The story centers on Zara and her friends at a Halloween party at fictional Hickory Elementary, a Halloween-themed picture book that emphasizes teamwork.

Illustrated by Ariel Landy, the book follows Zara and friends as they navigate a spooky Halloween party at their elementary school, highlighting collaboration and Halloween thrills.

A new children’s book by LeBron James, titled Happy Spooky Halloween and illustrated by Ariel Landy, is set for release through HarperCollins on July 21, 2026, focusing on teamwork and festive Halloween thrills.

James calls the project a bucket-list item and says his inspiration came from reading R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps during middle school.

At the time of reporting, James was sidelined with right-side sciatica and had not begun the 2025-26 NBA season, with the possibility of becoming the first player to play in a 23rd season.

Halloween is James’s favorite holiday, and he shared a short social media video announcing the book, calling it a bucket-list achievement.

Happy Spooky Halloween marks James’s fourth children’s book, following I Promise (2020), We Are Family (2023/2021 collaboration), and I Am More Than (2024), with I Promise having reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list.