Kid Friendly Halloween Books and a Movie

My son is a Halloween fanatic. Really, he may just be Halloween’s biggest fan.  In our house the begging to put up spooky decorations starts mid August and the favorite Halloween related movies and books make their way into rotation.  So here are a few of our suggestions from our little house of horrors…

Phineas and Ferb and the Haunted Hayride

By: Scott Peterson

If you have a child in the age range of about three all the way to about thirty five years old (my husband loves P & F too) you must spend plenty of time watching Phineas and Ferb on the Disney Channel.  Personally I like the show because the creators have successfully snuck in good vocabulary, awesome examples of irony, and kooky family relationships.  The Haunted Hayride is a medium length tale of a not too scary ride built by Phineas and Ferb through a corn maze.  The shows other favorite characters are dressed up for Halloween as well, with Candace, Perry, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.  We have only read it fifty times since the beginning of October so I feel confident in saying it is great Halloween themed books pick.

The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

By: Charles M. Schulz

Now, I have to say right off the bat that I am not sure who filled Linus’ head with the story of the Great Pumpkin rising out the pumpkin patch that is the most sincere and showering the children with toys, but I am a firm believer that you cannot go wrong with a good Snoopy book (or movie).  This book has trick-or-treating, the World War I flying ace, and Lucy grossed out by dog lips.  Of course the downtrodden Charlie Brown does his best to fit in with the rest of the Peanuts gang, although he never seems to succeed.  Overall, a medium length read with lots of Halloween Spirit.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (DVD)

By: Tim Burton

Okay, admittedly the first time I watched this movie with my son I thought to myself, “Oops, this is why good parents preview movies first.”  But if you are a parent of a child who can handle something with a bit more edge, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a winner.  It is just scary enough, full of monsters that are not looking to harm anyone, and has great songs. We are not only watchers of this film we are year round listeners of the soundtrack.  So, if you are not sure if your child is going to wonder if Oogie Boogie is hiding in the closet, maybe wait on this one, but if your kid is like mine and gets a thrill from a little scare, The Nightmare Before Christmas will be a winner.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy a few of these with your little goblins and ghouls!