LeBron James talks Halloween, reading and his new kids' book: Plus, more spooky reads to shop
Halloween books are an easy way to get kids excited for spooky season, whether they love friendly ghosts and silly monsters or are finally ready for stories that deliver a few real scares.
And this year, LeBron James is adding a new title to the Halloween bookshelf with "Happy Spooky Halloween!," a picture book about a school Halloween party.
"I love everything about Halloween, the decorations, the traditions and just the overall energy that comes with it," the NBA star told ABC News in an email interview. "The goal was to put all of those elements in a story for kids to enjoy, and to create a book that kids and families could read every year when Halloween rolls around."
The story follows Zara and her friends as they arrive at a Halloween party thrown by the older students at Hickory Elementary, only to find that some of the festivities are a little too scary. Eventually, the older and younger kids work together to create a celebration everyone can enjoy.
James, a dad of three, said his own experience as a parent helped shape the way he approached the story.
"What I learned early on is that every kid is different," he said. "What works for one may not work for another. You have to be in tune with how each one responds to certain situations and be mindful of how you approach them."
James also hopes the book can reach kids who may not naturally gravitate toward reading. He said that's something he remembers from his own childhood, when the right book could make all the difference.
"I can remember when I was little and learning how to read, how excited I would get about the books that were interesting to me," James said, adding that he especially loved author R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" children's horror series.
"The biggest win for 'Happy Spooky Halloween!' would be to have a kid who may not enjoy reading reach for this book,' he said. 'Right alongside the candy, the decorations, the music and the movies, I hope 'Happy Spooky Halloween!' can become part of those core Halloween memories that I still have from my childhood.'
From not-so-scary picture books for little ones to creepy classics for bigger kids, we’ve rounded up some of the top Halloween books to read this spooky season.
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