Four Levels of Fright: Your Spooky Season Guide to Hoopla
The leaves are turning, the porch pumpkins are multiplying, and spooky season is officially here. The good news is that your library card already unlocks one of the best Halloween hangouts around: Hoopla. Movies, eBooks, audiobooks, comics, and music are all free with your card, with nothing to return and no late fees. To help you find your perfect amount of scary, we sorted our favorites into four levels of fright. Start at level one and climb as high as your nerves allow.
Level 1: Kid-Friendly Halloween Fun
The littlest trick-or-treaters deserve a Halloween that’s more giggle than gasp. Our kid-friendly Halloween collection is packed with friendly ghosts, silly monsters, and picture books that make the dark feel a little less mysterious. Queue up a movie after costume-making, or let the kids pick an audiobook for the drive to the pumpkin patch. Add a Halloween songs playlist and you’ve got a party. Everyone sleeps soundly afterward, grown-ups included.
Vince Guaraldi – It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Remember the scene where the Peanuts gang all dance at the Halloween party? That tune is here, along with “Charlie Brown Theme” and “Great Pumpkin Waltz.” The perfect pumpkin-carving soundtrack.
The Baby-Sitters Club: Mary Anne’s Bad Luck Mystery by Ann M. Martin and illustrated by Cynthia Yuang Chen
Mary Anne tossed a chain letter (remember those?), and now bad luck keeps hitting her and her babysitting friends. With Halloween approaching, a mysterious note arrives, demanding she wear a bad-luck charm. The club needs to figure out who sent it before things get even spookier in this graphic novel.
Level 2: Cozy Halloween and Magical Realism
Some of us like our October with a mug of cider and a warm blanket. The cozy Halloween collection is made for exactly that mood: small-town witches, gentle hauntings, and magical realism books where enchantment slips quietly into everyday life. Fans hunting for books and movies like Practical Magic will feel right at home, and there are plenty of witchy TV shows to binge on a rainy weekend. Nothing too sharp here, just a sprinkle of the strange.
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and read by Christina Moore
Orphaned sisters Sally and Gillian grow up with their quirky aunts in the spookiest house in town. They try to live normal lives, but magic keeps finding them. When a menacing ghost appears, they’ll need family and spellwork. It’s funny, haunting, and romantic.
The House Witch by Delemhach
Finlay Ashowan just wants to cook for the royal family and keep people out of his kitchen. But he’s secretly a house witch, and his kitten Kraken loves trouble. Soon he’s dodging shady knights, catching a spy, and finding romance. It’s cozy, funny, and sweet.
Level 3: Creepy Halloween Movies and Gothic Horror Stories
Now the candles start to flicker. The creepy Halloween collection trades comfort for goosebumps with gothic horror books, eerie mysteries, and creepy Halloween movies that build dread slowly. Picture crumbling mansions, secrets in the attic, and endings that follow you to bed. This level is ideal for a teens-and-up movie night or a solo read with the lights turned low.
A Discovery of Witches: Season 1
Historian Diana Bishop is a witch who wants nothing to do with magic. Then she finds an ancient enchanted manuscript and lands in a dangerous mystery alongside Matthew Clairmont, a brooding vampire scientist. Based on Deborah Harkness’s popular books, this TV show is both romantic and suspenseful.
The Autumnal: The Complete Series by Daniel Kraus and illustrated by Chris Shehan
After her estranged mother dies, Kat leaves Chicago with her daughter Sybil for a charming New Hampshire town famous for its fall colors. She barely remembers growing up there, but she’s sure that something about the place feels off. Spooky, even.
Level 4: Terrifying Tales and the Scariest Movies for Halloween
Seasoned horror fans, this one’s all yours. The terrifying Halloween collection serves up the scariest movies for Halloween, along with bone-chilling novels and audiobooks narrated in voices you won’t soon forget. Expect monsters, jump scares, and stories that linger long after October 31. Keep the lights on. Maybe lock the door, too.
Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman and read by Steve West
It’s 1348, and a disgraced knight named Thomas finds an orphaned girl in a plague-ravaged French village. She claims fallen angels are waging a second war on heaven. Together they head to Avignon, where demons, saints, and the risen dead battle for humanity’s soul.
Scream
This 1996 horror classic follows a masked killer terrorizing the teens of Woodsboro, California. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), still grieving her mom’s murder, quickly becomes the main target. A clumsy deputy (David Arquette) and a ruthless tabloid reporter (Courteney Cox) chase clues while the town’s teenagers throw one very fateful party.
Coming Soon to Hoopla: the Screambox BingePass
Here’s a treat for true horror devotees. Screambox, a streaming service built entirely around horror, is coming to Hoopla as a BingePass. Screambox has earned a devoted following in the horror community, and one look at the catalog explains why. Its curated lineup covers psychological horror, slashers, supernatural tales, creature features, found footage, international horror, and edge-of-your-seat suspense.
Headliners include the Terrifier films, the franchise that turned Art the Clown into a modern horror icon. Beyond the big names, you’ll find cult classics, restored gems, seasonal programming, and exclusive originals you won’t see on the larger streaming platforms. Screambox partners with independent filmmakers and genre studios, so fresh voices sit right alongside the fan favorites. One borrow unlocks the full Screambox collection, so start your horror binge with the Screambox BingePass and settle in for a long, dark night.
BingePasses give you instant access to entire collections and premium streaming services for a single borrow through your local public library. With a BingePass you get free, unlimited seven-day access to binge movies, magazines, books, and more with your library card.
Start Your Spooky Season on Hoopla
Getting started takes just a few minutes. Download the Hoopla app on your phone, tablet, or smart TV, or visit HooplaDigital.com. Sign in with your library card and start borrowing right away. Pick your level of fright, grab the popcorn, and let the haunting begin. Happy Halloween!
*Titles may vary by library
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