Fall Children’s Books You Haven’t Read Yet

If you’re looking for the best autumn children’s books about apples, pumpkins, and changing seasons, this list is full of cozy titles and traditions to enjoy together. If every mom goes into the library after reading an autumn book list, and every mom checks out “Fletcher and the Falling Leaf”, then every mom will leave empty handed because we cannot all read all the books at the same seasonal time! Gah!

There are so many beautiful, lesser-known picture books that capture the warmth, colors, and rhythms of the season. Pairing them with family traditions – from apple-picking days to pumpkin pies and backyard fires – can make your autumn celebrations rich. This list is full of unique fall books and cozy traditions to help you savor the season when it truly arrives.

Fall Favorites, in its time

I know the feeling all too well of jazzing myself up to bring home a large seasonal book haul filled with the most well known titles and losing the buzz placing books on reserve available in December. At the same time, there will be no apples in August in this house! We are southerners. We might could celebrate fall on the first day of October with mid-70’s and an orange colored t-shirt. But we have walked the infamous “fall scavenger hunt” on the equinox each year with sweat dripping into our eyes looking for a colored leaf or two.

Do I sound bitter? Maybe slightly. We’ll embrace the season as it comes, at its own pace. But when our time comes to welcome in the season, we will want enough delicious autumn books to go around.

Slow transitions can be:

• Preparing the home with a final deep cleaning before decorations come out
• Drying flowers and collecting nature items for homemade festivity
• Stocking up on spices and jars
• Etc.

Unique Fall Books for Kids That Go Beyond the Classics

Pair apple-themed books with these fall traditions: 

1. Transitioning closets by adding light layers, like flannels and wool socks
2. Pulling out the record player, or playing acoustic folk music
3. Starting a batch of applesauce to simmer on the stove
4. Making batches of pie crust for all your holiday pies
5. The first fire in the fireplace or the outdoor fire pit

Apple-Themed Fall Books for Kids

1. “How Do Apples Grow?” by Jill McDonald
2. “The Apple Pie Tree” by Zoe Hall
3. “The Apple Cake” by Nienke van Hichtum
4. “Apples” by Gail Gibbons
5. “Apple Picking Time” by Michele Benoit Slawson
6. “Apples, Apples Everywhere” by Robin Koontz
7. “Johnny Appleseed” by Reeve Lindbergh
8. “Apple Picking Day” by Candice Ransom

Pumpkin Books and Traditions Your Family Will Love This Autumn

Pair harvest and home stories with these pumpkin traditions: 

• Collecting sweetgum tree leaves in the park – a mixture of green, yellow, orange and red

• Photos at the pumpkin patch with Mimi

• The first slice of pumpkin pie – my mom’s heirloom recipe (coming soon!)

• Growing pumpkins or other winter squash

• The Great Pumpkin from Snoopy sound track playing

Pumpkin-Themed Fall Books for Kids

1. “The Pumpkin Runner” by Marsha Diane Arnold
2.  “Rocket and the Perfect Pumpkin” by Tad Hills
3. “Too Many Pumpkins” by Linda White
4. “Porcupine’s Pie” by Laura Renauld
5. “Berenstain Bears Harvest Festival” by Mike Berenstain 
6.  “The Autumn Visitors” by Karel Hayes

Autumn Picture Books Celebrating Nature and Community

Use these picture books to bring fall family traditions to life: 

• Making homemade brown sugar coffee syrup and creamer
• Breakfast on the porch with breakfast 
• Muffins, bagels, biscuits with fall flavors
• Setting up the fire pit in the backyard for s’mores

Community-Themed Fall Books for Kids

1. “The Hundred Year Barn” by Patricia MacLachlan
2. “Sophie Mouse and the Maple Festival” by Poppy Green
3. “Laura’s Pa” by Laura Ingalls Wilder
4. “Mr. Putter Picks the Pears” by Arthur Howard
5. “The Oxcart Man” by Donald Hall 
6. “Autumn is Here by Billy Steers
7. “Disney’s Out and About: A Wonderful Wind” by Ann Braybrooks
8. “Corn” by Gail Gibbons 
9. “I know It’s Autumn” by Eileen Spinelli

Bringing Fall Books and Traditions Together

The best part about fall isn’t checking off every activity or finding the most popular book before someone else does. It’s creating rhythms and memories that feel right for your family. With a mix of apple-themed stories, pumpkin favorites, and autumn books that celebrate nature and community, you’ll have plenty of options to enjoy throughout the season. Pair them with your own simple traditions, and you’ll find that even the most ordinary fall day can feel special. So brew a cup of something warm, grab a book from this list, and let the season unfold at its own pace.