Pick Up a Scary Book at the Library for Halloween [VIDEO]

For a blood-chilling, scary read this Halloween, you need look no further than the shelves of the

Patch asked senior librarian David Hagopian to select his favorite ghostly reads for Halloween. All the titles below are currently on the shelves to borrow at the Encino-Tarzana Library (call ahead to confirm availability.)

Halloween books for children

1. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving: A tale of a small-town schoolteacher, a dame and a ghoulish headless horseman. (Click on the video above to see the trailer for the Tim Burton movie based on Irving's tale.)

2. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! by Charles Schultz: Snoopy and the gang investigate the terrors of the pumpkin patch. (Click on the video above for a clip of the movie version.)

3. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz: A collection of tales with a truly creepy selection of illustrations.

4. The Scary Story Reader collected by Richard and Judy Dockrey: Changelings, goblins, trolls and more.

5. Young Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine: A worldwide bestseller, practically guaranteed to terrify.

Halloween books for teens and adults

1. The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka: A man wakes up to find he has transmogrified into a humongous insect. What will he tell his mother?

2. Carrie by Stephen King: You've probably seen the film, now read the book about a girl who can move physical objects with the power of her mind. 

3. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostov: Is Dracula still alive?

4. The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe: The well-known narrative poem and the classic Gothic tale of murder still have the power to shock. (Click on the video above to see Vincent Price read The Raven.)

5. War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells: The Martians are coming!

Also, on Oct. 25 at 4 p.m., the library will host a special Halloween event. Parents and children are invited to don their Halloween costumes and come to the library for stories and songs by Ken Frawley.

Encino-Tarzana Public Library, 18231 Ventura Blvd.; 818-343-1983.