Turn off the lights, open the candy bars and listen to these audiobooks
Halloween means a lot when you’re a kid. It’s the chance to transform into whatever you want to be – a glittery princess, a mighty superhero or a brain-hungry zombie. It’s a night when ghosts fly through the trees and skeletons lurk on every porch. And, of course, it’s that magical time of year when you get carte blanche on candy consumption!
Make this October 31st a Halloween to remember. If you aren’t trick-or-treating, you can still keep the magic of Halloween alive by having a private indoor audiobook party. Grab a pillow sack full of candy, hang your favourite bat and skeleton decorations, slip into your costume and sink your plastic vampire teeth into a (semi) scary story.
From frightening horror audiobooks for older teens and adults, to fairy tales and myths for younger kids, Audible has exactly what you’re looking for. You can find recommendations by age at Audible, or check out one of the recommended audiobooks in this article.
Below, we’ve listed a mix of Halloween-appropriate titles: a few classic kids’ horror audiobooks, a suspenseful fantasy story, a magical adventure and a gripping YA mystery.
Bring Your Halloween to Life with R. L. Stine
Classic Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy
No list of kids’ horror audiobooks would be complete without mention of R. L. Stine. As author of the classic Goosebumps series – which many parents will remember from when they grew up – Stine has been amusing, engaging and scaring kids for over 30 years.
This Halloween, introduce your kids to some vintage Goosebumps with Classic Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy. In it, twin sisters Lindy and Kris Powell find a ventriloquist dummy in the garbage near a dilapidated house. Playing with it is fun at first, but then things start getting strange. The question is: who’s controlling who, exactly?
Explore a Bit of Gullah Folklore with O. J. Moss and Patricia McKissack
Precious and the Boo Hag
This suspenseful story comes from Gullah folklore – legends and mythology from African-Americans in the South Carolina Lowcountry region of the US.
When Precious is left home alone with a stomachache, her mother warns her not to let anyone – or anything – in the house. A stranger at the door may seem innocent enough, but it could very well be the Boo Hag! A shapeshifting, trickster creature with a thunderous voice and hair like lightning, the Boo Hag will do anything it can to get in the house. Precious learns this the hard way as she attempts to outwit the dreaded creature.
Start a Suspenseful Series with Rick Riordan
The Red Pyramid
For a fun, thrilling alternative to horror, go on a grand adventure with The Red Pyramid. The first entry in Rick Riordan’s Kane Chronicles series, The Red Pyramid introduces listeners to our intrepid young protagonist, Carter Kane.
Carter has been living out of a suitcase for years, travelling the globe with his father, a brilliant Egyptologist. He rarely ever sees his sister Sadie, who lives in London. But that changes one Christmas, when their father mysteriously goes missing at the British Museum. It’s up to Carter and Sadie to solve the mystery, save their father and stop the recently-woken Egyptian gods from enacting their terrifying plan.
With three engaging, engrossing audiobooks, the Kane Chronicles series has enough thrills and adventure to keep your family entertained throughout the fall. Start your journey this Halloween!
Travel to 1930s Alabama with Ronald L. Smith
Hoodoo
Ronald L. Smith’s Hoodoo has it all: nail-biting suspense, gut-busting humour and a heaping helping of creepiness.
The year’s 1930. The location: a swampy small town in Alabama. Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher tries to practice folk magic, like the rest of his family, but he can’t seem to cast a spell to save his life. He’d better learn quickly, though. A mysterious stranger has just rolled into town and is threatening the townspeople with powerful black magic.
If your kids enjoy a little levity alongside their frights, this is the perfect audiobook. And you’ll love it, too – its atmospheric descriptions, charming characters and tense plot make it a great choice for the entire family.
Introduce a Little Magic to Your Halloween with Neil Patrick Harris
The Magic Misfits
For the lighter side of Halloween entertainment, we turn to the one and only Neil Patrick Harris. Serving as both writer and storyteller, Harris spins an enchanting yarn about a ragtag crew of down-on-their-luck illusionists in The Magic Misfits.
In it a street magician named Carter teams up with five other young magicians to take on a crew of crooked carnies threatening to take over their town. Along the way they learn valuable lessons about self-worth, teamwork and true magic.
If you want an uplifting title to listen to with your kids this Halloween, you’ll find it in The Magic Misfits. And for more audiobooks to keep them engaged and entertained this fall, check out the link for more recommendations.
Older Kids Will Love this Gripping Mystery from Karen M. McManus
One of Us Is Lying
To be clear: One of Us Is Lying is meant for older kids. But if you’ve got a teen kicking around the house who wants a truly gripping audiobook this Halloween, you’ve found it here.
Aptly described in the publisher’s summary as “The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars,” One of Us Is Lying follows five strangers into after school detention – but only four make it out alive. According to investigators, the death was no accident. What’s more, the student who was killed created a gossip app and knew some juicy secrets about each of the other four students.
A classic murder mystery updated for Gen Z,* One of Us Is Lying* is pure, diabolical fun. Listen with your teen this Halloween and make bets on who the real killer is (a chocolate bar or get out of chores free card make suitable betting chips!)
This Halloween, set the mood with an audiobook. If it’s scary you’re going for, grab a kids’ horror audiobook and hit the lights. If you’re after something gentler and more adventure-driven, pick from a variety of engaging kids’ audiobooks available at Audible and spend some quality family time listening together.
For last-minute, audiobook-themed costume ideas, check out our blog article on popular cosplay characters like Doctor Who and Katniss Everdeen. And be sure to share your literary costume pics with us on social media. Happy Halloween!
