Classic Halloween Movies Based on Books

With Halloween just a couple of days away, I thought it would be fun to share some classic Halloween movies based on books. 

Since most of my favorite childhood Halloween movies were adapted from books, generations of readers have discovered these timeless classics and memorable characters.

So, grab some candy, light your spooky candles, and curl up on the couch with a classic Halloween book or watch a movie based on a book.

It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles Schultz

Who doesn’t love Charlie Brown books and movies? “It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” happens on Halloween and the Peanuts gang is ready to celebrate! Costumes, trick-or-treating, Snoopy’s latest shenanigans, and the wait for the Great Pumpkin are all part of this enchanting storybook.

Author Fun Facts: Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz was an American cartoonist and creator of the Peanuts comic strip for fifty years. He is regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists in history. The last comic strip ran the day after his death on February 12, 2000, since he requested the syndicator allow no other artist to draw Peanuts.

Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Most of us have watched the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman who haunts residents. He’s the ghost of a soldier from the revolutionary war. New schoolmaster Ichabod Crane encounters the ghoul, and the legend lives on. As a young child, I remember fearing Ichabod Crane when watching the movie.

Author Fun Facts: Born in 1783, Washington Irving was an early advocate for writing as a legitimate profession. He argued for stronger laws to protect American writers from copyright infringement. In addition to writing Sleepy Hollow, Irving was best known for being an American short-story writer and author of Rip Van Winkle. 

Casper by Seymour Reit

In addition to being a friendly ghost, Casper is a beloved character that delighted comic book lovers for years. His stories aren’t strictly Halloween based, but his ghostly group of friends makes for year-round reading.

Author Fun Facts: Casper the Friendly Ghost was created for a 1939 children's book written by Seymour Reit and illustrated by Joe Oriolo. While Reit was away on military service during World War II before the book's release, Oriolo sold the book rights to Paramount Pictures for a total of $175. This one-time payment was all that he received, missing out on a share of the revenue earned from the films, comic books, and merchandise to come. Paramount adapted it into a movie, released in 1945.  

Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton

The Nightmare Before Christmas comes to life in this picture book by Tim Burton. Jack Skellington and his crew are sick of Halloweentown so they decide to capture Santa and fill his shoes.

There is some debate about if this is a Halloween book OR a Christmas book. The answer is to keep it out for both holidays.

Author Fun Facts: The Nightmare Before Christmas originated in a poem written by the author, artist, and filmmaker Tim Burton in 1982 while he was working as an animator at Walt Disney Productions. A movie was produced in 1993. Burton also created Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands.

Goosebumps by R. L. Stine

Is there a child from the 80s and 90s who didn’t read goosebumps stories? The whole series has different scary stories that are sure to keep your kids up at night. A movie and television series was created based on the Goosebumps books.

Author Fun Facts: Robert Lawrence Stine is an American novelist, short story writer, television producer, screenwriter, and editor. He is considered the "Stephen King of children's literature" and is the author of hundreds of horror fiction novels, including the books in the Fear Street, Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, and The Nightmare Room series. As of 2008, Stine's books have sold over 400 million copies.

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snickets

If you’re looking for something villainous this Halloween, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events book series has inspired both a film and a Netflix series, so take your pick as to whether you want to see the Baudelaire orphans face off against Count Olaf for only two hours or something closer to twenty-five hours.

Author Fun Facts: Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American author Daniel Handler who has published several children's books under the name,^[3] most notably A Series of Unfortunate Events, which sold over 60 million copies and spawned a 2004 film and TV series from 2017 to 2019. Lemony Snicket’s pen name’s similarity to Jiminy Cricket was likely a Freudian slip.

Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key

Paranormal orphans Tony and Tia have to run away from evil forces trying to come after them. As they begin to understand their past, they start to understand the root of their powers. Will they be able to make sense of it all before they are captured?

Author Fun Facts: Escape to Witch Mountain is a science fiction novel written by Alexander Key in 1968. It was adapted for film by Disney as Escape to Witch Mountain in 1975 which spawned the Witch Mountain franchise. Born in 1904 in Maryland, Key faced many obstacles in his youth. After the family moved to Florida, their sawmill and cotton gin were burned by night riders shortly before his father's death. When his mother died in an accident when he was 15, he attended 14 different schools and was raised by various relatives.