The Best 8 Picture Books for Halloween and Fall: A Guide for Elementary Teachers

    As the crisp autumn air rolls in and leaves begin to turn, elementary classrooms across the country buzz with excitement for all things fall—and, of course, Halloween. This season offers a golden opportunity to bring rich, seasonal literature into your classroom. Whether you’re celebrating pumpkins, scarecrows, monsters, or the changing seasons, there are countless picture books that can spark imagination and build literacy skills at the same time.

     This comprehensive guide features the best Halloween and fall-themed picture books for elementary school classrooms, categorized by theme and age level. Each book includes a brief summary and ideas for classroom use—perfect for read-alouds, independent reading, or integrated lessons across content areas.

Fall Themed Picture Books

1. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson

Best for: Grades K–2
Fletcher the fox is worried as the leaves begin to fall from his favorite tree, not understanding that this is a natural part of the seasons.

Classroom connections:

• Discuss seasonal changes and emotions.
  
  

• Have students write about something they were worried about but turned out okay.
  
  

• Pair with a science lesson about deciduous trees.

2. Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson

Best for: Grades 1–3
This nonfiction book explains the pumpkin life cycle with engaging photos and language.

Classroom connections:

• Use for sequencing and vocabulary development.
  
  

• Tie into a plant unit or school garden.
  
  

• Compare with fictional pumpkin stories.

3. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak

Best for: Grades K–2
A gentle transition book that celebrates the shift from summer to fall. The poetic text and dreamy illustrations make it a great choice for calm mornings.

Classroom connections:

• Have students observe and record signs of fall in journals.
  
  

• Write their own “Hello, Goodbye” seasonal poem.
  
  

• Compare with Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter.

4. Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre

Best for: Grades K–3
With vibrant photography and lyrical nonfiction text, this book explores how leaves change in fall.

Classroom connections:

• Integrate into a science unit on photosynthesis.
  
  

• Create a leaf observation station or display.
  
  

• Focus on nonfiction text features.

5. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

Best for: Grades PreK–2
This rhyming tale of a kind-hearted witch who makes room for friends on her broom is a classroom favorite. Full of repetition, rhythm, and fun.

Classroom connections:

• Great for practicing rhyming words and phonological awareness.
  
  

• Retell using puppets or a story sequence chart.
  
  

• Discuss themes of friendship and kindness.

6. Creepy Carrots! by Aaron Reynolds

Best for: Grades K–3
Jasper Rabbit loves carrots—until they start following him. This hilarious story with just the right amount of spookiness keeps kids laughing and guessing.

Classroom connections:

• Teach prediction and inference.
  
  

• Use the unique grayscale/orange color palette as inspiration for art.
  
  

• Write persuasive pieces from the perspective of the carrots.

7. The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey

Best for: Grades 1–3
Oscar, the dachshund, is teased for his hotdog costume—until he becomes a Halloween hero. A funny, heartfelt story about embracing individuality.

Classroom connections:

• Discuss bullying and acceptance.
  
  

• Have students design their own creative Halloween costumes and write about them.
  
  

• Compare with other underdog (or “underdog”) stories.

8. Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

Best for: Grades PreK–2
A witch grows a huge pumpkin but can’t pull it off the vine. It takes teamwork from a ghost, vampire, mummy, and bat to solve the problem.

Classroom connections:

• Act out the story with props or puppets.
  
  

• Practice sequencing and cumulative story structure.
  
  

• Introduce problem-solving and teamwork discussions.

Literacy and Writing Extensions

Looking to go beyond the read-aloud? Here are some ways to extend these picture books into full literacy lessons:

Writing Prompts

• “If I were a pumpkin, I would…”
  
  

• “My spooky (but silly) monster friend…”
  
  

• “A leaf’s journey through fall.”
  
  

• “The day I flew on a broomstick…”
  
  

Reading Skills Focus

• Sequencing: Big Pumpkin, Leaf Man, Pumpkin Circle
  
  

• Character Analysis: The Hallo-Wiener, Bonaparte Falls Apart
  
  

• Cause and Effect: Creepy Carrots, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
  
  

• Inferencing: Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, The Ugly Pumpkin
  
  

Vocabulary Activities

• Create a seasonal word wall (acorns, hayride, eerie, harvest, spooky, etc.).
  
  

• Highlight onomatopoeia and sound words in The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything.
  
  

• Explore descriptive adjectives using pumpkin-themed stories.
  
  

 Fall-Themed Literacy Centers Ideas

• Pumpkin Patch Sight Word Hunt – Hide laminated pumpkins around the room with sight words for students to read aloud.
  
  

• Rhyming Cauldron – Sort rhyming word cards into a “witch’s cauldron.”
  
  

• Fall Book Retell Station – Use sequencing cards and props to retell books like Big Pumpkin or Room on the Broom.
  
  

• Adjective Apple Tree – Have students pick “apples” with nouns and describe them with adjectives.
  
  

• Build a Story Bag – Fill a bag with fall objects (scarecrow, broom, leaf, pumpkin) and challenge students to write a creative story using them all.
  
  

Making the Most of the Season

     The magic of fall and Halloween can turn even the most reluctant readers into engaged listeners and storytellers. Picture books are the perfect gateway—offering visual storytelling, rich language, and opportunities for imagination. When thoughtfully chosen, seasonal books help build vocabulary, reinforce story elements, and invite meaningful discussions.

     Whether you’re decorating your classroom for Halloween, heading on a nature walk, or prepping for a costume day celebration, these books will help you create memorable literacy moments all season long.

Final Thoughts

     Fall is a time for reflection, change, and wonder—all powerful themes for young readers. By bringing the best Halloween and fall-themed picture books into your classroom, you’ll cultivate joy, curiosity, and literacy skills in ways that will stay with your students long after the leaves have fallen.

     So grab your scarf, pour a warm mug of cider, and get ready to fall into a good book with your class this season. Happy reading and happy fall!

6 Creative Ways to Use Google Apps in Your Elementary Classroom

Technology has transformed the modern classroom, and Google’s suite of free tools—Google Apps for Education—has become a staple for many teachers. With a bit of creativity, Google Apps can do more than streamline your paperwork; they can open up new ways for your students to learn, create, and collaborate. Whether you teach 1st grade or 5th grade, there are meaningful, age-appropriate ways to integrate Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, Jamboard, and Google Classroom into your daily lessons.

In this post, we’ll explore over a dozen ideas to help you make the most of Google Apps in your elementary classroom. These ideas are designed to build critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration—while keeping learning fun and manageable for younger students.

1. Google Docs for Shared Writing and Peer Editing

Collaborative storytelling:
Set up a Google Doc for small groups to co-write a story. You can give them a prompt (like “A dragon visits our school”) and assign each student to write a paragraph or dialogue. The “comment” feature is great for gentle peer editing.

Class newsletter:
Have students contribute articles, jokes, artwork, or book reviews to a shared Google Doc that becomes your monthly class newsletter. You can format it together, then share it with parents.

Writing conferences:
Use Google Docs to provide direct feedback. Leave comments on students’ drafts so they can revise their work. You can also teach them how to use “suggesting mode” so they learn to give constructive feedback to peers.

2. Google Slides for Presentations & Portfolios

Animal or state reports:
Assign students to create a short Google Slides presentation on an animal, state, or historical figure. They can add text, pictures, and even embed a short video or a voice recording.

Digital portfolios:
Throughout the year, have students add samples of their work, reflections, and photos of projects to a personal Google Slides portfolio. By the end of the year, they’ll have a keepsake to show their growth.

Interactive stories:
Let students create a “choose your own adventure” story in Slides by linking buttons to different slides. This builds both writing and tech skills.

3. Google Sheets for Early Data & Math Activities

Graphing class data:
Create a simple survey in Google Forms (like favorite ice cream flavor), then have Sheets generate charts. This is a fun way to teach graph reading and interpreting data.

Math fact trackers:
Use Sheets to set up a basic math facts progress tracker. Students can color cells to show mastery of addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division facts.

Calendar math:
Older students can use Sheets to build a digital calendar. Challenge them to use simple formulas to calculate dates or count down to holidays.

4. Google Forms for Quick Assessments & Surveys

Reading logs:
Have students complete a quick Google Form each time they finish a book, recording the title, author, and a one-sentence summary. You’ll get an organized spreadsheet of their reading.

Exit tickets:
At the end of a lesson, students can fill out a Google Form answering questions like: “What did you learn today?” or “What was confusing?” This gives you instant feedback.

Class voting:
Use Forms for simple polls—like choosing a class reward, a book to read next, or a spirit day theme. It teaches democratic decision-making and data collection.

5. Google Classroom for Organization & Communication

Homework hub:
Post homework assignments, reminders, and links to resources in Google Classroom. Parents appreciate having a one-stop shop for class updates.

Digital turn-in:
Students can upload photos of their math work or submit writing assignments directly in Classroom. It cuts down on lost papers and gives you a digital record.

Morning messages:
Use the stream in Classroom to post daily greetings or fun discussion questions. Students can reply and start their day engaged.

6. Collaborative Projects Across Apps

Research projects:
Students can gather notes in a shared Google Doc, organize data in Sheets, then present in Slides. Using multiple Google tools shows them how different types of digital tools work together.

Class books:
Have each student create one slide in a shared Slides deck (for example, “My favorite animal”) that becomes a class e-book you can present or print.

Virtual pen pals:
Connect with another class (even in your own school). Use Docs to write letters, Slides to create photo scrapbooks, or Forms to send fun quizzes to your buddy class.

Final Thoughts

Integrating Google Apps doesn’t have to mean screens all day. It’s about using technology intentionally to boost creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. By starting small—perhaps with a class story in Google Docs or a math graph in Sheets—you’ll see how quickly your students become confident digital creators. Over time, they’ll develop skills that go far beyond keyboarding or formatting—they’ll learn to research, analyze, create, and communicate effectively, setting them up for lifelong learning.

So the next time you open your lesson plan book, think about how you might layer in a Google App. You’ll likely find it makes learning more engaging and your teaching more efficient—and it can even lighten your paper load. Happy teaching!