Staffers at publishing houses across the country celebrated Halloween with themed parties, costume contests, and plenty of sugary revelry. See photo highlights here.

Candlewick’s T-rex (Matt Roeser) still has work to do before the staff Halloween party, possibly because he has to type with just two claws.

Sawako Shirota (l.) and Allison Cole as Candlewick characters Peg + Cat.

PUNK!-tuation, featuring Candlewick staffers (from l.) Hannah Mahoney, Emily Quill, Kate Hurley, and Martha E. Dwyer.

The children’s publishing group at Chronicle coordinated their costumes on the theme “A History of Glitter and Blood,” inspired by its YA novel of the same name. Pictured here (ack row, from l.): associate editor Taylor Norman as BOOnie Parker, marketing assistant Megan Leaf as CREEPapatra, publishing director Ginee Seo as Yoko OH NO, editorial assistant Daria Harper as The Tudor Terror, marketing manager Hannah Moushabeck as Rosie the Ripper, and intern Olivia Bartz as Zelda FitzSCAREald; (front row) design director Kristina Brogno as Amelia SCAREhart, editor Naomi Kirsten as YorICK, senior publicist Lara Starr as HELLen of Troy, and marketing coordinator Jaime Ling as Nancy KILL-again.

Chronicle sales assistant Griffin McEvoy as Big Bear, Little Chair.

Chronicle event coordinator Julia Patrick as Leo.

To Valhalla they ride! (From l.) Disney’s Magnus Chase editor Stephanie Lurie, production director Marybeth Tregarthen, and publicity director Seale Ballenger.

Disney’s Team Lucas anticipates The Force Awakens.

First Book’s Marketplace team celebrated in Washington, D.C. by dressing as Vegetables in Underwear by Jared Chapman. Back row (from l.): Alison Morris, Jenifer Mosko, Alexandra Ashman, Jennifer Cobb, Matthew White, and Yukari Matsuyama. Front row (from l.): Miriam Keil, Lori Prince, Kate Childs, and Colleen Schwenger.

At HarperCollins’s Halloween party, editorial staff donned interactive costumes representing the house’s latest coloring books.

HarperCollins’s publicity team celebrated Harold and the Purple Crayon’s 60th anniversary.

Balzer + Bray editorial staffers snooped around the Halloween party in their Shark Detective gear.

The staff at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers show off their thematic costumes.

Dressed as Merry Christmas, Squirrels! are Lisa Moraleda (l.) and Lisa Ickowicz.

From l., Mara Lander, Stef Hoffman and Emilie Polster as Peter McDonald’s Thank You and Good Night.

At the Macmillan party, Jessica Anderson of Henry Holt went as The Book Scavenger.

Macmillan’s digital marketing team (from l.) Caitlin Sweeny as Leslie Knope, Jeremy Ross as Zombie Goldfish, and Kallam McKay as The Paper Bag Princess.

The entire Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group staff halts the party to squeeze into a photo.

Macmillan publicity team’s Brittany Pearlman (l.) is Dobby from Harry Potter, and Molly Brouillette went as “Frenshaw,” the character Crenshaw, but with a beret.

National Geographic threw a party of mythological proportions. Photo: Lori Epstein

National Geographic staffers went as members of different pantheons. Photo: Lori Epstein

National Geographic’s (from l.) Sanjida Rashid, Rachel Kenny, Paige Towler, Kathryn Williams, Angela Modany, Ariane Szu-Tu, Michaela Weglinski, and Michelle Tyler. Photo: Lori Epstein

Some of Quarto’s staff went as Snow White and the... five dwarves. Clockwise from Snow White: senior marketing manager Angela Corpus, custom publishing coordinator; Cathy Walejko, v-p and group publisher Anne Landa, associate acquiring editor Annika Geiger, production artist Debbie Aiken, and editorial project manager Melanie Figueroa.

Two Quarto staffers are ready to bewitch: editorial assistant Julie Chapa (l.) and creative director Shelley Baugh.

At Quirk Books, a clash between Joan of Arc (assistant editor Blair Thornburgh, l.) and Elizabeth Bennett from Pride & Prejudice & Zombies (junior designer Elissa Flanagan).

The publicity and marketing team at Quirk, social media and marketing manager Julie Leung (l.) and publicist Valerie Howlett, dressed up as booktubers.

Quirk editor Rick Chillot dressed up as one of his authors: Science Bob, author of the STEM-based Nick & Tesla series. The hand is a science project from Nick & Tesla’s Super Cyborg Gadget Glove.

The Random House party is about to get out of its gourd: Felicia Frazier (l.) and Barbara Marcus are ready for tricks and treats.

At the Scholastic party, the creative services team dress as characters from The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton.

The library marketing team as various Graphix characters for Graphix 10th anniversary (Space Dumplins by Craig Thompson; Drama by Raina Telgemeier; Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi; Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm; Cleopatra in Space by Mike Maihack; and Smile by Raina Telgemeier).

The Cartwheel editorial team, dressed as You Are My Cupcake by Joyce Wan.

Simon and Schuster colleagues show off their costumes: (from l.) Sylvie Frank, Sarah Jane Abbott, Janine Perez.

S&S staffers pause their festivities for a photo. From l., Shifa Kapadwala, Audrey Gibbons, Jennifer Romanello, Paula Wiseman, Sylvie Frank, Jodie Hockensmith (back), Sarah Jane Abbott (front), Katy Hershberger, Beth Parker (back).