Fun Reads for Fall Holidays
It’s finally fall! All around the world, families celebrate in different ways. Picture books are a great way to introduce your little one to cultures and celebrations in your community and around the world. Our Easy Holiday collection brings together picture books about different holidays and celebrations. These books are shelved as a separate collection, divided by holiday, to make them easy to find when you visit one of our libraries. Keep reading for some examples of books to celebrate fall holidays.
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year. It means ‘head of the year” or “first of the year” and commemorates the creation of the world. Rosh Hashanah will be observed September 15 to 17.
Is It Rosh Hashanah Yet? by Chris Barash
When we take a Sunday car ride to the orchard that’s nearby, and pick fruit for Daddy’s applesauce, and more to bake a pie…Rosh Hashanah is on its way.
What a Way to Start the New Year!: A Rosh Hashanah Story by Jules Jacqueline
Having moved just before Rosh Hashanah, Harry and Dina fear the new year will be nothing but unpacking and leftover pizza until their parents take them to synagogue where they meet the Levine family.
Measuring a Year: A Rosh Hashanah Story by Linda Elovitz Marshall
Rhyming text invites young readers and their families to take stock of the happy times, the occasional regrets, as well as the new friends made and new skills gained over the year in celebration of Rosh Hashanah.
Tashlich at Turtle Rock by Susan Schnur
Annie leads her family on a Rosh Hashanah hike to observe tashlich, where each person will ask God’s forgiveness for the things they regret doing the previous year. Includes facts about this Jewish custom.
Apple Days; A Rosh Hashanah Story by Allison Soffer
Katy looks forward to her family’s Rosh Hashanah tradition of making applesauce from scratch, but with a new baby, will the family be too busy this year?
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement and one of the most important holidays in the Jewish faith. It marks the end of the 10 Days of Awe, a period of introspection and repentance where individuals make amends and ask forgiveness for their sins. Yom Kippur will be observed September 24 to 25.
Yom Kippur Shortstop by David A. Adler
Jacob loves baseball, and he knows his team counts on him. But when a critical game is scheduled on the holiday of Yom Kippur, he doesn’t know what to do. In this reflection of the Sandy Koufax story, Jacob discovers the value of prayer and being on different kinds of teams.
Sound the Shofar!: A Story for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Leslie Kimmelman
Uncle Jake gest to blow the shofar twice within ten days, as the family celebrates first Rosh Hashanah and then Yom Kippur.
Talia and the Very YUM Kippur by Linda Elovitz Marshall
Talia helps her grandmother prepare food for Yom Kippur, which she mishears as YUM Kippur, and learns the original meaning of breakfast.
Three Jumps to Sorry: A Yom Kippur Story by Amy Novit
Hannah was delightful – except when she wasn’t. The day before Yom Kippur, Hannah kicks a soccer ball in the living room and breaks her mother’s glass apple. Her wise mother, deciding to teach her a lesson in a fun way, writes the numbers 1, 2 and 3 on pieces of paper and puts them on the floor. She shows Hannah how to hop her way through the three steps of an apology: admitting you did something wrong, feeling bad about what you did, and then trying never to do it again. A lesson for Yom Kippur and every day.
Sammy Spider’s First Yom Kippur by Sylvia A. Rouss
Sammy Spider learns about the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur.
Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival
The Mid-Autumn festival is celebrate in different ways across Asia. This celebration is a time of games, gratitude, and gathering with loved ones, and is celebrated when the moon is said to be brightest and most beautiful. The Mid-Autumn festival will be observed September 29.
Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival by Grace Lin
Each member of a Chinese family contributes to the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Includes author’s note explaining this festival’s customs and traditions.
The Shadow in the Moon: A Tale of the Mid-Autumn Festival by Christina Matula
Two young sisters celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, admire their mooncakes decorated with a picture of a lady in the moon, and listen to their Ah-ma tell the ancient tale of how the holiday began.
Mooncakes by Loretta Seto
In this picture book, a young girl shares the special celebration of the Chinese Moon Festival with her parents.
Thank You, Meiling by Linda Talley
An ill-mannered duck learns how to be courteous on a trip to the market with a Chinese boy who is buying moon cakes and lanterns to celebrate the Mid-Autumn (Moon) Festival. Includes information about the phases of the moon, Chinese history and culture, and the Moon Festival.
Calling for the Moon by Xia Wu
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Autumn Moon awaits the return of her father who promises to come home every year when the moon is at its fullest. But when the moon disappears behind the clouds, will the father she misses so much find his way home?
Halloween
Halloween started as an ancient Celtic festival to ward off ghosts. Today, it is celebrated with activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, parties, and costumes. Halloween will be observed October 31.
Snowmen at Halloween by Caralyn Buehner
After a Halloween snowfall, a pair of children build some snowmen and imagine the snowmen’s nighttime adventures.
Halloween Is Coming! by Cal Everett
Illustrations and easy-to-read, rhyming text lead the reader through all the preparations for Halloween, from first noticing signs of autumn, through picking a costume, to trick-or-treating.
A Halloween Scare in Texas by Eric James
Presents a humorous story of Halloween night in Texas.
The Wheels on the Bus at Halloween by Sarah Kieley
A Halloween variation on the popular children’s song “The Wheels on the Bus,” with a spooky bus full of ghosts, witches, cats, pumpkins, bats, candy, and a furry monster bus driver.
The 12 Days of Halloween by Jenna Lettice
A family counts the days till Halloween in this spin on the traditional holiday song The 12 Days of Christmas.
Día de los Muertos
During the Day of the Dead, families welcome back the souls of their deceased loved ones for food, drink, and celebration. The gates of heaven open to allow the spirits of children to rejoin their families for one day and the spirits of adults to rejoin their families on another. Day of the Dead will be observed October 31 to November 2.
Our Day of the Dead Celebration by Ana Aranda
A family honors their living and dead relatives as they celebrate the Day of the Dead with shared food and stories.
The Dead Family Diaz by P.J. Bracegirdle
Angelito Diaz is afraid of walking among the Living on the Day of the Dead, especially with his older sister, Estrellita, teasing him, but once in the Land of the Living, he quickly makes a new friend.
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves?
Día de los Muertos by Roseanne Thong
El Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is here – a holiday for celebrating the lives of departed family and friends. Altars are decorated with sugar skulls and marigolds. Tamales and sweets are ready to eat. Soon it will be time for picnics, music, and a costume parade! Come join in these joyful and vibrant festivities that are a tradition in Mexico and throughout Latin America.
Día de Muertos Números: A Day of the Dead Counting Book by Duncan Tonatiuh
Item by item, a family assembles a Day of the Dead altar to honor the memory and welcome the spirt of a loved one.
Diwali
Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated primarily by Hindus and is one of the largest festivals in India.. It celebrates the triumph of good over evil and light over dark. Diwali is celebrated over five days and is a time for visiting, exchanging gifts, feasting, feeding the poor, and celebrating. Diwali will be observed November 10 through November 15, with the Festival of Lights occurring November 12.
Happy Diwali! by Sanyukta Mathur
This joyful family story follows a little girl from dawn to dusk as she draws rangolis to welcome guests, prepares food with her family including pani puri and chana masala, dresses up in colorful clothing, participates in the puja, and lights the diyas in honor of Diwali: the Hindu festival of lights. Excitement, history, and traditions abound in this vibrant celebration of Diwali, complete with a glossary, and delicious recipes for mango lassi, sukhe aloo, and puri.
My Diwali Light by Raakhee Mirchandani
Devi, her family, and their friends boldly celebrate and proudly share their Diwali traditions.
Archie Celebrates Diwali by Mitali Banerjee Ruths
Archie is worried that her school friends won’t like Diwali, her favorite Hindu holiday, and when a storm knocks out the electricity, it looks like the party may be ruined.
It’s Diwali! by Surishtha Sehgal
IN this take-off of the counting rhyme One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, the wonders of Diwali are described.
Shubh Diwali! by Chitra Soundar
One family celebrates the Hindu festival of lights.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day celebrates the harvest and other blessings of the past year, and is largely modeled on the 1621 harvest feast shared between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people. Today’s traditions include football games, family meals, and the start of the holiday shopping season. Thanksgiving will be observed November 23, 2023.
Ten Hungry Turkeys by Tilda Balsley
Mr. and Mrs. Chris P. Byrd are planning a big lunch on Thursday, and they invite ten turkeys to come early. However, one by one the turkeys drop out, as they wonder what this is really about.
Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Marie Child
It’s Thanksgiving Day, so hop in the sleigh and hold on tight as you journey through shimmering snow and a quiet but lively forest. Though the wind does blow, festive fun awaits at the end of the ride – along with plenty of pumpkin pie!
Thanksgiving Day Thanks by Laura Elliot
Sam has trouble deciding what he is grateful for during a Thanksgiving-themed classroom assignment. Includes facts about Thanksgiving Day.
The Very Stuffed Turkey by Katharine Kenah
With five Thanksgiving dinners to eat, there’s going to be one very stuffed turkey!
How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace
Thanksgiving time is here again, but there’s a turkey on the run! Can you catch this tricky bird before the school play has begun?
Items in this collection can be placed on hold and transferred between libraries. Please note, these items check out for 7 days, and can be renewed once if there are no holds. You can also find holiday books in our easy collection, world language collection, junior nonfiction, and board books. Need help locating items? Library staff are happy to assist. Happy reading!
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