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Just Treats, No Tricks: 30+ Halloween Books Featuring Diverse Characters

While diversity in children’s literature has come a long way since my childhood, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.  This couldn’t be more true when searching for diverse books based on specific holidays like Halloween. If you follow my blog or my Instagram page you’ll know I read a variety of books with my kids regardless of race, culture or religion.  Yes, that includes animal books too on occasion- we’ll read anything.  However, I also read lots of diverse books with my kids because it’s important for me to read books with them where they can see themselves being represented often.

So, imagine my surprise when I initially started searching for diverse holiday books years ago when my daughter was born.  I was disappointed that I found so few books where a diverse character was the main protagonist.  This remains true today although there are several books featuring diverse supporting characters.

Below you’ll find my list of diverse Halloween books for ages birth to 8 that feature diverse supporting characters or main protagonists. I hope you enjoy this list and find a few books to read with your little readers for Halloween!

Your turn: Did you enjoy this post and find it to be helpful?  Which books would you add to this list? Feel free to share in the comments.  I’d love to hear from you!

10 Busy Brooms

Carole Gerber
Birth to 3

10 Trick-or-Treaters

Janet Schulman
Birth to 3

The ABCs of Halloween: An Alphabet Book

Lydia Nichols
Birth to 3

My Baby Loves Halloween

Jabari Asim
Birth to 3

Trick or Treat on My Street

J.L. Coppage
Birth to 3

Sweets and Treats

Toni Trent Parker
Birth to 3

If You're Scary and You Know It!

Carole Gerber and Noël Ill
Birth to 3

Where is Baby's Pumpkin?

Karen Katz
Birth to 3

Halloween Trick or Treat: A Colors Book

Lydia Nichols
Birth to 3

Flashlight Night

Matt Forrest Esenwine
4-8

The Bake Ghost Shop

Jacqueline K. Ogburn
4-8

Monster Trouble

Lane Fredrickson
4-8

If Your Monster Won't Go to Bed

Denise Vega
4-8

Los Gatos Black on Halloween

Marisa Montes
4-8

Witches

Cheryl Christian
4-8

A Tiger Called Tomas

Charlotte Zolotow and Marta Álvarez Miguéns
4-8

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book

Yuyi Morales
4-8

We're Off to Find the Witch's House

Richard Krieb
4-8

Mila and the Monsters

Judith Koppens and Anouk Nijs
4-8

The Snurtch

Sean Ferrell and Charles Santoso
4-8

The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt

Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler
4-8

Boo Stew

Donna L. Washington and Jeffrey Ebbeler
4-8

Gustavo the Shy Ghost

Flavia Z. Drago
4-8

Vampirina Ballerina

Anne Marie Pace and Leuyen Pham
4-8

Looking for a Jumbie

Tracey Baptiste and Amber Ren
4-8

Poesy the Monster Slayer

Cory Doctorow and Matt Rockefeller
4-8

The Ninja Club Sleepover

by Laura Gehl and MacKenzie Haley
4-8

The Frightful Ride of Michael McMichael

Bonny Becker and Mark Fearing
4-8

Pick a Pumpkin

Patricia Toht and Jarvis
4-8

The Pomegranate Witch

Denise Doyen and Eliza Wheeler
4-8

Snitchy Witch

Frank J. Sileo and MacKenzie Haley
4-8

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

Margaret McNamara
4-8

A Unicorn Named Sparkle and the Pumpkin Monster

Amy Young
4-8

Are You Eating Candy Without Me?

Draga Jenny Malesevic
3-6

Amara and the Bats

Emma Reynolds
4-8
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9 thoughts on “Just Treats, No Tricks: 30+ Halloween Books Featuring Diverse Characters

  1. This is such a great list! I need to check out Sweets and Treats and 10 Busy Brooms!

    I have a couple on our bookshelf to add to your awesome list:
    Pumpkin Eye by Denise Flemming
    Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illustrated by Lorena Alvarez

    Have you read either of these?

    I love following you on Instagram– Thanks for all the great reading recommendations 🙂

    1. Thanks so much, Rebecca! No, I haven’t read either of those books so thank you for the recommendations! Also, thanks for following along on Instagram and for your kind words.

  2. Clubhouse Mysteries, Candy Fairies and Katie Woo are some of our favorite series! I would add Dora’s Halloween Adventure and Little Einsteins’ Halloween Surprise.

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