Halloween is a time for pumpkin carving, costume parties, and spooky tales around the campfire. But did you know it's also a fantastic opportunity to integrate math into your lessons? We've curated a list of five engaging math-themed read-aloud books that are perfect for upper elementary students. These books will enchant your students with Halloween spirit and enhance their math skills. Let's dive into the magical world of numbers and mysteries! Some of the links below are Amazon associate links, and I may receive a small commission from them.
1. Mystery Math: A First Book of Algebra, Written by David A. Adler, Illustrated by Edward Miller
Math set in a haunted house? Can you get any more festive than that? My students have always loved the visuals of this book!
Math Concepts: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
This book reviews multiplication facts 0-5. I liked to use this book personally to talk about factor pairs, and I would challenge students by covering up factors throughout the book to see if they could solve for the missing factor!
Math Concepts: multiplication facts, factor pairs.
3. "More M&M's Brand Chocolate Candies Math" by Barbara Barbieri McGrath(Author), Roger Glass(Illustrator)
Nothing screams Halloween like candy. This book is a fun way to bring candy into your math lessons.
Math Concepts: Estimation, equal groups, comparing groups, fractions, graphs, charts, multiplication and division.
Journey to the kingdom of Camelot in this medieval-themed math adventure. The story is centered around place value and is perfect for reinforcing this critical math concept. October is a great time to explore fantasy AND place value.
Math Concepts: Place value, addition, subtraction, factors of ten, estimation.
5. The Math Inspectors: Story One - The Case of the Claymore Diamond by Daniel Kenney(Author), Emily Boever(Author)
This chapterbook is actually a math mystery, which would be a really fun read-aloud during the month of October. The wonderful thing about this book is that is talks about fractions, but it is the first book in a series that students can explore for the rest of the year!
Math Concepts: word problems, decimals, money
Conclusion: Math doesn't have to be a scary subject, even during Halloween. These math-themed read-alouds will add a touch of spookiness to your lessons while reinforcing important mathematical concepts. So, pick up these books, gather your students, and get ready for a Halloween adventure full of math mysteries and fun. Happy Halloween and happy math!
Need a math activity to go with your read-aloud? Check out my Halloween fraction coloring books!
