Candlewick Press and Holiday House have a handful of new titles aimed at young readers this Halloween season, spanning vampire girls, vampire cats, witch-land adventures, and a spooky-themed Where’s Waldo? activity book — a solid haul for families looking to build out the spooky shelf.
The most anticipated of the batch is Maud and the Very Eventful Week (Candlewick Press, ages 5–8, on sale July 28, 2026), an illustrated chapter book from author-illustrator Lisa Anchin. Maud is a little vampire navigating a week of gently gothic adventures: a haunted teapot, a sidewalk spider stand, a ghost family commandeering her dollhouse, and a visit to Agnes the witch. Kirkus Reviews gave it a starred review, calling it “cozy, witty, and brimming with charm — a perfect introduction to chapter books for spooky-loving young readers.” The Horn Book also starred it, praising Anchin’s “self-assured protagonist” and “just-creepy-enough pictures.”
On the graphic novel side, Pumpkin and Beetle: Super Secret Garden (Holiday House, ages 7–10, on sale September 29, 2026) follows two vampire cat best friends — they sleep during the day, eat only red foods, and attend school at night — as a mysterious buried treasure unleashes carnivorous vines across their town. Author-illustrator Jannie Ho’s previous work includes projects for Nickelodeon, Scholastic, and TIME for Kids. School Library Journal calls it “a silly, sweet story about meeting obstacles with aplomb.”
For the puzzle-inclined, Where’s Waldo? Spooky Spot the Difference (Candlewick, ages 5–9, already on sale) drops Waldo into a Halloween setting packed with zombies, ghosts, vampires, and spot-the-difference challenges.
Rounding out the lineup: Unicorn Rescuers: Adventure in Witch Land (Candlewick, ages 5–7, on sale September 8, 2026), the second entry in Ana Punset’s full-color series, sends three young heroes into a realm of expert-liar witches where nobody is allowed to fly.
