Halloween Treats

Joy Fleishhacker, Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 10/7/2008

It’s October, and kids are contemplating costumes, haunting store Halloween aisles, and envisioning bags brimming with delights. Take advantage of this enthusiasm and provide a pleasing experience with literature by sharing these slightly spooky—and always satisfying—tales.

Intrepid Trick-or-Treaters (K-Gr 2)
Courageous costumed youngsters declare, We’re Off to Find the Witch’s House (Dutton, 2005), as they “skedaddle” past a skeleton, “bolt” by a Frankenstein, and “gallop” away from a ghost, before reaching their destination—a Halloween party. Mr. Krieb’s rhythmic text and R.W. Alley’s twilight-hued, just-scary-enough cartoons create a riveting read-aloud romp (K-Gr 2).

Children can put themselves in someone else’s (black buckle) shoes, as A Very Brave Witch (S & S, 2006) describes her favorite holiday and an unexpected encounter with something truly fearsome—a human trick-or-treater. Alison McGhee’s winsome tale of friendship, enhanced by Harry Bliss’s droll artwork, can encourage discussion of empathy and point of view.

Angela always seems to be eclipsed by her older sister on Halloween, until she finally forgoes being a Costume Copycat (Dial, 2006) and comes up with an original—and attention-grabbing—ensemble. Maryann Macdonald’s warmhearted story about sibling rivalry is amusingly illustrated with Anne Wilsdorf’s sparkling watercolors.

Outfitted by her indulgent owners in a pink dress and tiara, Mercy Watson: Princess in Disguise (Candlewick, 2007) heads out for a night of trick-or-treating, but the pandemonium-loving pig soon finds herself initiating a madcap Halloween chase. Kate DiCamillo’s easy-reading chapters and Chris Van Dusen’s slapstick artwork make it a perfect title for newly confident readers and for sharing aloud.

Fairy Tale Connections (K-Gr 2)
Though cloaked in Halloween trappings, these familiar plotlines and characters won’t be able to hide from savvy readers who will eagerly point out parallels to traditional tales. Employing a “This Is the House That Jack Built” structure, Elizabeth Hatch’s Halloween Night (Doubleday, 2005) is a cumulative tale about a mouse hiding in a jack-o’-lantern. Jimmy Pickering’s slick, bold-colored artwork abounds with action and entrancingly eerie touches.

In Kathy Duval’s The Three Bears’ Halloween (Holiday, 2007), Baby Bear and his parents are out trick-or-treating when they enter a scary house and explore before being frightened away by a golden-haired girl dressed as a witch. Filled with captivating details, Paul Meisel’s color-drenched paintings add humor to the tale.

The Little Green Witch (Charlesbridge, 2005) finds some pumpkin seeds, but her friends—a ghost, a bat, and a gremlin—are too lazy to help her tend the plants that sprout. However, when they eagerly volunteer to gobble up the pie she bakes, she uses her magic wand to ensure that they get their just desserts. Barbara Barbieri McGrath’s fine-tuned text and Martha Alexander’s whimsical artwork make this “Little Red Hen” tell-alike irresistible.

Halloween Verses
Lee Bennett Hopkins’s Halloween Howls (HarperCollins, 2005) compiles 12 easy-to-read poems, vivaciously illustrated by Stacey Schuett, that depict an assortment of experiences, from donning costumes to post-treat tummy aches (K-Gr 3). For older readers, Joan Horton serves up Halloween Hoots and Howls (Square Fish, 2008 reissue), a buffet of written-in-verse tidbits spiced with humor and illustrated in candy-corn colors by Joann Adinolfi (Gr 2-5).

With Kelly DiPucchio’s laughably ludicrous lyrics and Gris Grimly’s gruesome illustrations, Sipping Spiders through a Straw (Scholastic, 2008) offers a selection of shockingly silly ditties sung to recognizable campfire tunes. From “99 Bottles of Blood on the Wall” to “Take Me out to the Graveyard,” these offerings will enchant fans of the macabre, but be forewarned, they are not for the faint of heart (Gr 2-5).

Ghosts and Goblins Galore (Gr 2-5)
It’s midnight, and all manner of creepy characters are tiptoeing through the castle. When the guards investigate the ruckus, they soon find themselves jiving and jamming at the Madcap Monster Ball. Boogie Knights (S & S, 2008) gets down with Lisa Wheeler’s laugh-out-loud, filled-with-wordplay verses and Mark Siegel’s graphic-novel-style artwork.

Los Gatos Black on Halloween (Holt, 2006) invites readers to another monster shindig, as las brujas ride broomsticks, los fantasmas drag chains, and los muertos emerge from graves and head for a haunted casa to dance the night away. Marisa Montes’s atmospheric poem and Yuyi Morales’s dusky, stylized paintings will leave spines tingling.

A ghostly gourmand haunts his former home until the new residents produce The Perfect Pumpkin Pie (S & S, 2005). With a rhythmic refrain, fast-paced storytelling, and gross-out artwork, Denys Cazet’s funny tale will leave listeners hungry for more.

In Can You See What I See? On a Scary Scary Night (Scholastic, 2008), Walter Wick challenges readers to search intricately detailed scenes for the items listed in rhyming verses. Inspired by the folktale, “In a Dark, Dark Wood,” the visual narrative begins with the image of a far-off haunted castle, gradually creeps closer and closer, and finally zooms in on a cluttered cupboard and a frightening secret hidden within. This eye-riveting book will mesmerize readers.