You may have heard of All Hallows Read; the initiative was started in 2011, to give children books instead of sweets and candy for Halloween. This brand new Halloween tradition has been fairly well received in many circles with lots of people getting involved and Harper Collins, in conjunction with All Hallows Read have just launched their suggested list for the 2015 event.
There’s a stack of suggestions for all ages, but first we start with the featured books for this year and they are as follows.
The Sleeper and the Spindle – Neil Gaiman
The classic fairytale re-imagined with added magic from Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell
The Sleeper and the Spindle US
The Sleeper and the Spindle UK
Happy Halloween Witch’s Cat – Harriet Muncaster
Happy Halloween Witch’s Cat is a magical read for 4 to 8 year-olds as a mother and daughter head out to get a Halloween costume.
Happy Halloween Witch’s Cat US
Happy Halloween Witch’s Cat UK
Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head – Lauren Oliver and H. C. Chester
Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head is the first in a series of spooky tales for 8 to 12 year-olds.
Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head US
Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head UK
This Monstrous Thing – Mackenzi Lee
This Monstrous Thing is a teen horror, a wildly gothic retelling of Frankenstein and is set in a spooky fantasy world sure to send shivers down the spine of readers.
You can find the rest of the official All Hallows Read list here, and we finish with a Reading Addicts suggestion, another Gaiman and a favourite of my own children as they were growing up.
The Wolves in the Walls – Neil Gaiman
Lucy can hear noises. What will happen when the wolves come out of the wall? My children used to love this book, although it’s truly terrifying for little ones!