Books to Give You Goosebumps

Looking for a great horror book for Halloween night?  Here's some of the best for teens . . .

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
After a family tragedy, Jacob feels compelled to explore an abandoned orphanage on an island off the coast of Wales, discovering disturbing facts about the children who were kept there.

Dracula's Guest: A Connoisseur's Collection of Victorian Vampire Stories edited by Michael Sims
A treasury of Victorian-era vampire stories includes Edgar Allan Poe's "The Oval Portrait" and Guy de Maupassant's "The Horla," in an anthology complemented by Transylvanian superstitions.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Three teens at a summer program for gifted students uncover shocking secets in the sanatorium-turned-dorm where they're staying--secrets that link them all to the asylum's dark past.

Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
When Cora and her younger sister, Mimi, are sent to stay with their great Auntie Ida in an isolated village in 1958, they discover that they are in danger from a centuries-old evil and, along with village boys Roger and Peter, strive to uncover the horrifying truth before it is too late.

Trick or Treat! Books for Halloween

Looking for some great titles to get you and your kids in the Halloween spirit?  Try these books . . .

Ten Orange Pumpkins by Stephen Savage
In this Halloween countdown book, ten orange pumpkins are each carried off by a witch, a ghost, a spider, and other Halloween creatures until there's just one.

Minerva Louise on Halloween by Janet Morgan Stoeke
On her first Halloween, Minerva Louise the hen puzzles over costumes but enjoys her first taste of candy corn.

Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Marisa Montes
Easy to read, rhyming text about Halloween night incorporates Spanish words, from las brujas riding their broomsticks to los monstruos whose monstrous ball is interrupted by a true horror.

The Bumpy Little Pumpkin by Margery Cuyler
Little Nell chooses an unusual pumpkin for her Halloween jack-o-lantern, despite her big sisters' criticisms.

Werewolves vs. Vampires

Which do you prefer?  Werewolves or Vampires? 

Here are some great werewolf and vampire stories for kids.

100% Wolf by Jayne Lyons
At the time of his first transformation, a young werewolf of noble and proud ancestry, is driven from his pack when, instead of turning into a fierce wolf, he changes into a little black poodle.

Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by Deborah & James Howe
Though scoffed at by Harold the dog, Chester the cat tries to warn his human family that their foundling baby bunny must be a vampire.

Wolven by Di Toft
Twelve-year-old Nat, with help from family, friends, and his "pet" Woody, a wolf that turns into a boy, must face werewolves that have been altered as part of a dastardly plan.

Notes from a Totally Lame Vampire by Tom Collins
Nigel Mullet, a 100-year-old vampire doomed to spend eternity in the body of a socially awkward fifteen-year-old boy, records his attempts to impress the love of his life, Chloe, while battling an embarrassingly overwhelming desire to sink his fangs intoher.

Ghastly Ghost Stories, Part 2

Last week, I shared some great ghost stories for children.  This week, I thought I would share some ghost stories for teens.  Check out these three ghastly ghost stories . . .

Break My Heart 1,000 Times by Daniel Waters
In the aftermath of the Event, which made seeing the dead a part of life, Veronica and her friend Kirk investigate why the ghosts seem to be gaining power and stumble upon the sinister plot of a teacher who is seeking a replacement for his dead daughter.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
For three years, seventeen-year-old Cas Lowood has carried on his father's work of dispatching the murderous dead, traveling with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat, but everything changes when he meets Anna, a girl unlike any ghost he has faced before.

The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall
After her mother dies, sixteen-year-old Kara and her father move to Japan, where he teaches and she attends school, but she is haunted by a series of frightening nightmares and deaths that might be revenge--or something worse.

Bean Dog and Nugget

Graphic novels are gaining a huge following among children and their parents.  There are even several great graphic novels for the picture book set. 

Bean Dog and Nugget by Charise Mericle Harper is an easy graphic novel series for young children. 

I love the first two books in the series -- The Cookie and The Ball.  Bean Dog and Nugget are best friends.  In The Cookie, Bean Dog is tricked by Nugget who claims to have an invisible donut.  In The Ball, Bean Dog and Nugget rescue a ball that has gotten caught in a bush.  Both are very simple stories with humorous touches.  Bean Dog and Nugget's reactions are very childlike.

These are great books to use to introduce young children to graphic novels.

Ghastly Ghost Stories

Halloween is fast approaching!  Are you looking for a good ghost story to get you in the Halloween mood?  Try one of these . . .

The Ghost's Grave by Peg Kehret
Apprehensive about spending the summer in Washington State with his Aunt Ethel when his parents get an overseas job, twelve-year-old Josh soon finds adventure when he meets the ghost of a coal miner.

Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge: A Ghost Story by Kathryn Reiss
Just before her mother is to remarry and her stepfamily is set to move in, twelve-year-old Zibby gradually realizes that her antique dollhouse is haunted by ghosts, one of whom is out for revenge.

The Ghost on Saturday Night by Sid Fleischman
When Professor Pepper gives Opie tickets to a ghost-raising instead of a nickel in payment for being guided through the dense fog, Opie manages to make money anyway by helping to thwart a bank robbery.

Paranorman by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Misunderstood eleven-year-old Norman Babcock must take on witches, zombies, and the school bully to save his town from a witch that cursed his town.

Seek the Unknown . . . Teen Read Week 2013

This week, October 14-19, is Teen Read Week.  This year's theme is to "Seek the Unknown".  Check out one of these teen books that explores new worlds . . .

Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe
After his father abandons them and his mother tries to commit suicide, young Wataru decides to try to navigate the magical world of Vision, collecting five elusive gemstones along the way, in order to claim the Demon's Bane that will change his fate.

The Far West by Patricia Wrede
When the unlucky magical twin Eff joins an expedition to map the Far West, she endures a long prairie winter and encounters with previously unknown creatures before realizing the importance of ending a magical flood.

Gateway by Sharon Shinn
While passing through the Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, a Chinese American teenager is transported to a parallel world where she is given a dangerous assignment.

Exodus by Julie Bertagna
In the year 2100, as the island of Wing is about to be covered by water, fifteen-year-old Mara discovers the existence of New World sky cities that are safe from the storms and rising waters, and convinces her people to travel to one of these cities in order to save themselves.

A Look Back in Time . . .

As Columbus Day has come and gone, it brings to mind books that discuss important events in American history . . . 

In 1492 by Jean Marzollo
Rhyming text describes Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the New World.

The Last Brother: A Civil War Tale by Trinka Hakes Noble
Eleven-year-old Gabe enlists in the Union Army in Pennsylvania along with his older brother Davy and, as bugler, does his best to protect Davy during the Battle of Gettysburg.

Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrations and rhythmic text recall the December, 1955, bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama.

Yankee Doodle: A Song from the American Revolution by Ann Owen
Provides a complete version of the song as well as its historical context and significance.

Could You Survive?

You're all alone!  Fighting for survival!  Whether trying to live through a natural disaster or trying to survive a horrible plane crash, these kids fought to survive!

Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury
In 1975, eleven Boy Scouts, their leaders, and some new friends camping at Halape, Hawaii, find their survival skills put to the test when a massive earthquake strikes, followed by a tsunami.

Anna's Blizzard by Alison Hart
Having never excelled at schoolwork, twelve-year-old Anna discovers that she may know a few things about survival when the 1888 Children's Blizzard traps her and her classmates in their Nebraska schoolhouse.

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the wilderness, learning to survive initially with only the aid of a hatchet given him by his mother, and learning also to survive his parents' divorce.

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Left alone to guard the family's wilderness home in eighteenth-century Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him their skills.

Football Season

The high school football season is underway.  Want more than just the Friday / Saturday night game?  Try reading one of these great football books for teens. . .

Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp
In his senior year, high school star linebacker Hampton Greene finally begins to think for himself and discovers that he might be interested in more than just football.

Food, Girls, and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff
Fifteen-year-old Andrew Zansky, the second fattest student at his high school, joins the varsity football team to get the attention of a new girl on whom he has a crush.

Pop by Gordon Korman
Lonely after a midsummer move to a new town, sixteen-year-old high-school quarterback Marcus Jordan becomes friends with a retired professional linebacker who is great at training him, but whose childish behavior keeps Marcus in hot water.

Gym Candy by Carl Deuker
Football is the only thing that has ever really mattered to Mick Johnson, who works hard for a spot on the varsity team his freshman year, then tries to hold onto his edge by using steroids, despite the consequences to his health and social life.

Dairy Queen: A Novel by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
After spending her summer running the family farm and training the quarterback for her school's rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her.

Fire Prevention Week: October 6-14, 2013

Looking for another way to share fire safety information with your children?
Try reading one of the following books . . .

Here Comes Firefighter Hippo by Jonathan London
Little Hippo has fun pretending that he is a firefighter but must figure out what to do when he finds a real fire.

Going to the Firehouse by Mercer Mayer
Little Critter and his classmates take a trip to the firehouse where, with the help of Fireman Joe, they learn how to stop, drop, and roll.

Firefighters: Speeding! Spraying! Saving! by Patricia Hubbell
Illustrations and rhyming text celebrate firefighters and what they do.

Stop, Drop and Roll by Margery Cuyler
Jessica, who worries about everything from her spelling homework to remembering to fill her dog's water dish, learns that fire safety begins with extinguishing her fears.

Firefighters A to Z by Chris Demarest
An alphabetic look at a firefighter's day.

Fire! Fuego! Brave Bomberos! by Susan Middleton Elya
A brave group of firefighters set off to battle a blaze at a townhouse. Spanish words interspersed in the rhyming text are defined in a glossary.

A Good Dog . . .

Check out one of these great dog stories for kids . . .

A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin
Squirrel, a stray puppy, tells her life story, from her nurturing mother and brother to making her own way in the world, facing busy highways, changing seasons, and humans both gentle and brutal.

The Buddy Files: The Case of the Lost Boy by Dori Hillestad Butler
While searching for his mysteriously lost human family, Buddy the dog is adopted by another family and helps solve the mystery of their missing boy.

Dogsong by Gary Paulsen
A fourteen-year-old Eskimo boy who feels assailed by the modernity of his life takes a 1400-mile journey by dog sled across ice, tundra, and mountains seeking his own "song" of himself.

One Dog and His Boy by Eva Ibbotson
When lonely, ten-year-old Hal learns that his wealthy but neglectful parents only rented Fleck, the dog he always wanted, he and new friend Pippa take Fleck and four other dogs from the rental agency on a trek from London to Scotland, where Hal's grandparents live.

Good vs. Evil

It's an epic theme -- good vs. evil.  Whether huge battles for the whole world or a small fight for just one person, we love to read about the the fight between good and evil.  Check out these great teen books and see which one prevails.

Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz
Sent to live in a foster home in a remote Yorkshire village, Matt, a troubled fourteen-year-old English boy, uncovers an evil plot involving witchcraft and the site of an ancient stone circle.

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson
Katie Chandler moves to New York in order to make her mark in the business world, but is unprepared for the adventures she encounters when she is approached by MSI, a company that deals in magic, spells, and illusions.

The Vindico by Wesley King
When supervillains of the Vindico realize they are getting too old to fight the League of Heroes, they kidnap and begin training five teens, but James, Lana, Hayden, Emily, and Sam will not become the next generation of evil without a fight.

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
A boy grows to manhood while attempting to subdue the evil he unleashed on the world as an apprentice to the Master Wizard.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
When three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town of Venus Cove against the gathering forces of darkness, their mission is threatened as the youngest angel, Bethany, enrolls in high school and falls in love with another student.

It's All Good!

Have you discovered Pete the Cat?
He loves his shoes -- even when they get dirty.
He loves school -- discovering all the new activities.
He loves his favorite shirt -- even when the buttons all pop off.
Whatever comes his way, he can deal with it.  Because it is ALL GOOD!

Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litwin
Pete the Cat wears his new white shoes while walking down the street, and as he steps into piles of strawberries, blueberries, and other messes--and the color of his footwear changes--he keeps on moving and singing to himself without being bothered.

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin
Pete the cat wears his school shoes when visiting the library, the lunchroom, the playground, and more while singing his special song.

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Pete the cat loves the buttons on his shirt so much that he makes up a song about them, and even as the buttons pop off, one by one, he still finds a reason to sing.

Also, check out the Pete the Cat songs at www.harpercollinschildrens.com/petethecat.