So how about it? Keep the little ones reading and in the holiday spirit this fall with these ghouly reads. Just make sure you keep the nightlight on for them.
Sheets by Brenna Thummler
Marjorie Glatt might as well be a ghost. She’s stuck running her family’s failing laundry business. Wendell actually is a ghost, but feels alienated from all the other ghosts in the afterlife. But when he returns to the mortal plane and accidentally makes things even worse for Marjorie and the family business, he knows he has to make things right. Sheets is a sweet graphic novel about friendship and finding belonging that will make you strangely sentimental about laundry.
Mooncakes by Wendy Xu and Suzanne Walker (October 15, 2019, from Lion Forge)
What happens when a Hard of Hearing witch and a werewolf, former childhood best friends, are reunited to fight off a strange new danger in town? Mooncakes, of course! When a demon with a strange connection to the werewolf begins haunting their small town, Nova and Tam have to rekindle a decades old friendship and find some way to stop it. Along with the help of Nova’s spunky grandmothers, of course. If you’re looking for a witchy, supernatural graphic novel about family, love, and coming together to conquer trouble—whether normal or demonic—this is the graphic novel for you.
Hex Vet: Witches in Training by Sam Davies
Apprentice veterinarians at a clinic for magical animals, Nan and Clarion are tasked with helping care for everything from witches’ familiars to pygmy phoenixes. But when a contagious creature accidentally infects the entire clinic and their bosses are away, it’s up to Nan and Clarion to put aside their differences and work together to keep the animals safe and prove they have what it takes to become the best supernatural vets ever.
The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag
Boys aren’t witches. That’s the way it’s always been in Aster’s family. The boys grow up to be shapeshifters while the girls become witches. But Aster seems to have a real gift for magic. Too bad no one in his family is okay with that. But when the other boys start disappearing and a dangerous supernatural force threatens the whole family, Aster knows he can help—just not as a shapeshifter. It will take all of Aster’s courage and knowledge of witchery to save his family and be true to himself.
Little Witch Academia by Terio Teri
Akko Kagari is determined to attend Luna Nova Witchcraft Academy and follow in the footsteps of her hero, the witch Shiny Chariot. There’s only one small problem—Akko isn’t from a magical family and doesn’t have any magical powers. But that’s not about to stop her! She may be surrounded by some of the most magical prodigies from around the world, but by the time she’s through, Akko is going to be flying on brooms alongside the best of them.
Kiki’s Delivery Service, Volume 1 by Hayao Miyazaki
At 13, Kiki has to spend a year on her own, proving herself, like all young witches. Along with the help of her talking cat Jiji, she flies away to the seaside town of Korico and starts her own broom-style delivery service. But when she loses her power to fly, Kiki has to learn to make it on her own, with or without powers. A graphic novel adaptation of the stunning Miyazaki film, Kiki’s Delivery Service, is obviously perfect for Halloween.
Kim Reaper by Sarah Graley
What if your crush turned out to be the grim reaper? That’s exactly the situation Becka finds herself in when she accidentally follows the goth cutie from class through a portal to ghostly dimension. Zombie-filled chaos ensues! This comic is about two college students so it skews a little more young adult, but would probably still be appealing to lots of younger kiddos, too. Especially with such a cute, lighthearted adventure story featuring skeletal pirates and an invasion of cats.
Courtney Crumrin and the Night Things by Ted Naifeh, Kalah Allen, and James Lucas Jones
Looking for a kid-friendly comic that’s a little more spooky? Look no further. Courtney can hardly believe it when her parents drag her out of the comfortable suburbs to live with her creepy Uncle Aloysius. Now she has to deal not only with being the new girl at a new school, but with strange creatures hiding under her bed and her uncle’s mysterious books. She’s got more important things to worry about than popularity. Especially when she discovers the dangerous magic of the Goblin Market just inside the woods.
Persephone by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky and Edward Gauvin
A complete reimagining of the Persephone myth in a magical comic about a world cut off from the Underworld and a girl trying to uncover the secrets of her past. Persephone is the adopted daughter of one of the famous magicians who sealed off Underworld during the war, but when she is kidnapped and forced to taste the fruit of the dead, her mother will do anything to bring her home—even breaking down the seals and venturing into the Underworld itself.
Spectacle Vol. 1 by Megan Rose Gedris
This magical historical fiction thriller tells the story of the bond between two sisters working at a circus. Pragmatic engineer Anna has never believed in the supernatural—until her sister, Kat, is murdered and comes back as a ghost. Trying to find a killer among a troupe of secretive circus folk is hard enough, but doing it while sharing a body with your sister is a recipe for disaster.
Taproot by Keezy Young
Being haunted by a ghost isn’t so bad when the ghost is also your best friend. But when Blue realizes his inability to move on may be affecting the entire afterlife and putting Hamal in danger, he has to figure out how to protect the person he loves most. Even if that means doing the unimaginable: moving on and leaving Hamal behind.
The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner
Moth is your average awkward 13-year old, trying to get by and survive her bullies. But when her magic powers suddenly awaken and she learns she’s half-witch, life gets a lot more interesting. Especially when an old family friend comes back as a ghost possessing a cat and she starts journeying into her mother’s past through her diary to learn why she’s so determined to keep Moth from practicing magic. She may not be the best witch out there, but she’s doing okay. More bookish halloween fun: children’s books for Halloween, Halloween books for kids, spooky reads for kids, and the scariest middle grade books.
