16 Family Halloween Movies Based on Books

The Witches by Roald Dahl

Roald Dahl’s children book often skew towards the creepy side, but this one in particular is perfect for Halloween. A little boy and his grandmother come face-to-face with the Grand High Witch and all her evil minions.

When the boy is turned into a mouse, he needs to figure out how he can defeat them and turn back into human form.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

In the secluded glen of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman haunts the residents. He’s the ghost of a soldier from the revolutionary war.

New schoolmaster Ichabod Crane encounters the ghoul, and the legend lives on.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This story is quite the classic and it revolves around all things candy! With its creeptastic vibes, it’s also wonderful for Halloween.

Charlie is thrilled when he gets a golden ticket to see inside Willy Wonka’s amazing chocolate factory, but this is no ordinary candy factory. The machines and recipes behind the walls of the factory are what dreams are made of. This is a wonderful read-aloud book.

Casper by Lars Bourne

Casper the Friendly Ghost has delighted comic book lovers for years. His stories aren’t strictly Halloween based, but his ghostly group of friends make for year-round reading.

Casper is great entry point into the world of comic books for kids, especially reluctant readers.

The Complete Tales of Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne

Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, and Christopher Robin have lived in the hearts of children for generations.

This edition features the complete works of A. A. Milne’s stories and is an essential for any home library.

Vampirina Ballerina by Anne Marie Pace

Vampirina wants to be a ballerina, but learning to do ballet is hard for every little girl. It’s even harder for a little vampire girl trying to learn with humans!

Will Vampirina be able to make her dream come true?

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles Schultz

It’s Halloween time and the Peanuts gang is ready to celebrate! Costumes, trick-or-treating, Snoopy’s latest shenanigans, and the wait for the Great Pumpkin are all part of this enchanting story book.

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

A friendly witch takes to the night on her broomstick, but as the wind blows away her hat, her bow, and her wand, she finds some cute friends to join her on her ride.

Will her friends be able to save her from a hungry dragon?

Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key

Paranormal orphans Tony and Tia have to run away from evil forces trying to come after them. As they begin to understand their past, they start to understand the root of their powers.

Will they be able to make sense of it all before they are captured?

Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton

The Nightmare Before Christmas comes to life in this picture book by Tim Burton. Jack Skellington and his crew are sick of Halloweentown so they decide to capture Santa and fill his shoes.

There is some debate about if this is a Halloween book OR a Christmas book. We say keep it out for both holidays!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K Rowling

I was in university when this book was published and the first four were sitting on my younger brother’s bookshelf before I picked it up to see what the fuss was about. 

I read all four books in as many days and was married with a child before the final book was published. 

This book is so much more than just a book.  It is a vernacular that is used in our house.  It is the book that changed all books and our culture forever. 

I am so grateful for the world of Harry Potter because I think it opened up the world of books to people who may never have known they love to read. Harry Potter shows up on our list of books like Percy Jackson too! And if you love Harry like we do, check out our 17 Books like Harry Potter for Kids Obsessed with Magic or 21 Adult Books Similar to Harry Potter for Fans of Magic.

The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy

Mildred Hubble begins her magical adventures at Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches in the first book of the series.

She is quite a mess as she mixes up spell, crashes her broomstick, and generally causes havoc around the school. Kids will love this series if they are fans of Harry Potter but are on the younger side.

House with A Clock in Walls by John Bellairs

The first in a series of books about orphan Lewis Barnavelt who comes to live with his magician uncle. As Lewis begins learning magic, he accidentally discovers a hidden clock in the wall.

Turns out, the clock was made to destroy every human! Will Lewis be able to stop it?

Goosebumps by R. L. Stine

Is there a child from the 80s and 90s who didn’t read goosebumps stories? The whole series has different scary stories that are sure to keep your kids up at night.

Beware! Read them at your own risk!

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children By Ransom Riggs

This series is full of magic and mystery.  The amazing combination of fiction with antique photographs leads to a truly unique story.

In this story, Jacob travels to a remote island off the coast of Wales searching for answers.  What he finds are more questions.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman’s imagination never ceases to amaze me. In this book, Coraline steps through a door and finds a house just like hers, maybe even better!

She meets another set of parents who want her to be their little girl. Can Coraline escape these parents and get back to her ordinary life? I am so glad we were able to include Neil Gaiman on this list of best graphic novels of all time.

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

For years, the Owens women have known that their bad luck is because of a curse. This book is the first book in the practical magic series. I just adore this tale of magic, family, and sisterhood. At this point, this is one of the best urban fantasy books and it is truly iconic.

Gillian and Sally are sisters who have been raised by their two aunts. They both want to leave their small Massachusetts town. But, when Gillian gets into trouble, she runs to Sally for help.

The trouble comes back to haunt them and when a hunky police chief comes to town, the sisters try hard to cover up their family secrets. The powerful bond between the Owens sisters brings this story to life and was a must for a list of books about sisters. This is the first published book in the Practical Magic series and the one I recommend you read first.