Fun Halloween Reading Ideas for Elementary Students

It's that time of year again! 
October is a great month and, for students the excitement of Halloween is just around the corner.  From costumes and candy to spooky stories, this is a great time to take advantage of the interests of students.  What better way to prepare for such a fun holiday than by celebrating with some awesome literature!  Below is a list I've prepared of stories that will thrill and excite children!
After some research I have constructed and stumbled upon a list for the top ten best children's Halloween stories.  They are as follows:

1. Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White
2. The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
3. Junie B., First Grader: BOO...and I MEAN It! by Barbara Park
4. Arthur's Halloween by Marc Brown
5. Inside a House That is Haunted by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
6. A Dark, Dark Tale by Ruth Brown
7. I Spy Spooky Night by Jean Marzollo
8. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro
9. The Thirteen Nights of Halloween by Rebecca Dickinson
10. Boogie Bones by Elizabeth Loredo

For older elementary students (Grades4-8), many children seem to be interested in spooky stories... However, it can be difficult to find appropriate reading material that will not be too graphic.  I have researched and found some great authors and amazing scary tales. 

• The Goosebump Series by R.L. Stine.   Author R.L. Stine is widely known for writing his Goosebumps series and they are extremely popular amongst students.  The Goosebumps tales can be quite chilly and creepy, but still remain appropriate.  The mysterious tales can give a young reader a chill without resulting in endless nightmares. 
• Library of Doom Series by Michael Dahl. These books by prolific author Michael Dahl look a lot scarier than they are. Your young reader, however, will love the creepy book cover and will be ready to tackle these horror books for kids right away. The Library of Doom series puts the local librarian as the hero where he must escape being buried alive, defeat an evil living book, and retrieve a collection of stolen deadly books, just to name a few adventures. These books are not gory and could even be classified as mysteries. Younger kids and lower level readers will enjoy these horror books for kids since they are short and mostly written on a second grade level.
• Shade Books from Stone Arch. Stone Arch, a division of Capstone Publishing, produces a great group of horror books appropriate for upper elementary students. Titles such as Carnival of Horrors, The Curse of Raven Lake, and The Haunted Playground will intrigue readers looking for a good scare. The content of the books is indeed a bit thrilling, but not too scary for mature elementary readers. The reading level of Shade Books is second to third grade but readers in fifth grade are the most appropriate age group for these chillers. Designed just for younger horror readers, Shade Books are a great option if you are looking for an appropriate scary read.