16 Family Halloween Movies Based on Books

With Halloween once again up in the air, we thought it would be fun to share a collection of family Halloween movies based on books.
Did you have any idea how many family Halloween movies based on books exist? In addition to listing the books below, we scoured the various streaming services to round up exactly where you can watch them!
To see all our Halloween books, book lists, movie suggestions, and literary costumes, head to the Halloween Hub!
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Classic 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.
Original on Amazon Prime // Remake on HBOMax

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.
The Adventures of Ichabod Crane, the kid version is on Disney+

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.
Now on HBOMax

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.
Rent on Amazon
Family Halloween Movies Based on Books for Younger Kids

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.
Pooh’s Huffalump Halloween Movie is Available on Amazon.

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?
Now on Disney +

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.
Now on AppleTV

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?
Now on AppleTV
Disney Family Halloween Movies Based on Books

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?
Now on Disney+

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!
Now on Disney+

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.
Free on Peacock // Rent on Amazon

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.
Now on Netflix

House with A Clock in Walls by John Bellairs
The first
Turns out, the clock was made to destroy every human! Will Lewis be able to stop it?
Available on Amazon
Family Halloween Movies for Older Kids

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!
Available on Amazon

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.
Now on Disney+

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.
Rent on Amazon

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.
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