Here are 90 books that Room on the Broom fans have personally recommended if you like
Room on the Broom.
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The world opened to me in a safe space when I learned to read as a child, and by 6th grade, inspired by Jo March, I hoped to be an author and regularly hauled stacks of books home from the library. I had put aside my dream of writing until my marriage to Mark Buehner. It was his career as an illustrator that opened up a path for me, and together we have created many picture books, including the Snowmen at Night series. I’ve learned that stories are told with pictures as well as words, and beautiful picture books can be savored at any age.
I love reading aloud, and I love read-aloud books that have sounds or actions that the reader and listeners can do as they follow the story. This book is delightfully physical—as you clap, clomp, wiggle, nod, and boo along with the shoes, pants, shirt, top hat, gloves, and pumpkin head that the little old woman meets as she walks home one night. Being followed by clomping shoes or wiggling pant legs might be terrifying, but this little old woman is not afraid of anything, something she proves when all these animate items come knocking at her door. Bravely she offers them a task where they can really be frightening—and the clomping shoes, wiggling pants, shaking shirt, clapping gloves, nodding hat, and boo-crying pumpkin head become the perfect scarecrow in the little old woman’s cornfield. Such a fun book!
“A great purchase for Halloween or any time of year.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
Once upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . clomp, clomp, shake, shake, clap, clap.
And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life! With bouncy refrains and classic art, this timeless Halloween story is perfect for reading aloud.
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
I’ve spent my career as a publisher, editor, and writer of children’s books, having worked for or published with Macmillan, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Amazon, and other houses. Having written and edited a number of Halloween stories, I’m always on the lookout for new ones—and I also enjoy going back and reading the classics in this genre as well. Perhaps it’s because I grew up in a haunted house or because I’m the youngest of nine kids who celebrated Halloween in a big way. I retired from full-time work a few years ago and now devote my time to writing children’s books and consulting. We’ve just moved into a new house, and who knows? Maybe it’s haunted!
Two adorable mice enter a contest, one to carve the biggest jack-o’-lantern ever, the other to grow the biggest pumpkin ever. It turns out that they fall in love with the same pumpkin. One waters it during the day. The other waters it at night. Neither mouse knows about the other’s efforts. When they discover that they’re each contributing to the same pumpkin’s growth, they decide to work together to win the competition. This classic book with endearing illustrations will appeal to kids who love pumpkins and who value cooperative effort to achieve success.
Desmond and Clayton must work together to win the Biggest Pumpkin competition, in this popular bestselling picture book.
Once there were two mice who fell in love with the same pumpkin....Desmond the field mouse wants to carve the biggest jack-o'-lantern in the neighborhood with his pumpkin. Clayton the house mouse wants to win the Biggest Pumpkin contest with his. But when they discover that their choice pumpkins are actually the same one, Desmond and Clayton decide to work together to grow the biggest pumpkin ever!
I’m an award-winning author of picture books for kids. I’m also a veterinarian and science educator, and many of my books have a STEM focus. I write books that are interactive, engaging, and playful. I do this by using humor and by writing in a question-and-answer format that encourages children to think and call out answers before the page-turn. During this time when so many of us have not been able to be in the same room with the kids we read with and to, I’ve found interactive books to be the best at holding attention and connecting. I hope they work well for you, too.
This brilliantly constructed book features cut-out pages that, when turned, gradually build the scary parts of a monster into its full glory. But then, at midway, the narration reads, “… YOU DON’T SCARE ME! So GO AWAY,” giving the child the agency to turn the pages to make the monster gradually do just that. In my experience, younger kids are delightfully a little terrified at first and then master that fear as they turn the pages to make the monster recede, using lines like “GO AWAY big red mouth!” When reading this one online, I find that it works best to read the words and then zoom each image up close to the camera. This one always gets a lot of squeals and laughs!
Twelve-year-old identical twins Ellie and Kat accidentally trigger their physicist mom’s unfinished time machine, launching themselves into a high-stakes adventure in 1970 Chicago. If they learn how to join forces and keep time travel out of the wrong hands, they might be able find a way home. Ellie’s gymnastics and…
Steve Patschke is a retired elementary school library media teacher of over thirty years, now living in Woodstock, N.Y. In November of 2022, his essay appeared in The New York Times' “Tiny Love Stories.” In February of 2023, his essay appeared in Chicken Soup For The Soul: Cat Lovers Edition. He has published six children’s picture books. His most recent is Don’t Look At It, Don’t Touch It. Steve’s rendition of the classic Nutcracker and the Mouse King will be published as a pop-up book through Templar books in the fall of 2023.
The secret to a great read-a-loud book that children will sit still for is to keep them engaged. Reynolds is a master at timing. He builds the suspense slowly, while keeping up dashes of scary/humor. It is scary, but not too scary.
Owing to the humor and cleaver illustrations by Peter Brown. Creepy Pair of Underwear is part of a New York Times best-selling series by Reynolds and Brown and I always look forward to their next installment.
From the celebrated team behind Creepy Carrots!, Aaron Reynolds and Caldecott Honor winner Peter Brown, comes a hilarious (and just a little creepy) story of a brave rabbit and a very weird pair of underwear.
Jasper Rabbit is NOT a little bunny anymore. He’s not afraid of the dark, and he’s definitely not afraid of something as silly as underwear. But when the lights go out, suddenly his new big rabbit underwear glows in the dark. A ghoulish, greenish glow. If Jasper didn’t know any better he’d say his undies were a little, well, creepy. Jasper’s not scared obviously, he’s…
I have always loved witches. Witches are women with powers and as a girl growing up in the 80’s (Before much female superhero representation) I was very drawn to that. My very favorite stories humanize witches, like the ones I listed above. My own children are very into Halloween and all things spooky- but cannot handle anything remotely scary. These were the best stories I found to share my witches obsession with my scaredy- kids. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I do, and may they spark a lifetime love of magic in your own young readers.
A favorite in our home for years- Cyd Moore’s illustrations are perfectly suited to this tale of two very different witches. The pictures are full of details that can be discovered over multiple readings and the color palate keeps things light and fun. A great moral about Karma makes this a fun witchy read year round.
A bewitching tale showcasing the timeless lesson that a good deed always triumphs over a bad one, even at Miss Mildred Mildew's School of Magic!
Whatever you chant, Whatever you brew, Sooner or later Comes back to you!
Alice and Greta attended the same school of magic, but they each have their own ideas about how to put their skills to the best use. Alice spends her days waving her wand to cast splendid spells. Greta only uses hers to stir up trouble. When their wands and witching styles clash, it turns out Greta should have paid more attention to…
I have always loved witches. Witches are women with powers and as a girl growing up in the 80’s (Before much female superhero representation) I was very drawn to that. My very favorite stories humanize witches, like the ones I listed above. My own children are very into Halloween and all things spooky- but cannot handle anything remotely scary. These were the best stories I found to share my witches obsession with my scaredy- kids. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I do, and may they spark a lifetime love of magic in your own young readers.
A perfect primer for young readers who are just getting into Halloween spookiness. I love a set up where the witch is afraid of people so the child reader can feel in control. The action plays out on Halloween night and the payoff when the "real" witch meets the child in costume is magical and age appropriate. A sweet and simple beginner witch story.
It's Halloween night and an extraordinarily brave witch has decided to venture out of her safe, haunted house and see for herself just how odd those humans can be, and what's more if it's true they walk instead of fly, wear unpointed hats, and hardly cackle at all.
But you never know what you'll find on earth, and one extraordinarily brave witch might just make a friend - a human friend!
I grew up in suburbia—or urban sprawl—with fairytales and children’s nonfiction series like Lands and Peoples. My passion for reading (and history and art museums) nurtured my sense of wonder and awe at the richness of the world. I was inspired to write nonfiction about heroic people by my own children, whose social studies education lacked dazzle and examples of heroism. I had already been creating educational materials for schools, but I wanted to inspire their wonder about and appreciation of the world. My kids are grown, but I’m still writing for young readers. An avid world traveler and historian, I've always aspired to bring other people, places, cultures, and times to life.
With simple, colorful illustrations and a humorous plot featuring Grandmother Witch’s magical pasta pot that requires more than the right words to control it, this book delights me still.
The story seems to be about learning to listen properly. It’s also about eavesdropping, bragging, and above all, the consequences of failing to follow directions. But its charm to me is its sympathy for naughty Big Anthony, who is, after all, just like everyone’s inner child.
When Strega Nona leaves him alone with her magic pasta pot, Big Anthony is determined to show the townspeople how it works in this classic Caldecott Honor book from Tomie dePaola.
Strega Nona-"Grandma Witch"-is the source for potions, cures, magic, and comfort in her Calabrian town. Her magical everfull pasta pot is especially intriguing to hungry Big Anthony. He is supposed to look after her house and tend her garden but one day, when she goes over the mountain to visit Strega Amelia, Big Anthony recites the magic verse over the pasta pot, with disastrous results.
I have always loved witches. Witches are women with powers and as a girl growing up in the 80’s (Before much female superhero representation) I was very drawn to that. My very favorite stories humanize witches, like the ones I listed above. My own children are very into Halloween and all things spooky- but cannot handle anything remotely scary. These were the best stories I found to share my witches obsession with my scaredy- kids. I hope you enjoy these books as much as I do, and may they spark a lifetime love of magic in your own young readers.
Another witchy title sure to not scare. My kids loved the rhyming spells and their funny outcomes- I loved the parade at the end. I worked for the Thanksgiving Day Parade for years and can totally relate to how rain can make or break your event. (Not to mention that one year it DID snow.)
A little witch named Delia has been looking forward all year to flying in the annual Witch Parade. When the rumors of rain come true and the other witches start complaining, Delia takes action. Using her best magic, Delia changes the rain to cats and dogs. At first this goes over quite well, but she quickly realizes the animals cause a few issues. She must change the rain again! This time to hats and clogs. And finally, she tries bats and frogs. But each new type of rain brings its own set of problems. How will Delia save the day?
I am a huge fan of Halloween and love decorating my porch to greet our neighborhood kids. This past year I gave away a couple dozen copies of my own picture books along with candy, which was a huge hit. I live in Baltimore with my family, including my silly, spooky kid, and love animals, especially dogs and horses. This past Halloween, my daughter wanted to dress up as a dentist, of all things, so my husband and I went along dressed up as giant teeth. She never got the irony of asking for candy while dressed as a dentist. We’ll have to wait until she is older for that.
I love this book which teaches kids that scary things (like skeletons!) aren’t always as scary as they appear. Rebecca Evans, the author, is a friend of mine and does a lot of volunteer work to help other children’s book writers and illustrators, so I love supporting someone so involved and helpful! When I saw Rebecca read this book at an event, she had an adorable craft where kids could make skeletons out of gluing dry pasta to black paper—activity idea!
Skeletons might seem frightening, but if you look closer, there's nothing much to fear. They can't run fast, they're terrible at hide-and-seek, and they're scared of everything. When a group of trick-or-treaters runs into an actual skeleton on an enchanted Halloween night, they do whatever they can get away. But what does the skeleton really want? What if they're just looking for a friend?
I am a huge fan of Halloween and love decorating my porch to greet our neighborhood kids. This past year I gave away a couple dozen copies of my own picture books along with candy, which was a huge hit. I live in Baltimore with my family, including my silly, spooky kid, and love animals, especially dogs and horses. This past Halloween, my daughter wanted to dress up as a dentist, of all things, so my husband and I went along dressed up as giant teeth. She never got the irony of asking for candy while dressed as a dentist. We’ll have to wait until she is older for that.
This book is so darn cute! I love the fresh takes on familiar nursery rhymes. I always chuckle when I read the clever new twists (which are only a little spooky). The illustrations are a teeny bit scary, but mostly super cute. When you read this book, you can go all the way through, or just pick one nursery rhyme at a time to chant with the kids.
From "Mary, Mary, Tall and Scary" to "Wee Willie Werewolf," this collection of classic nursery rhymes turned on their heads will give readers the chills--and a serious case of belly laughs. With clever rhyme and spooky illustrations, Mother Ghost is perfect for getting in the Halloween spirit. Boo!
