HOURLY NEWS

NPR 24 Hour Program Stream

LISTEN On Air Now
LIVE
PLAYLIST

DONATE

ARTS & LIFE

Need some new Halloween movies and books for

your kids? Do come in (mwah-ha-ha)
October 26, 2021 · 5:31 PM ET

ELIZABETH BLAIR

Gonzo in Muppets Haunted Mansion.

Mitch Haaseth/Disney

Kids are under plenty of stress these days, absorbing grownups' various real-world
anxieties, not to mention wearing masks long before picking out their Halloween
costumes. If you're looking for age-appropriate distractions that won't give them
nightmares, we've got you covered.

Children's author and illustrator Jorge Lacera and Common Sense Media's Senior TV
Editor Polly Conway offer a selection of their favorite new books and TV shows, with
varying degrees of spookiness. Repeat, new — not the beloved classics that should be
on any list of Halloween kids' fare. Looking at you, Great Pumpkin.

THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Get the candy bowl ready. Dr. Fauci says Halloween is a go this year

"It's fun to get a little scared," says Conway, "but it's also nice to feel safe and to have
your family around and know that nothing bad is really going to happen to you."

For Lacera, what makes the Halloween season special is that "we get to play with
feelings and emotions that we don't normally get to put next to each other." Emotions
like joy, fear, even a bit of sadness fill the stories below.

MOVIES
'Squid Game' too much? Consider the softer side of scary with these movies

What to watch, from Polly Conway, senior TV editor for

Common Sense Media
Muppets Haunted Mansion, 2021, 9+, Disney+

"Muppets Haunted Mansion is a really fun musical special starring a bunch of super
cool guest stars. ... It's sort of a return to form for The Muppets. The Muppets have
tried a bunch of different things in the last few years, and not everything has stuck. But
I think there's something about the special that really harkens back to the classic
Muppet Show vibe."
Taraji P. Henson and Pepe the King Prawn in Muppets Haunted Mansion.
Mitch Haaseth/Disney

A Tale Dark and Grimm, 2021, 11+, Netflix

Based on the Adam Gidwitz book series of the same name, A Tale Dark and Grimm is
an irreverent, darkly humorous retelling of classic Brothers Grimm stories starring
such comedians as Ron Funches, Nicole Byer and Scott Adsit. Conway says, "It's pretty
scary. ... Kids who don't want to watch something for babies will be pleased with this
one. ... There are tons of great comedians who are doing voices." Plus, "any time you
can hear Ron Funches laugh is a good time."

The Ghost and Molly McGee, 7+, Disney Channel

Conway calls this new series "something for the younger kids who want to feel a little
bit scared, but maybe are not quite ready for the big stuff." Eternally optimistic Molly
is a teenager whose family has finally moved into their forever home. She's thrilled.
Cranky ghost Scratch who lives in the attic, not so much. "It's really about the
relationship between her and this ghost and how they figure out how to live together.
It's really cute ... pretty to watch. ... It's not necessarily a Halloween pick, but it has a
Halloween vibe."

Just Beyond, 2021, 9+, Disney+

"This is like an X-Files for kids," says Conway. Based on graphic novels by R.L. Stine
(Goosebumps), "It tells all kinds of different spooky stories from kind of a science
fiction bent." Despite the eerie trailer, "It's hilarious and interesting for adults, and
kids are really going to enjoy the stories." Conway promises, "There's some scariness,
but there is not gore."

What to read, from author/illustrator Jorge Lacera

The House of Madame M by Clotilde Perrin, 5-9
Courtesy of Gecko Press

The House of Madame M is "a really fun, unusual book," says Lacera. "It's very light
on plot because you're literally interacting with Madame M's House." And, yes, it's
haunted. If they dare, readers lift up flaps to find out what's there. "You're told that,
'Oh, please come in and check this place, you know, come in from the cold. But if
you're going to check this place out, be sure not to touch anything.' And, of course, it's
a popup book with a bunch of interactive flaps." Lacera says he and his wife and
creative partner Megan love this book for "the beauty of the illustrations, but also the
cleverness of the popup elements."

There's a Ghost in This House by Oliver Jeffers, 4-8

Another haunted house tour, in There's a Ghost in This House "the narrator is
convinced that their house is haunted. But only the reader knows the truth because
there's a clever use of clear vellum sheets so that as you turn the page, it reveals that
there's all these ghosts that are actually hanging around all over this little girl's house,"
says Lacera, "how they're hiding in different nooks and crannies and doing fun and
silly things." There's more about the book's creation in this recent NPR interview with
the author.

Pony by R.J. Palacio, 10+

R.J. Palacio "is a big deal in our house due to Wonder," says Lacera. Pony, which takes
place in the 1700s, is an "immediately enthralling tale that includes ghosts and
courage. It's about a boy whose father goes missing and it's his quest to get his dad
back. ... He has this relationship with a ghost who is very much present in the story
and sort of has this cool, spooky edge to it. But it's also this wonderful story of courage.
... It's got that feeling of a modern classic."

A little ghoulish night music, anyone?

POP CULTURE HAPPY HOUR
For grown-ups: The scary movies and books that still haunt us

If you need to get up and move around after all of that reading and watching, Elizabeth
Blair recommends the new vinyl release of Andrew Gold's 1996 album Halloween
Howls: Fun and Scary Music. Like a zombie that just won't die, the track "Spooky
Scary Skeletons" has risen from the dead multiple times: A YouTuber paired Gold's
original version with a 1929 Disney cartoon, and the Undead Tombstone Remix
spawned a gazillion TikTok videos including one by Will Smith. The new vinyl reissue
includes artwork by Jess Rotter. She tells NPR, "The world needs to feel silly and get
lost in the fun of Halloween. This was the perfect record to boogie with as the
soundtrack. I had that in mind creating the artwork: feeling free and getting lost in a
holiday where you can briefly escape yourself and the everyday."

Andrew Gold - Spooky, Scary Skeletons (Undead Tombstone Remix) (Official A…

A…
 YouTube

More Stories From NPR

BOOK NEWS & FEATURES

The Summer Reader Poll Returns: Tell Us Your Favorite New Sci-Fi And Fantasy Books
NATIONAL
Mister Rogers is surrounded by kids in a Florida college's new statue

TV REVIEWS
'The Morning Show' recap: An Italian cascade of talking, sex and dangerous driving
FINE ART
A midcentury 'jazz witch' artist finds a fandom in the future

ARTS & LIFE

New York City's Village Halloween Parade comes back to life, saved by a serious fan
BOOKS
Zakiya Dalila Harris and Oliver Jeffers talk about different kinds of hauntings

Popular on NPR.org

GLOBAL HEALTH
COVID's endgame: Scientists have a clue about where SARS-CoV-2 is headed
HEALTH
ERs are now swamped with seriously ill patients — but many don't even have COVID

EDUCATION
4 things to know about possible changes to your student loan debt
NATIONAL
With the latest payout, former Sheriff Joe Arpaio has cost Arizona taxpayers $100M

SPORTS
Kyle Beach reveals he is the player suing the Chicago Blackhawks over sex assault
NATIONAL
For their first Halloween, their parents dressed up as the whole neighborhood

NPR Editors' Picks

NATIONAL
Detainees who earned just $1 a day are owed $17 million in back pay, a jury orders
NEW MUSIC
New Music Friday: The top 10 albums out on Oct. 29

HEALTH
Do you need to wear a mask indoors where you live? Check this map
WORLD
Tonga reports its first-ever COVID-19 case

POLITICS
Biden admits to France's leader that a contentious defense deal was handled poorly
NATIONAL
Iowa approves jobless benefits for people who were fired for being unvaccinated

READ & LISTEN CONNECT

Home Newsletters

News Facebook

Arts & Life Twitter

Music Instagram

Podcasts Press

Programs Contact & Help

ABOUT NPR GET INVOLVED

Overview Support Public Radio

Diversity Sponsor NPR

Ethics NPR Careers

Finances NPR Shop

Public Editor NPR Events

Corrections NPR Extra

terms of use

privacy

your privacy choices

text only

© 2021 npr