All Hallows Eve is fast approaching and we couldn't think of a better way to build the excitement than with a few good ghost stories. So curl up with a spooky story ( flashlight in hand) and get ready to hide under the blankets!
We just love this time of year... the lighting of lanterns and carving of pumpkins to bring light into the ever growing dark. It's magical and spooky all at the same time. So to help celebrate we are pulled together our favorite titles and a few new ones to send good chill up your spine!
The Dark: For all those little ones who find the dark just a little bit scary, and for big kids too.... what if the dark meant more than the absence of light? What if the dark were someone? Laszlo, dressed in blue footie pajamas, his hair precisely parted, is afraid of the dark, and thinks precisely that. For Laszlo the dark mostly lives in the basement, but one night, when his night-light fails, it arrives in Laszlo’s room. Filled with wonderful illustrations and delightfully spooky narrative, The Dark is the perfect bedtime read.
Dragon Feathers: Vivid colors, strange and wonderful creatures, and that hat! Brilliantly and gloriously illustrated, Dragon Feathers is the story of one young man's journey to win the heart of the maiden he loves, with lots of adventures and wit thrown in for good measure. The illustrations alone make this book one for the home library.
Shadow: Sometimes, when just the right amount of light hits a vacuum cleaner, it can transform in to elephant...shadows are a magical thing that transform ordinary objects into a wild world of adventure and curiosity in this picture book by Suzy Lee. Using only charcoal drawings to convey her story, Shadow takes a little imagination a long way.
Pumpkin Jack: The time of All Hallows Eve brings with it many of fun traditions, non more so than the carving of Jack-O-Lanterns! Follow along with Tim and he see what happens to his pumpkin, Jack after the holiday has ended. Instead of throwing Jack away, Tim places him in the garden and lets nature take its course. When spring arrives new shoots sprout from the ground, and by fall Tim has plenty of pumpkins to share with all his friends!
Merlina: It's harvest time, and Merlina the little sorceress and Igor the dragon are busy gathering fruit and vegetables from their garden. When Igor stand on a sharp thron, can Merlina find the right spell to make his toe better? Autumn is full of colorful magic, and so is the story of Merlina and the Magic Spell, written and illustrated by Daniela Drescher.
Zen Ghosts: The crunch of fallen leaves, crisp cool weather, the warm glow of Jack-o-lanterns all mean one thing, Halloween. And nothing goes better with Halloween, then a good ghost story. Zen Ghosts by Jon J Muth is just that. Part fun and whimsy, part mystery and suspense, Zen Ghosts gets the goosebumps going while keeping the scary dreams at bay.
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: A proper introduction to the world of spook, this version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow stays true to the original, harrowing readers with the tale of the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane. This retelling is also enhanced by brooding, fitting folk-art illustrations. Includes other short stories by Washington Irving, including Rip van Winkle.
Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Coloring Book: Color in these wonderful icons from one of the worlds most festive holidays. This creative coloring book provides insightful information on the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) along with ten original sugar skull coloring pages and one blank skull template that can be customized by the artist. Originally developed as an anatomy and social studies lesson for teachers, the coloring book includes a child size 4' skeleton that can be torn out, colored in and assembled to make decorations for Dia de los Muertos or Halloween. All the major bones of the skeleton are labeled, so children will learn the names of the bones and how they fit together.
Where the Wild Things Are: In this Caldecott Medal winner. Max, a wild and naughty boy, is sent to bed without his supper by his exhausted mother. In his room, he imagines sailing far away to a land of Wild Things. Instead of eating him, the Wild Things make Max their king. This special commemorative edition celebrates 40 years of Sendak's classic tale.
To help celebrate the wonder and the spookiness we are giving you lovely people readers choice! That's right, for this book giveaway we are letting you choose your favorite!
Simply mention your favorite title from the selection above in the comments section and if the lovely Random Number Generator picks you, that's the book you will get! Enter from now until Wednesday October 28th at 10am MST and we'll do our best to get the book to you in time for Halloween!
Good Luck Everyone!!!
~ Jordan