Tricks and Treats - 3 Halloween Books Full of Spooky Fun!

Halloween is pretty much a dream come true for a young kid, isn't it? Wear crazy costumes, tromp through pumpkin patches, collect tons of sugary goodies and play all sorts of silly spooky games. Sprout loves Halloween, probably because my husband is a seriously devoted Halloween guy. Daddy's up for planning costumes in July and hitting the farmstands as soon as the first pumpkins start turning up.

This year we're doing something different and heading out of town at the end of the month. While we'll still be celebrating (in a big way!), we don't have the usual trappings of spooky decor or carved jack-o'lanterns. Sprout knows he's got Halloween fun heading his way, but I did sense a bit of disappointment when we told him there wouldn't be pumpkin decorating this year. So of course I did what any self-respecting librarian would do and hit the seasonal shelves to help me spook up our storytimes.

My first choice was a series entry that I knew Sprout would flip for - Click, Clack, Boo! by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin. We've thoroughly enjoyed every title by this pair thus far, with a special affinity for the first book in the series, Click, Clack, Moo. And this holiday-themed title held our interest very nicely, with its bold graphics and simple plot. This one is a great continuation of the series, and even works to introduce new readers to the crazy antics on this particular farm. Sprout thought it was super silly that Farmer Brown is scared of Halloween - and the big costume reveal at the end struck just the right note with us!

The animal theme continued with Judy Cox's Haunted House, Haunted Mouse. I wanted to try this one out with Sprout because he recently learned what a haunted house was, and was having trouble understanding how something like that could be spooky fun. (He's a pretty literal kid - "scary" and "fun" don't really reconcile in his mind!) This is a pretty solid story about Mouse, who gets caught up with some trick-or-treaters and ends up stumbling into a creaky, creepy haunted house. The best for us was the end, where Mouse figures out that it's not really spooks making the scary shapes and sounds, but normal, everyday stuff - much to Sprout's relief.

Susan Hood's Just Say Boo! offers a little reassurance for kids who might be unsure of how to react to Halloween sights and frights. A trio of costumed kiddos heads out to gather candy, encountering a few scary obstacles along the way. At each one, the kids pause to decide how to react - and then end up facing their fears down with a mighty "Boo!". This was a real revelation for Sprout, and we talked about how he could follow the characters' lead when he feels spooked by something. I think he'll be implementing this one next time he gets his socks scared off by the motion-sensored witch at the grocery store!

How are you changing up your regular storytime routine with seasonal books? And what are your favorite spooky reads, for Halloween or just any time?

Bookish Halloween Treats

It's a dark and stormy night, just right for writing about Halloween! We're running a bit behind ourselves -- usually by this time we've had a trip to the pumpkin patch and have Sprout's costume sorted out, but not this year. Looks like we've got a busy weekend ahead of us, so it's good that our shelf is stocked with spooky reads to keep us in the mood.

It's no mean feat to find multicultural titles themed around holidays. Seriously, authors and publishers? We would love to see more fun, engaging holiday books with diverse characters, and I know we aren't alone! Luckily the library came to our rescue yet again, for some Halloweeny goodness picture-book style. Most of these are older books -- if you have trouble finding them, I'd suggest a trip to the library or used bookstore near you.

First up is Celie and the Harvest Fiddler by Vanessa and Valerie Flournoy. Celie plans to make a grand entrance with her very spooky costume, but things don't quite turn out like she wants. Then an encounter with the mysterious Fiddler nets Celie a magical mask that grants her Halloween wish -- with some very unintended consequences. Can Celie get the Fiddler to help reverse the mask's magic? This is a longer story great for older preschoolers and elementary ages, and its historical setting comes to life with paintings by the amazing James E. Ransome. Just the right blend of mystery and magic!

For kiddos who aren't so excited about spooky sights on Halloween night, Catherine Stock's Halloween Monster is a perfect reassurance. Tommy likes some things about Halloween, but he's really pretty scared to see witches, ghosts and monsters. . . scared enough that he doesn't even want to go trick-or-treating with his friends. But once Mom explains that all those ghosts and witches are just children all dressed up, well, then Tommy thinks he might want to give it a try himself. And soon he's transformed into a Halloween monster - just in time to go trick-or-treating with his friends! I love the simple story here, and it's been great to calm Sprout's apprehensions about spooky things. Now he can't wait for us to get his ghost costume ready!

And speaking of spooky things, Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes is just right for those braver little ones who like a bit of thrill. Weaving Spanish words into her text about skeletons dancing under the harvest moon and witches flying through the night sky, Montes paints a pretty scary picture of one fantastic Halloween ball. But even the monsters and mummies are scared of something -- you guessed it, trick-or-treaters! (Maybe the monsters ran out of candy?) Yuyi Morales' pictures add the perfect setting to this rhythmic tale. And while the translations of Spanish words might impede the flow of the text a bit, it's still nice to see some cultural nuance to the Halloween canon.

For another cultural take, try Yangsook Choi's Behind the Mask. This is a moving intergenerational story that just happens to be set around Halloween. Kimin misses his grandfather, but he's afraid to look for costume makings in his grandfather's old trunks, as his mom suggests -- mostly because the last time he saw Grandfather at the trunks, he looked really scary! But then Kimin begins to investigate, and he discovers that his grandfather was a mask dancer, and he wore tal, special masks for use in the dance. Soon Kimin figures out why Grandfather looked so scary, and he has an idea for a Halloween costume like no other. I love the way the multi-talented Choi blends traditions from Kimin's home in America with elements from his Korean heritage. Children whose lives merge multiple cultures will appreciate this sensitive tale, and it's also a terrific look at the customs of Korean folk dancing.

And for the littlest ones, there's Sweets and Treats by Toni Trent Parker. I love this one because there's nothing babies love more than looking at photos of other children - Sprout was mesmerized by books like this. It's hard to find books like this, though, that aren't heavily populated by white faces. Parker's all-brown-skinned cast of characters includes a princess, a pumpkin and a very hearty pirate, every one of whom shines in their festive Halloween garb. Parker's other titles include books about Easter, Christmas and Valentine's Day - worth hunting these down for those who want a bit more color on their holiday bookshelves.

This Halloween, curl up with your little ghost or goblin, a big mug of hot cocoa and one of these delicious bookish treats. It doesn't get much sweeter than that!