As the weather continues to transition from summer into autumn, October brings fall festivals, pumpkin carving, and trick-or-treating. The books I’ve chosen for this month’s favorites focus on the gifts of autumn and the fun of sharing them with others. Enjoy!

“Pumpkin Countdown” written by Joan Holub and illustrated by Jan Smith (Copyright 2012, Albert Whitman & Company) is a counting book told in rhyme about a class field trip to a farmer’s pumpkin patch. Each busy, fun-filled page is colorfully illustrated with information that is sure to teach readers of any age something new about pumpkins. If you’ve ever been on a school field trip to a pumpkin patch, this book will bring back memories for you.

“A Pumpkin Prayer” written by Amy Parker and illustrated by Kirsten Richards (Copyright 2011, Tommy Nelson division of Thomas Nelson Publishers) is a board book in the “A Time to Pray” series of books. Simple verse combines with sweet illustrations for a thankful tribute to the many blessings of autumn. This is a wonderful read-aloud book to share with toddlers.

“Click, Clack, Boo! A Tricky Treat” written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated in watercolor by Betsy Lewin (Copyright 2013, Atheneum Books for Young Readers) has Farmer Brown’s barnyard animals up to mischief again, just in time for Halloween. Since Farmer Brown doesn’t like Halloween, he decides to go to bed early. This page-turner has Farmer Brown hearing many ordinary sounds that seem spooky to him on Halloween night. When one of those sounds is a “quack, quack, quackle,” he decides it’s time to investigate and discovers a surprise in the barn.

“Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt” written by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and illustrated by Marc Simont (Copyright 1989, Coward-McCann; reissued 2005, Yearling imprint of Random House) is one of many vintage Nate the Great mysteries. Readers tag along as kid-detective Nate the Great and his faithful dog, Sludge follow the clues to solve a Halloween mystery about a missing cat belonging to his friend, Rosamond. This edition has added activity pages (by Emily Costello and Jody Wheeler) that are filled with jokes, facts, recipes, and other activities for Halloween.

Other favorite titles that focus on the fun of the season without being scary include “Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins” and “Snowmen at Halloween.” “Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins” written and illustrated by James Deen (Copyright 2015, Harper imprint of Harper Collins Publishers) presents a Pete-themed illustrated version of the well-known classic children’s song. “Snowmen at Halloween” written by Caralyn Buehner and beautifully illustrated by Mark Buehner (Copyright 2019, Dial Books for Young Readers division of Penguin Random House) is the newest of several collaborations by this husband-and-wife team presenting the antics of snowmen when no one is watching them.

Happy Reading!