• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Peanut Blossom
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Book Club
  • Cookbooks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • ABOUT
  • RECIPES
  • HOLIDAYS
  • BOOK CLUB
  • COOKBOOKS
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • ABOUT
    • RECIPES
    • HOLIDAYS
    • BOOK CLUB
    • COOKBOOKS
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Blog » Family Fun Night

    8 Halloween Movies Based on Books {Not Too Scary}

    Published: Oct 24, 2022 by Tiffany Dahle · This post may contain affiliate links.

    • Share
    • Email Friend!

    Halloween movies based on books you've read together with your family are a great way to celebrate the season. These not too scary Halloween movies are perfect for kids ages 8 and up.

    A stack of Halloween books with a pumpkin on top.

    We love to celebrate holidays with a family movie night but Halloween can be especially tricky to find just the right movie to enjoy with kids who don't like things too scary.

    These Halloween movies based on books that I took the time to read with my kids before watching the movie are a great way to prep them for the plot and make sure they are comfortable with the material before you watch.

    It also makes for a lively discussion on which one was better: the movie or the book?

    For this list of Halloween movies, I definitely have kids age 8 and up in mind. The perfect age for read-aloud time!

    Looking for Halloween books to read or tasty Halloween snacks for the movie night?

    • A collage of Halloween picture books for reading out loud to kids.
      Delightful Halloween Books for Kids
    • A bowl of popcorn has witch legs on the bowl.
      Easy Halloween Snacks for Movie Night

    There are plenty of cute cartoony Halloween movies for the littlest ones, but finding something a little more thrilling but not full blown horror is a lot harder for the bigger kids and tweens in your life.

    These movies have varying degrees of scary but are still meant for kids.

    What scares every kid is a little different, so be sure to do a double check on CommonSenseMedia.org for your own peace of mind. 

    Halloween Movies Based on Books

    The Witches

    This might be my favorite book/movie combo on this whole list.

    I'm an enormous fan of Roald Dahl. The Witches is one of my favorite books.

    The movie has a few intense moments but the witches are deliciously scary.

    We'll be watching this movie this year and I can't wait.

    If you want, you can read the book first.

    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

    Obviously. This wasn't too much of a stretch.

    You can never go wrong with everyone's favorite boy wizard.

    Little Pea hasn't finished the first book yet, so we are still holding off on the movie for her.

    Wondering if your kid is ready? My thoughts on when to read Harry Potter to kids here.

    Coraline

    My girls both think this movie is quite a bit intense on the creepy scale, but the animation of it is amazing.

    I had no idea that it is based on a book, too.

    I think we have to do this movie/book combo in reverse. We've already seen the movie but I'd love to check out the book.

    The Spiderwick Chronicles

    We stumbled upon this movie on Amazon a few weeks ago and I had forgotten how enjoyable it is.

    (It comes as part of the Starz subscription if you're an Outlander fan!)

    My girls were riveted and the movie is still a ton of fun for the adults. They were definitely inspired to look up the book, it's actually a trilogy.

    You can read the book first, too.

    A Wrinkle in Time

    On the surface of it this doesn't seem like a "Halloween" movie, but A Wrinkle in Time is perfect for the season.

    It opens with the famous line: "It was a dark and stormy night. . . " and features a trio of witches and plenty of magic.

    Bonus points: It was one of my most favorite books when I was in 4th grade and my girls loved listening to it before the movie came out this year.

    If you haven't read it with your kids yet, we highly recommend it.
    Get the book here.

    A Series of Unfortunate Events

    Ok, this isn't really a "movie" but it would still make for a phenomenal family movie party.

    Have you seen the series on Netflix with Neil Patrick Harris?? OMG, it is sooooo well done.

    The girls and I listened to the fantastic audio version of book 1 this summer and they were tickled pink with the Netflix show after.

    They are faithfully making each of the books into the show, so this is a great series for your family, Halloween or not.

    The audiobook is AMAZING.

    The Worst Witch

    This super cute series is a Netflix Original.

    The girls and I have really enjoyed the show and I was happy to discover it is based on a series of books.

    The book may be a better choice for independent reading for your kids, but the storyline is totally fun for those who enjoy Harry Potter but would like to see more girl characters.

    Get the book here.

    Goosebumps

    I asked friends over on Instagram about their favorite Halloween movies to watch with kids and a reader suggested Goosebumps with Jack Black as her family's favorite.

    I loved this series of books as a kid, so this is a natural fit for the list!

    A photo collage shows several movie posters.

    More Family Fun Night

    • A wicker picnic basket with white flowers and a bottle of water with fresh fruit sits on a picnic blanket outside.
      What to Pack for a Picnic: 45 Easy Recipes
    • A photo collage shows a table set with ground beef taco fillings and tortilla shells on a pan next to alternative taco tuesday recipes ideas.
      30 Taco Tuesday Recipes for a Family Fiesta
    • Hands reaching in to take slices of pizza on a family table.
      53 Family Dinner Questions that Make ANY Meal Special
    • A photo collage shows the movie posters for 4 movies set in Paris that are ok for kids.
      10 Family-Friendly Movies Set in Paris

    Reader Interactions

    Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Tiffany!
    I believe a great family recipe is one that makes everyone at the table happy, not just the kids. I'm the author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids that are chock full of recipes everyone in your family will love. I'm also the hostess of the best online book club for moms.

    More about me →

    What's Trending Now

    • A wicker picnic basket with white flowers and a bottle of water with fresh fruit sits on a picnic blanket outside.
      What to Pack for a Picnic: 45 Easy Recipes
    • The photo collage shows several one pot dinner ideas using a skillet or dutch oven.
      55 One Pot Dinner Ideas for Busy Nights
    • A bottle of Mike's Hot Honey is in a photo collage next to 3 recipes it could be used in.
      20 Hot Honey Recipes You Have to Try
    • A white bowl is filled with classic macaroni salad that has onions, red pepper, and celery peeking out of the dressing.
      Southern Macaroni Salad

    Popular

    • A freezer-friendly metal pan holds an 8x8-inch apple crisp with crumble topping.
      Freezer Friendly Apple Crisp
    • A stack of the best books for book club in 2023
      Best Book Club Picks 2023
    • A taco salad made with mini frozen tacos.
      10-minute Trader Joe's Meals
    • A photo collage shows a table set with ground beef taco fillings and tortilla shells on a pan next to alternative taco tuesday recipes ideas.
      30 Taco Tuesday Recipes for a Family Fiesta
    • A collage of easy dinners for busy nights.
      30 Quick Dinners for Busy Nights
    • A photo collages shows several easy dinner ideas kids could make.
      Easy Dinner Ideas for Yo-Yo Nights {You're On Your Own!}
    • A meal train dinner kit featuring supplies for tacos sits in an aluminum tray for delivery.
      30 Clever Meal Train Ideas with Recipes
    • Harry Potter themed snacks are in a platter with a witch hat sitting next to an open copy of a Harry Potter book.
      21 Harry Potter Snacks for Movie Night

    Footer

    As Seen On

    The Taste of Home Logo
    The Pioneer Woman Logo
    The Country Living Logo
    The Buzzfeed logo
    The Good Housekeeping Logo

    About

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Contact
    Privacy Policy
    Disclaimer
    Terms of Service

    Favorites

    Bread Recipes
    Soup Recipes
    Quick Dinner Recipes
    Harry Potter Fan Club
    Reading with Kids

    Holidays

    Easter Recipes
    Catholic Celebrations
    Thanksgiving Recipes
    Christmas Recipes

    Recipes

    Appetizers
    Dinners
    Main Dishes
    Salads
    Side Dishes
    Desserts
    Brunch
    Homemade Pantry

    ↑ back to top

    Copyright © 2023