Welcome to another edition of Shelf Awareness Extra!, which are special issues that focus on a particular subject and appear once a month. This edition focuses on Halloween, many people's favorite holiday--for booksellers and publishers, too. For a lot more about spooky titles and booksellers' magical merchandising and selling tips, keep reading!
As Halloween continues to grow in popularity, Shelf Awareness surveyed a group of booksellers about the holiday, its importance, how they celebrate it, and what works best.
At Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, Ga., Halloween sales have been steadily increasing and are second only to December holiday sales--"and it's a close second," co-owner Diane Capriola-Little noted. "To compete with Target and other big box stores, we have been putting these titles out earlier each year when we used to wait until after Labor Day to do it several years ago." This year Little Shop of Stories' Halloween display went up early in August, and the store has already sold through some titles, including "the brand new (and delightful!) Vampire Jam Sandwich by Casey Lyall and perennial favorites, Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds and Peter Brown and Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago. Halloween themed sidelines are always popular as well and include Jellycat plush, puzzles from Chronicle/Mudpuppy, and anything involving monsters. Don't be afraid to put these titles out earlier than usual. We like to say that 'if you build it, they will come!' "
For a variety of reasons, Halloween is an important holiday at the Bookstore at Fitger's, Duluth, Minn. (The building is haunted and included in Travels of Terror: Strange and Spooky Spots Across America, and the North Shore of Lake Superior "lends itself to spooky tales," as store manager Jennifer Jubenville puts it. "Let's just say that we always have campfire stories and ghost tales in stock.") Halloween has become ever more popular, in part because "more and more kids are asking for horror titles."
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| The Bookstore at Fitger's display when the theme was The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. | |
Window displays are important at Fitger's. "We make sure that we have books in the design that people are going to want to check out." Among them last year was The Gothic Cookbook and books like Edgar Allan Poe: Collected Works. (The store's main room window theme last year was "Death by TBR.") Backlist favorites include the Goosebumps series ("parents and grandparents remember those and know that they're appropriate for kids"), classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Haunting of Hill House. The store also carries Halloween plush and Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King sidelines from Out of Print. Jubenville notes that mystery & thriller is the store's second-best selling genre so the store makes sure to stock William Kent Krueger, most of Brian Freeman's books, Josh Moehling's books, and titles by Catherine Ryan Howard.
This year the store is doing a "speed booking" event (like speed dating, but with books) a week before Halloween that will be all mystery/thriller and horror. On the last Saturday of October, Fitger's also does a big family Halloween event (and Canine Carnival) where people (and dogs) are invited to come in costume and trick or treat in the building's complex.
At Flintridge Bookstore, La Cañada Flintridge, Calif., Halloween is such an important sales opportunity that the store promotes it with a children's and an adult display, a window display, decorations throughout the store as well as in a print ad in the local newspaper and a special e-newsletter, plus social media postings.
Backlist standards for the store consist of "classic ghost stories, including Dracula, Frankenstein, and Lovecraft and Poe collections as well as newer horror titles," according to Gail Mishkin, who's in charge of events and marketing. "We always feature a selection of Stephen King titles. We always have Halloween-related coloring books for adults and other seasonal novelty books. Children's staples include Room on the Broom, Little Blue Truck Halloween, Drew Daywalt's Crayon series, and funny cookbooks." New titles the store is looking forward to include Grady Hendrix's Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, Stephen Jones's The Buffalo Hunter Hunter, and Joe Abercrombie's The Devils.
Jen at Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery, Park Rapids, Minn., emphasizes the lasting popularity of Room on the Broom: "If you don't have Room on the Broom in stock for Halloween (even the goofy plush), why are you even open? I swear we've sold enough of that title every October for every child on the planet to own at least one copy (and we're a 1,500 sq. ft. store in a town of less than 4,000) and yet we still sell it like crazy every Halloween."
At Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, Tex., "We always dress up for storytime and encourage toddler costumes," according to Valerie Koehler, owner and girlboss. "We usually have several fun displays with books, games, and puzzles. And every child is asked for the two weeks before what they are dressing up as for Halloween."
Gibson's Bookstore, Concord, N.H., has what Ryan (Gibson's "Queen of Scream") calls "a really robust horror section" with a lot of shelf talkers and faceouts. The store's many horror fans allow it "to do some extremely cool horror-themed events. We've got a panel coming up with CJ Leede, Clay McLeod Chapman, and Delilah S. Dawson. We've got a virtual event with Brian Asman. We've got Alma Katsu in conversation with Paul Tremblay. We've got P. Djèlí Clark presenting the paperback of Ring Shout. We're also planning a 'spooky' version of our now-monthly Audiobook Walks for October, which will include optional costumes and walking at dusk instead of in the morning."
Last year, Gibson's kicked off Halloween with a Local Horror Author Showcase, featuring a group of local horror authors who set up tables with their books. "A huge crowd" mingled, enjoyed spooky-themed snacks and drinks, and received publisher horror swag--and the authors sold a lot of their books.
Not surprisingly, Halloween is a major event for Ghoulish Books, San Antonio, Tex., a horror-themed bookstore opened two years ago the Ghoulish Books publishing company. "This is a genre readers enjoy year-round, of course, but people are most excited about spookiness during spooky season, of course. We have to be ready for it," notes co-owner Max Booth III, who adds that Halloween has become so popular that it "allows to operate all year round."
Ghoulish plans on "nonstop" Halloween events throughout October, including author signings, a trick-or-treat event for kids, and the monthly reading series First Friday Frights. The store will also feature "little spooky coffins with grotesque imagery on them that sell very well" and T-shirts featuring the store logo or the phrase "Keep San Antonio Ghoulish."
Important backlist titles for the store include Norman Partridge's Dark Harvest as well as Booth's own novella The Last Haunt, about a Halloween haunted house attraction and published by Ghoulish Books. Booth is looking forward to Paul Tremblay's middle-grade book Another and Jess Hagemann's Mother-Eating (published by Ghoulish).
At Books-A-Million, Halloween is "one of our favorite seasons to celebrate," executive v-p of merchandising Kathy Gagliano states. "Our stores come alive with spooky displays featuring a curated mix of classics and hot new releases." BAM's v-p of YA and kids' books Sandra Wilson adds that the kids Halloween section aims "to strike the perfect balance--fun with just the right touch of spookiness. You'll find perennial favorites like Room on the Broom and There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat, alongside beloved characters like Bluey, Pete the Cat, and the Paw Patrol crew. On the adult side, horror has never been hotter--from Stephen King's Never Flinch to Grady Hendrix's Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, and our August Shelfworthy pick, The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw."
Shelf Awareness here offers a list of selected Halloween titles. Pub dates are noted for titles that appeared earlier this year or will appear before Halloween.
Abbeville
October Shadows: Classic Ghost Stories for Halloween, selected and illustrated by John A. Rice ($35, 9780789215192) uses autumn leaves as canvas for illustrations accompanying spooky tales.
Albatros
Let's Get Spooky by Stepanka Sekaninova, illus. by Lukas Figel ($16.95, 9788000074498, 8/26/25) is a picture book taking young readers through a variety of haunting locations.
Deluxe Sticker Book: The Spooky Halloween Book by Jana Sedlackova, illus. by Anuki Lopez ($8.99, 9788000076164, 9/9/25) includes more than 440 stickers.
Counting with Bogglebies by Stepanka Sekaninova, illus. by Miroslava Gomolcakova ($13.95, 9788000075792, 9/2/25) is a spooky yet educational adventure through a weird castle.
Ghosts and Ghouls by Ondrej Navratil, illus. by Martin Sojdr ($12.95, 9788000076218, 10/7/25) is a spooky/cute board book.
Astra Books for Young Readers
Brume, Volume 1: The Dragon Awakens by Jérôme Pélissier, illus. by Carine Hinder ($12.99, 9781662641244, 9/30/25) is a graphic novel for ages 7-11 about a wannabe witch.
Itty Bitty Betty Blob Makes a Splash by Constance Lombardo, illus. by Micah Player ($18.99, 9781662640926) is a picture book about a little blob girl attending a school full of monsters.
Meowloween by Diane Muldrow and Tiffany Chen ($18.99, 9781662602009) is a picture book about cats on the prowl on Halloween night.
She more spooky Astra Books titles on Edelweiss.
Atria
One Dark Night: A Novel by Hannah Richell ($18.99, 9781668081334) is a thriller about a dead body found the day after Halloween in a small British community.
We Used to Live Here: A Novel by Marcus Kliewer ($18.99, 9781982198794) is a haunted house thriller and soon to be a Netflix movie.
Scream with Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism (1968-1980) by Eleanor Johnson ($30, 9781668087633, 9/30/25), with an emphasis on Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, and The Shining.
Avery Hill Publishing
The Witch's Egg by Donya Todd ($19.99, 9781917355216, 10/7/25) is the graphic novel story of cat-witch Urfi who falls in love with an angel.
Baker Publishing Group
Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright ($17.99, 9780764243790, 4/1/25). This gothic features the vengeful ghost of Annabel, who drowned in Lake Superior.
The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright ($18.99, 9780764243806, 10/21/25). This book features an ominous bell that tolls to announce death, a cursed manor shrouded in murder, and whispers of madness that have plagued the property for over a century.
Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl ($17.99, 9780764243363, 3/18/25) is the first in the Erin Delaney Mysteries series set in the Smoky Mountains and featuring an ex-police officer turned mystery author. Dark Design by Nancy Mehl ($18.99, 9780764243370, 10/21/25) is the second title in the Erin Delaney Mysteries.
Charlesbridge
Dropbear by Philip Bunting ($17.99, 9781623547264, 9/9/25). This picture book expands on the humorous conflation of Australia's koala bear with an imagined treetop menace called the dropbear.
Ralph Masiello's Halloween Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello ($7.95, 9781570915420) is a drawing guide for kids.
Pumpkin Heads by Wendell Minor ($11.99, 9781580899352) is a picture book celebrating picking pumpkins and carving jack-o'-lanterns.
Halloween Colors by Barbara Barbieri McGrath, illus. by Peggy Tag ($6.95, 9781580895330) is a board book introducing babies to Halloween images.
Choose Your Own Adventure
Choose Your Own Adventure has a variety of spooky backlist and frontlist titles featuring monsters, ghosts, and more listed on this Edelweiss page.
Chronicle
I Am We: How Crows Come Together to Survive by Leslie Barnard Booth, illus. by Alexandra Finkeldey ($18.99, 9781797226156, 9/9/25) is a picture book exploring crow behavior.
Baby Pumpkin: Finger Puppet Book by Yu-Hsuan Huang ($7.99, 9781797232782) is a novelty book with pumpkin finger puppets.
Star Wars: I Find Your Lack of Candy Disturbing: Halloween Greetings from a Galaxy Far, Far Away ($9.95, 9781797237329) features Halloween-themed art of Star Wars characters.
Curious Coffins and Riveting Rituals: Death Practices Around the World by YY Liak ($26.95, 9781797230047, 9/9/25) is a book for adults about funerary rites from around the globe and throughout history.
Murder Most Puzzling Peril at Quandary Park by Stephanie von Reiswitz ($18.95, 9781797219349, 9/30/25) contains a series of murder mystery-themed puzzles set on an English country estate.
The Witch's Door: Oddities and Tales from the Esoteric to the Extreme by Ryan Matthew Cohn and Regina M. Rossi ($30, 9781797229584) is a memoir by the founders of Oddities Flea Market.
Counterpoint
The Bog Wife: A Novel by Kay Chronister ($17.95, 9781640097322, 10/7/25). This is the paperback release of a bestselling gothic tale featuring eco-horror and family drama.
Thin Places: Stories by Kay Chronister ($17.95, 9781640097773, 10/7/25) is a collection of atmospheric short stories for fans of Shirley Jackson.
Crimson Dragon
Witches Are Wandering by Nikolas Thornton, illus. by Maïlys Pitcher ($22.99, 9781944644611, 9/30/25) is a children's story about witches and a young boy.
Dundurn Press
Hemo Sapiens by Emily A. Weedon ($18.99, 9781459755673, 10/28/25) is an adult horror novel about a detective investigating a society of vampires.
Flashlight Press
I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll, illus. by Howard McWilliam ($6.50, 9781947277311) is a picture book in which a child's bedroom monster leaves on a fishing trip. I Need My Monster is part of a long-running series with more titles available on Edelweiss.
Floris Books
The Grumpy Ghost Upstairs by Mamiko Shiotani, trans. by Polly Lawson ($18.99, 9781782509264, 8/5/25). This picture book follows a ghost in an attic whose peace and quiet is disturbed by a little girl.
The Slightly Spooky Tale of Fox and Mole by Cecilia Heikkilä, trans. by Polly Lawson ($19.99, 9781782509530, 8/5/25) is a picture book about an irresponsible mole and reliable fox sharing a spooky story as autumn approaches.
Globe Pequot
Horror on the Brain: The Neuroscience Behind Science Fiction by Austin Lim ($24.95, 9781493084784).
The Art Of Horror Movies: An Illustrated History by Stephen Jones ($45, 9781493063253).
Haunted War Tales: True Military Encounters with the Bizarre, Paranormal, and Unexplained by R.C. Bramhall ($22.95, 9781493075768).
For a comprehensive list of spooky Globe Pequot titles, including regional guides to haunted locations, see this Edelweiss list.
Great Plains Press (Canada)
Ghosts of Gastown by Jessica Renwick ($16.95, 9781773371269) is a children's book about a boy who can see the dead.
Homebodies by Amy LeBlanc ($17.95, 9781773371016) is a short horror story collection.
Grove Atlantic
The Unveiling: A Novel by Quan Barry ($28, 9780802165350, 10/14/25) is a horror story about cruise passengers stranded in Antarctica. $25 co-op offer for direct orders of 5+ copies.
HarperCollins Children's Books
Another by Paul Tremblay ($19.99, 9780063396357, 7/22/25) is a bone-chilling tale of an unsettling, unbreakable friendship by the popular horror author.
Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King, illus. by Maurice Sendak ($26.99, 9780062644695, 9/2/25). Two literary legends reimagine the famous tale of two brave children lost in a dark and dangerous forest.
I'll Love You Till the Bats Say Boo by Kathryn Cristaldi, illus. by Kristyna Litten ($12.99, 9780063376625, 7/15/25). From the team behind the I'll Love You Till series, a sturdy board book for little hands and their first Halloween.
Little Blue Truck's Halloween by Alice Shertle, illus. by Jill McElmurry ($9,99, 9780544772533). Little Blue Truck picks up his animal friends for a costume party.
Pete the Cat: Trick or Pete by Kimberly and James Dean ($7.99, 9780062198709). With flaps that reveal fun Halloween surprises, this Pete the Cat holiday story is a sweet treat for little trick-or-treaters.
Harper Perennial
Uncanny Valley Girls: Essays on Horror, Survival, and Love by Zefyr Lisowski ($17.99, 9780063413993, 10/7/25) is a memoir about using horror movies as sustenance during mental health struggles.
HarperOne
The Comfy Cozy Witch's Guide to Making Magic in Your Everyday Life by Jennie Blonde ($24.99, 9780063375925) is a book by the host of the Comfy Cozy Witch podcast.
Modern Magic: Stories, Rituals, and Spells for Contemporary Witches by Michelle Tea ($21.99, 9780063378193) shares stories and spells from a DIY witch.
Blood Sex Magic: Everyday Magic for the Modern Mystic by Bri Luna ($29.99, 9780063081451) is by the founder and creative director of "The Hoodwitch."
Holiday House
No Charm Done by Tori Anne Martin ($18.99, 9780823460359, 10/7/25). A sapphic, enemies-to-lovers romcom featuring two witches.
Pumpkin and Beetle: Two Vampire Cats by Jannie Ho ($16.99, 9780823459629, 8/5/25) is a an early graphic novel about two vampire cats who explore their cozy-spooky town, Hallowsville, and try to figure out how to earn enough money to buy the latest Frightful comics, which everyone else is reading.
Holt
The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis ($26.99, 9781250366382) takes place in an 18th-century English village where sisters are accused of witchcraft.
Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney ($18.99, 9781250357618, 10/21/25). This is the paperback release of a thriller about a teenage girl obsessed with the macabre.
Curdle Creek by Yvonne Battle-Felton ($27.99, 9781250362018) is a gothic tale about a small town with a sinister tradition.
IFWG Publishing International (distributed in the U.S. by IPG)
Drowning in the Dark and Other Stories by Matt Tighe ($14.99, 9781923382183, 10/6/25).
Into the Cthulhu-Universe: Lovecraftian Horrors in Other Literary Realities, edited by Christopher Sequeira and Steven Paulsen ($17.99, 9781923382008) contains stories in which H.P. Lovecraft's creations appear in other literary works.
Willow Close by Helena O'Connor ($11.99, 9781923382138). This serial killer slasher involves a mysterious orphanage.
Black Days and Bloody Nights by Greg Chapman ($12.99, 9781922856869) is a collection of short horror stories.
Ingram Spark
Salem's Fall by Rektok Ross (Ic13 Books, $17.99, 9780988256897, 8/5/25) is a combination twisty psychological thriller, legal suspense, and gothic dark romance.
The Home by Judith Sonnet (Madness Heart Press, $16.95, 9781955745857, 1/15/25). A group of friends visit a supposedly haunted house they went to as teenagers--where a storm of evil is brewing.
The Divine Flesh by Drew Huff (Dark Matter INK, $17.99, 9781958598597, 3/4/25). A dysfunctional drug mule and an electrician from rural Idaho must stop the cosmic abomination they unleashed before it "loves" everyone in existence to death.
Rest Stop by Nat Cassidy (Shortwave Media, $13.99, 9781959565369). A young musician is locked inside a gas station bathroom in the middle of the night by an unseen assailant, with horrors occurring on both sides of the door.
The Sundowner's Dance by Todd Keisling (Shortwave Media, $29.99, 9781959565512, 4/22/25). An elderly widower moves into a Poconos retirement community, where he does not find the peace and rest he wants.
Inner Traditions
The Path of Elemental Witchcraft: A Wyrd Woman's Book of Shadows by Salicrow ($24.99, 9781644113363) is a guide to witchcraft based on elements like water and fire.
The Poison Path Grimoire: Dark Herbalism, Poison Magic, and Baneful Allies by Coby Michael ($19.99, 9781644119952) uses deadly plants for magic purposes.
Astrology of the Shadow Self: Working with Oppositions in Your Natal Chart by Maja D'Aoust ($24.99, 9781644119174).
The Sacred Herbs of Samhain: Plants to Contact the Spirits of the Dead by Ellen Evert Hopman ($22.99, 9781620558614) relates to the pagan precursor to modern Halloween.
Song of the Dark Man: Father of Witches, Lord of the Crossroads by Darragh Mason ($18.99, 9781644119099) explores the Devil in relation to witchcraft.
The Real Witches of New England: History, Lore, and Modern Practice by Ellen Evert Hopman ($24.99, 9781620557723).
Witchcraft Medicine: Healing Arts, Shamanic Practices, and Forbidden Plants by Claudia Müller-Ebeling, Christian Rätsch, and Wolf-Dieter Storl ($24.95, 9780892819713).
The Pagan Mysteries of Halloween: Celebrating the Dark Half of the Year by Jean Markale ($14.95, 9780892819003) explores the rituals and philosophies of the Celtic holiday of Samhain.
Insight Editions
Survive The Night: A Killer Coloring Adventure by Will Rogers ($14.99, 9798886635461) is both an adult coloring book and a choose-your-path serial killer slasher.
Kensington
The Tattered Cover by Ellery Adams ($27, 9781496743824, 10/28/25) is book eight in the A Secret, Book and Scone Society mystery series, this one revolving around Halloween night.
Halloween Night Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Liz Ireland ($27, 9781496749420) contains three cozy mystery novellas.
Mayhem at a Halloween Wedding by Emmeline Duncan ($17.95, 9781496746160) is the second entry in the Halloween Bookshop Mystery series.
America's Most Gothic: Haunted History Stranger than Fiction by Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes ($29, 9780806543741, 9/30/25) investigates gothic tropes that define American lore.
Lee & Low
The Wild Ones / Los Bravos by Megan Lacera and Jorge Lacera ($22.95, 9780892394524) is a picture book about adventurous kids teaming up with a monster.
Zombies Don't Eat Veggies / ¡Los Zombis no comen verduras! ($20.95, 9781620147948) is a picture book about a zombie boy who enjoys vegetables.
The Witch Owl Parliament (Clockwork Curandera, Volume I) / El Parlamento de Lechuzas by David Bowles and Raúl the Third ($18.95, 9781620145920). This graphic novel is a steampunk reimagining of Frankenstein set in colonial Mexico.
See more spooky Lee & Low titles on this Edelweiss list.
Macmillan Children's Publishing
5 More Sleeps 'til Halloween by Jimmy Fallon, illus. by Rich Deas (Feiwel & Friends, $19.99, 9781250857798) is a spooky picture book from the host of the Tonight Show.
Evelyn Witch Gets a Pet by Beth Ferry, illus. by Charles Santoso (Roaring Brook Press, $18.99, 9781250804211, 7/8/25). Evelyn, an adorable witch, has a new pet, a plain white egg that is taking its time hatching.
Defanged by H.E. Edgmon (Feiwel & Friends, $17.99, 9781250874009, 9/23/25) features a tween vampire who's being pressured to have his vampirism "cured."
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (Square Fish, $12.99, 9781250792075, 7/29/25) is about a trans boy whose traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender. He summons a ghost who then refuses to leave.
Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews (Feiwel & Friends, $19.99, 9781250895660). In this YA psychological horror tale, two teens try to stop terrifying creatures that seem to be coming to life from macabre drawings.
NorthSouth Books
Wacky Witches and Their Peculiar Familiars ($19.95, 9780735845480) is a picture book featuring diverse witches from around the world and their varied animal companions--more pangolin and parrot than crow or cat.
Nosy Crow
The Great Big Halloween Hunt by Ekaterina Trukhan ($8.99, 9798887771632, 7/1/25). This board book follows a witch searching for pumpkins to decorate her house.
Old MacPumpkin Had a Farm by Charman Katrina ($14.99, 9798887771687, 7/8/25). A Halloween twist on the popular nursery rhyme follows a farmer too busy working to notice the arrival of spooky creatures.
Press Out and Decorate: Halloween by Kate McLelland ($12.99, 9798887770741). Press out pieces covered in foil feature 20 designs that can be hung as ornaments or attached into a garland.
Guess Who? Boo to You! by Katie Woolley, illus. by Grasya Oliyko ($10.99, 9798887770734). The trend of "booing," in which friends leave surprise Halloween gifts for each other, is celebrated with this picture book of witches, ghosts, and other ghoulies participating in the trend.
One World
The LaValle Quartet ($12 each) are paperback reissues of four of Victor LaValle's biggest novels: Lone Women, The Changeling, The Devil in Silver, and Big Machine. A TV adaptation of The Devil in Silver (9780812982251) will air on AMC as season three of horror anthology series The Terror.
Owl Hollow Press
The Willow Cove series, consisting of The Witches of Willow Cove ($12.95, 97819456554497) and The Curse of Willow Cove ($14.95, 9781958109700) by Josh Roberts, are set in Salem, Mass.--famous for its 1692 witch trials--and have spooky themes of New England witches and vampires, featuring coming-of-age characters.
Owlkids Books
Mummy & Me: A Monsters Tale by Danesh Mohiuddin ($18.95, 9781771475952) is a picture book exploring parent-child relationships in the guise of a mummy caring for a rambunctious little wolf.
Hugo's Haunted Handbook by Dave Whamond ($18.95, 9781771475877). This graphic novel for young readers is a guide to getting rid of a ghost by a little boy who has failed to banish his own specter.
The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole by Mark David Smith, illus. by Kari Rust ($16.95, 9781771474566) is the first entry in a chapter book mystery series starring three witches inspired by Macbeth.
Podium
So Blooms the Dawn by Julie C. Dao ($19.99, 9781039457492, 9/30/25) is the second book in a gothic romance duology that retells Dracula from the point of view of Lucy Westenra. The first book, Now Comes the Mist ($19.99, 9781039457478), was published in 2024.
Princeton University Press
What to Expect When You're Dead: An Ancient Tour of the Afterlife by Robert Garland ($29.95, 9780691266176).
Graveyards: A History of Living with the Dead by Roger Luckhurst ($39.95, 9780691278377, 10/21/25).
See more on Edelweiss.
Penguin Young Readers
Creepy Sheepy by Lucy Ruth Cummins, illus. by Pete Oswald (Flamingo Books, $14.99, 9780593693896, 7/15/25) is for ages 3-7 and is part of the Sleepy Sheepy series.
Class Pet Ghost Detective: What Happened to the Naked Mole Rat? by Akeem S. Roberts, illus. by Michael Regina (Kokila, $9.99, 7/15/25). The first book in a new graphic novel series for early readers.
Grizelda the Green Hates Halloween by A.A. Livingston, illus. by Katya Longhi (Flamingo Books, $14.99, 9780593692271, 7/22/25). A grouchy old witch tries to destroy Halloween.
My Brother's Butt Is Haunted by Dan Poblocki, illus. by James Rey Sanchez (Penguin Workshop, $18.99, 9780593751060, 7/29/25). For ages 3-7; enough said.
Luna and the Witch Throw a Halloween Party by Aubrey Plaza and Dan Murphy, illus. by Hannah Peck (Viking Books for Young Readers, $19.99, 9780593693018, 7/29/25). A feisty wannabe bruja and a kooky witch throw the best Halloween party of the season.
The Raven Boys: The Graphic Novel by Maggie Stiefvater and Stephanie Williams, illus. by Sas Milledge (Viking Books for Young Readers, $17.99, 9780593621172, 7/29/25) is the first graphic novel adaptation of Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series.
For more about these titles, go to Edelweiss.
Pushkin Press
Orpheus Build a Girl by Heather Parry ($17.95, 9781805337966, 9/30/25). This modern gothic horror tale of sexual obsession, medical abuse, and coercion masquerading as love is based on a true story.
White Teeth, Red Blood: Selected Vampiric Verses ($19.95, 9781805332640, 9/9/25) collects vampire poems from Lord Byron, Charles Baudelaire, Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Ishmael Reed.
Carmilla: The Dark Sapphic Romance that Inspired Dracula by Sheridan Le Fanu ($16.95, 9781805332121) features a blood-red sprayed-edge.
Murder at the Black Cat Café by Seishi Yokomizo, illus. by Bryan Karetnyk ($17.95, 9781805335511) is a Japanese murder mystery.
Pushkin Press will feature 13 Halloween promo titles at trade shows this fall. See them here.
Quirk Books
Cat's First Halloween by Natalie Nelson ($9.99, 9781683694502). This board book is the fourth entry in the Dog and Cat's First series.
Random House Children's Books
Bob the Vampire Snail by Andrea Zuill ($18.99, 9780593814963) is a picture about a vampire snail who loves tomatoes.
Witchycakes #1: Sweet Magic by Kara LaReau, illus. by Ariane Moreira ($15.99, 9798217025855) is about a witch-in-training who makes deliveries for her mother's bakery.
Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell ($17.99, 9780593896914, 9/16/25) is a middle grade mystery about a girl who can see the supernatural.
The House of Quiet by Kiersten White ($19.99, 9780593806579, 9/9/25) is a dark YA fantasy about children with powers kept in a mysterious house.
I Am Oogie Boogie by Matthew J. Gilbert, illus. by Bill Robinson ($5.99, 9780736445467) is a board book based on Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Revell
Girl Lost by Kate Angelo ($18.99, 9780800746636, 9/23/25) features CIA counterintelligence officer Luna Rosati in a modern nightmare where the monsters wear lab coats and the secrets buried in the past refuse to stay dead.
Out of Time by Irene Hannon ($29.99, 9780800747480, 10/7/25). Historical anthropologist Cara Tucker is spending her sabbatical and a remote country estate, which turns out not to be the perfect escape she had imagined.
Rizzoli
The Midnight Treasury of Macabre and Weird Poems, edited by Ana Sampson ($29.95, 9780789344304, 9/23/25) contains 300 spooky poems from Edgar Allan Poe, Keats, and many others.
Running Press Kids
The Raven: The Classic Poem by Edgar Allan Poe, illus. by Chloe Bristol ($18.99, 9780762489619, 9/23/25). Poe's famous poem comes to life for young readers with evocative illustrations.
Scallywag Press
Ivy Newt and the Time Thief by Derek Keilty, illus. by Magda Brol ($17.99, 9781836300250, 8/5/25) is the second entry in the Ivy Newt in Miracula chapter book series, in which the titular young witch must unravel the mystery of a spooky house that appears every Halloween.
We Planted a Pumpkin by Rob Ramsden ($18.99, 9781912650385). This book in the In the Garden series follows two children trying to grow a pumpkin in time for Halloween.
Scholastic
The Girl in the Walls by Meg Eden Kuyatt (Scholastic Press, $18.99, 9781546110538) is a children's novel-in-verse about a ghost in a family's home.
Millie Fleur Saves the Night by Christy Mandin (Orchard Books, $18.99, 9781339023373) is a picture book about a little girl embracing darkness.
The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala (PUSH, $19.99, 9781546125877, 9/16/25) is YA queer horror.
Scary Shark: A Jaw-some Halloween by Mike Lowery (Orchard Books, $15.99, 9781546110781) is a Halloween follow-up to picture books Santa Shark and Pizza Shark.
The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly (Scholastic Press, $17.99, 9781546132431, 9/2/25) is a middle grade supernatural murder mystery.
Severn "Haunted" House
A Brew for Chaos by Esme Addison ($29.99, 9781448312634, 9/2/25). In the third Enchanted Bay Mystery set in a cozy small coastal town, Alex Daniels must solve a puzzling serial killer cold case.
The Executioner Box and Wicked Jenny by Matt Hilton ($29.99, 9781448315826, 10/7/25; $16.99, 9781448318070, 10/21/25) are scary stories based on folktales.
All Spooked Up by E.J. Copperman ($29.99, 9781448315208, 11/4/25) finds the new owner of a paint store dealing with her deceased father's ghost.
Tails from the Crypt by Sarah Fox ($29.99, 9781448315765, 9/2/25) is the third Magical Menagerie mystery, in which a Maine animal sanctuary prepares for Halloween.
French Quarter Fright Night by Ellen Byron ($18.99, 9781448316502) is the third Vintage Cookbook mystery, in which Halloween arrives at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum in New Orleans.
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe (Paula Wiseman Books, $19.99, 9781534478206, 8/19/25) is a picture book featuring a ghost in Aggie's new (and haunted) house who challenges Aggie to an epic game of tic-tac-toe, with the winner getting the house.
If Looks Could Kill by Julie Berry ($21.99, 9781534470811, 9/16/25) is set in 1888, when Jack the Ripper flees London police for New York City, where he's hunted by--Medusa.
Jazzy the Witch in Broom Doom by Jessixa Bagley ($14.99, 9781665922326, 7/15/25) is the first in a new graphic novel series about a charming young witch who is less excited by magic and more by learning how to ride a bicycle.
Troubling Tonsils! by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown ($13.99, 9781665961080, 9/2/25) is the first in the Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales! spin-off series about Charlie Marmot and his unusual tonsils. From the creators of Creepy Carrots!
Sourcebooks
The Most Unusual Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish ($17.99, 9781464238741, 9/9/25) is a spooky queer romance about a haunted house tour guide in New Orleans.
Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen ($17.99, 9781728281575) takes places in the 1880s and follows twin sisters whose lives turn to horror after the discovery of a bog body nearby.
Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley ($17.99, 9781464238208, 9/2/25) turns a spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree into a slasher thriller.
How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold ($17.99, 9781464227400) unites seven authors in the haunted manor of a recently deceased horror writer.
The Scariest Story You've Ever Heard! by Ron Keres, illus. by Arthur Lin ($13.95, 9798985911237) is a picture book about two brothers during a power outage.
How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead, illus. by Megan Joyce ($10.99, 9781728210353) is a picture book about stopping a witch from opening portals on Halloween.
Booook! A Spooky High-Contrast Book: Stimulating Seasonal Sensory Play for Infant Development ($7.99, 9781728279442).
More Sourcebooks titles are available on this Edelweiss list.
Thomas & Mercer
How to Fake a Haunting by Christa Carmen ($16.99, 9781662530746, 10/7/25). A woman trying to fake a haunting to scare off her husband encounters real terrors.
Tiger Tales
These spooky/cute board and picture books will give young readers a sense of the Halloween season:
Noisy Halloween: My First Touch and Feel Sound Book by Hettie Cox ($14.99, 9781664351332)
Can You Find the Black Cat? by Danielle McLean ($8.99, 9781664351561)
Magic Flashlight: Ghost Hunt by Isabel Otter, illus. by Kathryn Selbert ($12.99, 9781664351615)
Hairy Scary Halloween by Becky Davies, illus. by Laura Deo ($8.99, 9781664351691)
Grumpkin by Nicola Edwards, illus. by Siân Roberts ($9.99, 9781664352001)
Stop That Witch! by Alastair Heim, illus. by Migy Blanco ($10.99, 9781664300699)
No More Mr. Mice Guy by Fiona Ross ($18.99, 9781664300743)
Tor
The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw (Tor Nightfire, $29.99, 9781250877819, 7/22/25) is set at a school for world eaters and apocalypse markers. On graduation day faculty members feast on the student body--and Alessa Li and other students, trapped in the school library, need to work together to survive.
What Stalks the Deep by T. Kingfisher (Tor Nightfire, $19.99, 9781250354921, 9/30/25) is the latest installment in the Sworn Soldiers series, in which Alex Easton must visit an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia that's reputed to be haunted.
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones (Tor Nightfire, $13.99, 9781250406026, 4/29/25) is a journey through a young boy's haunted home.
American Rapture by CJ Leede (Tor Nightfire, $18.99, 9781250857941, 9/16/25) is a new apocalyptic novel about the end of the world as we know it.
The White Guy Dies First: 13 Scary Stories of Fear and Power edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker (Tor Teen, $14.99, 9781250861276, 8/19/25) contains 13 chilling tales by 13 author of color in which, indeed, the white guy dies first.
Tundra Books
The Witching Hour by Jennifer Harris, illus. by Adelina Lirius ($18.99, 9781774884409, 6/24/25). A family of witches tries to entertain a cranky baby.
The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler ($18.99, 9781774885376, 8/26/25). A ghost that is a quilt and warm in the holiday season wants to help his ghost friends who are sheets warm up so they can enjoy the season, too.
The Whisperings by Joel A. Sutherland ($19.99, 9781774881019, 8/5/25). A haunted house tale for teen readers by the master of the macabre.
Vampire Jam Sandwich by Casey Lyall, illus. by Nici Gregory ($18.99, 9781774883464, 7/1/25). A vampire jam sandwich seeks more and more jam.
The Mystery of the Haunted Dance Hall by Charis Cotter ($17.99, 9781774885550, 5/13/25). Two girls at summer camp in the '60s investigate strange occurrences.
University of Minnesota Press
The University of Minnesota Press is running a Ghosts and Monsters sale until November 1, with 30% off select spooky titles. Some of the books on sale include The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Takehiko Fukunaga, Yoshie Hotta, and Shin'ichiro Nakamura (available in English for the first time), The Horror Theory Reader by Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock, and Capitalism Hates You by Joshua Gooch.
Walker Books Australia
My Dad Thinks He's a Scream by Katrina Germein, illus. by Tom Jellet ($18.99, 9781761601606) is a picture book about a family going trick-or-treating (includes dad jokes).
Wiley/Capstone
Dracula: The Gothic Classic by Bram Stoker ($18.99, 9781907312571) and Frankenstein: The Gothic Classic by Mary Shelley ($18.99, 9781907312588).
There are also several new additions to the Dummies occult line of guide books:
Modern Witchcraft For Dummies by Lorraine Monteagut ($24.99, 9781394303632)
Tarot & Oracle Card Reading For Dummies by Charles Harrington ($19.99, 9781394329977)
Astrology For Dummies by Rae Orion ($24.99, 9781119594161)
Ghost-Hunting For Dummies by Zak Bagans ($29.99, 9781119584759)