Free 5th Grade 31 Days of Halloween Reading

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The Origins of Halloween

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Read a chronological passage about the origins of Halloween
Explain why the Celts lit bonfires and wore costumes during Samhain
Find where the name "Halloween" comes from and what its old words mean
Describe how the passage is organized in time order

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The Halloween Store That Pops Up Every Fall

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Read a chronological passage about the history of pop-up Halloween stores
Explain why the company rents empty stores for only about two months
Find details about how workers set up and take down a store
Determine the meaning of the phrase pop-up using context

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The Halloween Capital of the World

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Read a passage about the history of Halloween in Anoka, Minnesota.
Explain why the town started its Halloween celebration and how it grew.
Find specific dates and details that show the order of events.
Determine the meaning of vocabulary words using context.

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The History of the Jack-o'-Lantern

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Read a chronological passage about the history of the jack-o'-lantern
Explain why Irish immigrants switched from turnips to pumpkins in America
Find details in the text that describe how early lanterns were made and used
Determine the meaning of words like "legend" using context

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The Great Halloween Blizzard

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Read a nonfiction passage about the 1991 Halloween blizzard in Minnesota
Explain how cold air and warm air work together to make snow
Find details that show how families coped with the storm
Explain why people still tell stories about this Halloween

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Bats: Halloween's Misunderstood Mammals

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Read a passage about bats and explain what makes them the only flying mammals.
Find details showing how echolocation helps bats hunt in the dark.
Explain how bats help farmers and forests.
Describe how the author organizes the passage from description to helpful facts.

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Black Cats and Superstition

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Read a nonfiction passage about the beliefs and science surrounding black cats
Find details that explain why the same cat was seen as lucky in some places and unlucky in others
Explain how melanin gives a cat its black coat
Describe how the author compares opposite beliefs about black cats

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The Great Pumpkin on TV

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Read a nonfiction passage about the "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" special
Explain how the cartoon was made by hand before computers existed
Find details about who created the special and who wrote its music
Determine the main idea and how key details support it

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The Most Famous Haunted House Ride

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Read a nonfiction passage about the Haunted Mansion ride and its history.
Explain how the Pepper's ghost trick makes the dancers appear to float.
Find details that show why the ride became popular so quickly.
Explain how the designers combined spooky and funny ideas.

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A Parade of Giant Puppets

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Read a chronological passage and follow how the parade grew over time
Find specific details about who started the parade and when
Explain why the parade feels like a celebration everyone can join
Determine the meaning of words like "theme" from context

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The Night of 30,000 Jack-o'-Lanterns

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Read a nonfiction passage about the Keene Pumpkin Festival and its world record
Find specific details such as dates and pumpkin counts in the text
Explain why the festival needs so many volunteers to work together
Determine the meaning of the word scaffold from clues in the text

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The History of Halloween Costumes

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Read a chronological passage about how Halloween costumes changed over time
Find specific details about guising, homemade costumes, and store-bought outfits
Explain why costumes changed after movies and TV became popular
Determine the meaning of words like guising and disguise from context

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Popular Halloween Costumes Through the Decades

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Read a chronological passage about Halloween costumes from the 1930s to today
Find details that explain why certain costumes became popular
Explain how real world events, like the space race, changed what children wore
Identify the main idea and the text structure the author uses

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Where Superstitions Come From

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Read a passage about the origins of common superstitions
Explain why some superstitions began as practical common sense
Find details showing how scientists explain why people keep superstitions
Determine the meaning of the word 'superstition' from the text

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

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Read a nonfiction passage about "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and its author
Find details about the characters, setting, and real town in the text
Explain why the story became famous and how it spread over time
Determine the meaning of new words using clues in the passage

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Mary Shelley and Frankenstein

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Read a nonfiction passage about how Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein.
Find details about when and where the story began.
Explain why the book is called one of the first science fiction novels.
Explain the question about responsibility the story asks.

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Skeletons: The Bones Inside You

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Read an informational passage about the human skeleton and its bones.
Find specific details, such as bone counts and the minerals bones need.
Explain why bones are described as living tissue that grows and heals.
Describe how the author uses description to show how bones protect organs.

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Mummies of Ancient Egypt

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Read a nonfiction passage about how the ancient Egyptians made mummies
Explain why the Egyptians preserved bodies and how the desert first helped them
Find details about canopic jars, natron, and how long the process took
Explain how scientists study mummies today using CT scanners

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The History of Horror Films

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Read a chronological passage about the history of spooky movies
Find details about the people and studios that shaped monster films
Explain why people enjoy feeling scared in a safe way
Explain how sound, color, and special effects changed movies over time

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How Movie Monsters Are Made

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Read a nonfiction passage about how movie monsters are created.
Find details that explain each method used to make a monster.
Explain why filmmakers changed from puppets to computers over time.
Determine the meaning of words like prosthetics and animatronics from context.

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The Science of Being Scared

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Read a passage about how the body reacts to being scared
Find details about the amygdala and adrenaline in the text
Explain why a haunted house can feel fun instead of frightening
Describe how the body calms down after a fright

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Halloween Around the World

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Read a passage about the history of Halloween and trace how it changed over time.
Find details that show how customs moved from Ireland and Scotland to other countries.
Explain why the jack-o'-lantern changed from a turnip into a pumpkin.
Explain how Day of the Dead is a separate celebration with its own meaning.

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Halloween in Ireland and Scotland

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Read a passage about the Irish and Scottish roots of Halloween
Find details that explain how old customs changed over time
Explain why turnip lanterns became pumpkins in America
Determine the meaning of words like guising and Oiche Shamhna in context

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Day of the Dead in Mexico

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Read a nonfiction passage about the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
Find details that explain what an ofrenda is and why families build one.
Explain how Indigenous and Catholic traditions blended to shape the holiday.
Identify the meaning of words like ofrenda and calavera from context.

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The History of Halloween Candy

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Read a chronological passage about how Halloween candy changed over time
Find specific details and dates that show how treats changed
Explain why wrapped candy replaced homemade treats
Determine the meaning of words like "fun size" from context

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Candy Corn

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Read a chronological passage about the history of candy corn
Find specific details that explain why the candy was shaped like corn
Explain how candy corn was made before machines took over
Determine the meaning of words like "credited" from context

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The History of Haunted Houses

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Read a chronological passage about the history of haunted house attractions
Find details that show how haunted houses changed over time
Explain why schools and clubs began building haunted houses
Determine the meaning of vocabulary words used in the text

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Bobbing for Apples and Other Halloween Games

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Read a passage about the history of Halloween apple games and party traditions
Find details that explain how bobbing for apples and snap-apple were played
Explain why apple games changed over time and how they are played today

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Giant Pumpkins

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Read a passage about giant pumpkins and their growers.
Find details explaining how growers help a pumpkin grow huge.
Explain why the author uses comparisons like 'heavier than a horse'.
Describe the steps a pumpkin goes through from seed to weigh-off.

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The War of the Worlds Broadcast

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Read a nonfiction passage about the 1938 "War of the Worlds" broadcast and its aftermath
Explain how the fake news format made the drama believable to listeners
Trace and evaluate the claim that the broadcast caused mass panic
Find the reasons historians give for doubting the newspaper reports

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The History of Trick-or-Treating

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Read a chronological passage about the history of trick-or-treating
Explain how and why the custom changed from souling to modern trick-or-treating
Find details in the text that show cause and effect over time
Determine the meaning of words like rationed and guising from context

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Why Leaves Change Color

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Read a science passage about why leaves change color in fall.
Explain how chlorophyll, carotenoids, and anthocyanin each affect leaf color.
Find details showing why some autumns are brighter than others.
Explain why trees drop their leaves before winter.

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Who Is Awake at Night?

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Read a passage about how nocturnal animals survive and hunt in the dark
Find details that explain how eyes, ears, and noses help animals at night
Explain why some animals are active at night instead of during the day
Determine the meaning of words like nocturnal and echolocation from context

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Where Pumpkin Spice Comes From

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Read a nonfiction passage about the spices in pumpkin spice and where they grow.
Find details that explain why certain spices were once as valuable as gold.
Explain how five spices from different countries came together in pumpkin pie.
Determine the meaning of domain-specific words like bark, root, and knobby from context.

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UNICEF Trick-or-Treat Boxes

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Read a chronological passage about the history of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF.
Find specific details about who started the program and what the money buys.
Explain how a small collection box changed what trick-or-treating could do.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases used in the text.

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The Monster Mash

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Read a passage about the song "Monster Mash" and Halloween music.
Find details that explain when and how the song became a hit.
Explain why a silly song became a lasting Halloween tradition.
Determine the meaning of the phrase "novelty song" from context.

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The Jack-o'-Lantern Candy Pail

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Read a chronological passage about how Halloween treat containers changed over time
Explain how a plastic pail is formed in a mold and why factories can make so many
Find details that show why glow sticks and reflective bags make trick-or-treating safer
Explain how the author compares older containers to the plastic pail

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The Hunter's Moon

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Read a nonfiction passage about the autumn full moons and how they work.
Explain why the moon looks orange and large near the horizon.
Find details about the Harvest Moon and the Hunter's Moon and how farmers used them.
Identify the text structure the author uses to describe the moon's phases.

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The Hungry Ghost Festival

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Read a nonfiction passage about the Hungry Ghost Festival and its customs
Find details that explain when and where the festival takes place
Explain why people burn joss paper and leave the front row empty
Describe how the author organizes and supports ideas in the text

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The History of Pumpkins

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Read a chronological passage about how pumpkins spread through history
Explain how the Three Sisters plants helped one another grow
Find details that show how people used and changed the pumpkin over time
Explain why pumpkins are considered a fruit

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The History of Halloween Decorations

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Read a chronological passage about the history of Halloween decorations.
Find details that explain how and why decorating moved from indoors to outdoors.
Explain the meaning of domain words such as papier-mache in context.
Explain how the author uses evidence to show decorating grew bigger over time.

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Spiders and Their Webs

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Read a nonfiction passage about spiders and the silk webs they spin
Explain how spiders make silk and why it is so strong
Find details showing how spiders help people by eating insects
Describe how the author compares spiders that build webs with those that do not

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Scarecrows Around the World

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Read a nonfiction passage about the history of scarecrows in different cultures
Find specific details that explain how and why scarecrows were made
Explain why scarecrows do not keep birds away for long
Describe how the passage is organized as a chronology through time

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Owls: Hunters of the Night

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Read a nonfiction passage about how owls hunt at night.
Explain how silent flight, hearing, and eyesight help an owl catch prey.
Find details in the text that describe what an owl pellet is and why scientists study it.
Describe how a cause-and-effect paragraph is organized.

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Obon: Japan's Festival of Ancestors

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Read an informational passage about the Obon festival in Japan.
Find details that explain what lanterns, dancing, and family visits mean during Obon.
Explain how Obon is similar to and different from other holidays that remember the dead.
Determine the meaning of festival words like Bon Odori and toro nagashi from context.

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How Pumpkins Grow

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Read a nonfiction passage about the life cycle of a pumpkin.
Explain why bees are needed for a pumpkin to grow.
Find details that show why a pumpkin is called a fruit.
Describe the order of stages from seed to harvest.

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How Glow Sticks Glow

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Read a passage about how glow sticks and glow-in-the-dark toys make light
Explain why a glow stick feels cool and how temperature changes its brightness
Find details that show how phosphorescence and reflective tape differ from a glow stick

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How Chocolate Is Made

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Read and follow the chronological steps that turn cacao beans into chocolate
Explain why fermenting and roasting change the flavor of the beans
Find details about how the Maya and Aztec peoples used cacao
Explain how chocolate became a common Halloween candy

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Harvest Festivals and Corn Mazes

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Read a passage explaining how a corn maze is planned and cut into a field.
Find details that show why October is the time farms open to visitors.
Explain the steps a designer follows to hide a picture inside a cornfield.
Explain how a corn maze fits into a larger harvest festival.

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Harry Houdini and Halloween

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Read a nonfiction passage about Harry Houdini and his life's work
Explain why Houdini worked to expose fake spirit mediums
Find details in the text that show Houdini valued proof over belief
Describe how the author organizes the passage in time order

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Halloween Postcards Long Ago

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Read a nonfiction passage about vintage Halloween postcards and their history
Find details that explain how the cards were made and mailed
Explain why the postcards became scarce and why collectors value them today
Determine the meaning of words like scarce and deltiologist from context

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Guy Fawkes Night

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Read a nonfiction passage about the history and traditions of Guy Fawkes Night.
Explain what happened during the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and why people celebrated.
Find details that show how the holiday changed from the 1600s to today.
Explain how Guy Fawkes Night and Halloween share the November calendar.