Halloween is getting close, but not all parents may want their kids dressing up in controversial costumes.

For parents who want to avoid gore or the recent wave of overly sexualized costumes for girls, picking out a Halloween costume a child will respond to can be tough.

To get kids interested in alternatives, parents might consider diving into their kids’ favorite books for inspiration. Below is a list of a few ideas.

Girls

Fern from “Charlotte’s Web”

Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games” trilogy

Madeline from “Madeline”

Alice from “Alice in Wonderland”

Princess Elizabeth from “The Paper Bag Princess”

Hedwig and Hermione from the “Harry Potter” series

Ms. Frizzle from “The Magic School Bus” series

Boys

Max and the monsters from “Where the Wild Things Are”

Frodo Baggins from “Lord of the Rings”

Harry Potter from the “Harry Potter” series

Calvin from “Calvin and Hobbes”

Percy Jackson from the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series

Prince Caspian from “The Chronicles of Narnia”

Email: chjohnson@deseretnews.com

Twitter: ChandraMJohnson