readers!
Find House to Build a Haunted House on Amazon
She Wanted to Be Haunted by Marcus Ewert
Clarissa’s parents are a haunted mansion and a witch’s hut, but she’s so pretty and bright! She yearns to be inhabited by spooky creatures and ghosts! This precious story explores self-acceptance in a fun, Halloween-themed way. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but it’s unexpected and perfect It’s perfect for targeting feelings, perspective-taking, and character traits. Use it for describing settings or comparing what makes a house “haunted” vs. “friendly.” This is one of my new favorite books! The illustrations by Susie Ghahremani are full of vibrant colors and are just absolutely delightful!
Find She Wanted to Be Haunted on Amazon
Hardly Haunted by Jessie Sima
In this sweet and gentle tale, a lonely little house worries she might be haunted… but discovers that being “haunted” isn’t such a bad thing after all! Jessie Sima’s charming illustrations and rhythmic text make this a wonderful pick for younger students. It’s perfect for inferencing, emotional vocabulary, and sound effects—practice those spooky onomatopoeias like creak, groan, and boo! This is a great one to add to your Halloween-themed children’s book collection!
At the Old Haunted House by Helen Ketteman
A Halloween spin on Over in the Meadow! This rhythmic, counting story is bursting with rhymes, repetition, and playful Halloween characters during a full moon. There are witches, monsters, werewolves, and even a black cat! It’s a fantastic choice for working on sequencing, predicting, and counting vocabulary. Plus, the repetitive pattern makes it ideal for early language learners! This is a great book to read on Halloween night, as the book ends with a fabulous party!
Find At the Old Haunted House on Amazon
Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer Connelly
This Halloween favorite takes place in a haunted house where ten timid ghosts are scared away one by one—until they decide to take their home back! It’s the perfect story for working on sequencing, counting, and story retelling. Students love joining in on the repetitive, predictable pattern, and it’s a great choice to revisit over and over again. I also love the end of this book when the ghosts become brave and meet the witch with a spooky surprise!
Already have this book on your shelf? Be sure to check out my Ten Timid Ghosts Speech Therapy Activities post for a fun freebie to go along with it!
Find Ten Timid Ghosts on Amazon
This is the House That Monsters Built by Steve Metzger
This cumulative story builds suspense and silliness with each turn of the page! Similar to The House That Jack Built, it’s filled with Halloween creatures and playful rhymes. Use it for syntax practice (longer sentences with embedded clauses), retelling, and expanding utterances. It’s also a fun model for creating your own “house” stories with students! From the first page, your students will be engaged and giggling.
Find This is the House That Monsters Built on Amazon
Tacky and the Haunted Igloo by Helen Lester
Everyone’s favorite penguin returns for a chilly, spooky adventure! This book blends humor and friendship, making it perfect for working on comprehension, inferencing, and social language goals. Students can compare and contrast this setting with a traditional haunted house, or brainstorm what their haunted igloo might look like.
If you love the Tacky series, be sure to check out my Tacky the Penguin Book Companion blog post!
Find Tacky and the Haunted Igloo on Amazon
How to Haunt a House by Carolyn Crimi
Wrap up your haunted house reading list with this silly “ghost training manual”! Kids will love learning the do’s and don’ts of haunting, and it’s great for sequencing steps, giving directions, and discussing cause and effect. The playful tone keeps things lighthearted—perfect for ending your October speech sessions with laughter.
Carolyn Crimi is also the author of one of my favorite Halloween reads! Check out my blog post for Where’s My Mummy Activities and snag a free story map!
Find House to Haunted a House on Amazon
Haunted House Picture Books Conclusion
These haunted house picture books strike the perfect balance between spooky and sweet—making them ideal for Halloween season, October speech therapy, bedtime, or classroom read-alouds. Each spooky story offers a fun way to explore spooky things and imagination with a young audience. Whether you’re working on story retelling, describing, or emotional vocabulary, these favorite books are sure to delight readers all season long.
Looking for more Halloween speech therapy activities? Check out these blog posts:
Halloween Speech Therapy Activities: Mega Guide
Halloween Worksheet Buddies Crafts
Halloween Articulation Vocabulary Freebie
Hallo-wiener Freebie
Spooky Wheels on the Bus Activities
Turkey Trick or Treat Freebie
Pumpkin Books for Speech Therapy
Ten Timid Ghosts Freebie
There Was an Old Mummy Who Swallowed a Spider Activities
Bone Soup Speech Therapy Ideas
Witch Finger Speech Therapy Crafts
The Night Before Halloween Freebie
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Ghost
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat
