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Introducing ‘Trick-or-Reading,’ the Halloween Tradition That Swaps Candy for Books

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01.10.2026

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Introducing ‘Trick-or-Reading,’ the Halloween Tradition That Swaps Candy for Books

The Halloween tradition swaps some candy for books, giving kids a festive way to get excited about reading without killing the fun.

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Who said trick-or-treating must be limited to candy? 

As someone with a sweet tooth, I loved filling my pillowcase with Sour Patch Kids, gummy bears, and Reese’s every Halloween growing up. But if I had known trick-or-reading was a thing, I would’ve loved spooky season even more than I already did as a kid. As an adult, sign me up.

What Is Trick-or-Reading?

Trick-or-reading is the bookworm’s (and my preferred) version of trick-or-treating, where you receive books instead of candy. Of course, it’s primarily set up for children, empowering young readers to get their noses in books.

“Children are very likely to be motivated by Halloween themes as the first thing that comes to mind is the expectation of costumes, fun, and of course some treats!” says Elizabeth Fraley, Founder and CEO of Kinder Ready, Inc., a premier Los Angeles-based education company dedicated........

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