Spooktacular books to read over the Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year. There’s so much to be thankful for. Not only do I get to spend HOURS with my family—many of my extended family members, too!—and I get to eat great food (seriously, my grandma makes a perfect turkey) but I ALSO have extra time to READ. 

And what better to read than SPOOKY stories?

Halloween is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER (yes!), and when I’m not designing this year’s costume or writing a thrilling new short story to celebrate the day, I’m READING. 

So what’s on my toppling To-Be-Read list? Well, a lot of old favourites to be honest. But, here are my five Halloween-ish recommendations:

1. My Teacher is an Alien by Bruce Coville — Admit it, there are times you wonder if your teacher is from another planet, right? Especially when you’re assigned homework on the WEEKEND or given a pop quiz! This funny Halloween book will make you especially suspicious of substitute teachers.
2. The Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine — Or, anything by R.L. Stine, really. When it comes to writing “safe scares” for kids, this author is a master. If you haven’t read any of the books in his Goosebumps or Fear Street series, get reading—there are hundreds of them!
3. Roald Dahl’s Book of Ghost Stories — Everyone knows that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of my favourite books, and I’ll read anything by Roald Dahl. While this book isn’t filled with his stories, it’s a great collection of spooky tales by authors he admired. Any friend of Roald Dahl’s is a friend of mine!
4. Teacher’s Pet by Richie Tankersley Cusick — The cover of this book alone is scary, but I dare you not to speed-read through each thrilling page until you get to the surprise twist that will leave you shocked!
5. Beneath the Soil by Dawn Ius & James Grasdal — Okay, maybe I’m a bit biased because this is a Superman Duffy comic, but it’s really spooktacular! Spiders, bugs, amoeba…you’ll be surprised—and maybe disgusted—by what * I * find…beneath the soil. (Order your copy from the Alberta Canola Producers’ Commission via the website at www.learncanola.com.)

So, what did I miss? Leave your suggestions in the comments so we can build the best and biggest list of Halloween reads ever!

Gotta jet. Happy Thanksgiving—and happy Halloween reading! 

~ Chase Superman Duffy