Excite Readers with Alexandria
September 22, 2025Dead-icated to Reading in October!
Get ready to add a little spooktacular fun to your shelves! We’ve brewed up a set of free Halloween-themed reading posters that are sure to make your students take a paws. From black cats to brainy zombies, these playful designs will enchant students of all ages and encourage them to keep turning those pages. And that’s not all—your download also includes a simple, ready-to-go Halloween crossword activity that’s perfect for engaging readers while celebrating the season.
Happy Halloween!
Download the posters below!
Halloween Reading Posters
Halloween at the Library Crossword Puzzle
Need a quick activity to engage students? Look no further!
Have students fill out the crossword to figure out the shaded squares. Once there, they must unscramble the shaded squares to find the secret word. Have some fun Halloween pencils or treats ready for when the puzzle is completed.
Want more of a challenge? Use this puzzle as part of a "Haunted Library Escape Room". Here's how to set it up:
Hide 4-5 puzzles around the library. Each puzzle should lead to the next clue. Examples:
Clue 1: Haunted Shelf Riddle - "I'm full of stories, short and tall. My numbers climb from wall to wall. Find the place where the 398's call." (Next clue hidden in the folklore section)
Clue 2: Crossword Puzzle - Hidden in the folklore section is the crossword puzzle above. When solved, the shaded boxes spell out "PUMPKIN". This directs students to a pumpkin decoration you have set up nearby for the next clue.
Clue 3: Word Scramble - Inside the pumpkin decoration is a scrambled word "REMVAIP". Unscrambled, it reads "VAMPIRE" which leads students to the vampire novel display.
Clue 4: Simple Substitution Cipher - At the vampire novel display, they will find this cipher "RONNJX ANNJR". To decode, simply shift each letter +1 to read "SPOOKY BOOKS". The first students to reveal the final password to the librarian wins a prize.
