September 18, 2026
Here's this year's picks for your Spooky Season Syllabus! Also, I don't want to hear any complaints about how many cat books are on this list. Cats are hot right now. I don't make the rules.
Check out Last Year's Spooky Syllabus HERE
How to Be a Proper Ogre
Kelly DiPucchio and Illustrated by Janie Bynum
Was this my favorite spooky book of the year? Maybe. Will every child love it? Yes. I didn’t even know I needed this handy dandy, hilarious guidebook. I now know how to be a Proper Ogre, and when I read this to my storytime group, they will too.
Frankenkitty
By Maudie Powell-Tuck and Illustrated by Mini Grey
This one took me a second to get into, because I didn’t understand why the family thought the cat was the cause of the problems. And I kind of still don’t. But I love a romp, and this was that!
The Skeleton and the Cat
By Brandon James Scott
OMG. Drag me back in time to when I never read this book so I can read it again. I loved it. I adored it. I wrote something on a similar topic, and it’s out on submission, so I’m also slightly angry. An excellent, warm, perfect cup of tea with a friend kind of book. I’m buying it. And you should too.
Vampurr
By Justin Colón and Illustrated by Lenny Wen
I reviewed Justin on the spooky syllabus last year, so I guess he’s just a spooky kind of guy. And I reviewed Lenny HERE. Lenny is a master at colors. The illustrations were exhilarating. This book did show me that no matter how cute a Vampurr is, I personally don’t want one. My cat Moe draws enough blood from me.
Scritch! Scratch!
By Teri Sloat and Illustrated by Zuzana Cupova
This is a rhyming book, and for some reason I always need to caveat that with my readers. Some of the reviews for this book were all “a safe scare” and “everything was alright,” and I have no idea what they are talking about. With the black and white illustrations and all the buildup of something dreadful happening, I was left thinking… are neglected children being slowly tormented by an unknown and laughing intruder … safe? And yes there is a cat in this book.
Mysterious Mittens: A Moontime Cats Halloween Story
By Jordan Morris and Illustrated by Charlie Mylie
Jordan and Charlie are old hat at collabs, and I think you can tell they had fun with this one. They are also supporters and friends of The Rabbit HOle, as am I, and I reviewed another one of their books HERE. It has cats and turtles experiencing misunderstandings and hijinks, so I’m pretty much going to be on board.
The Princess in Black and the Trick-or-Treating Trouble
By Shannon Hale and Dean Hale and Illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Shannon, Dean, and LeUyen have teamed up once again to give us Princess in Black magic. This is their 12th (!) book in the series, and I do love a holiday-themed book. I liked that this time around, the supporting cast saves the day and everyone gets treats. Even the monsters.
