Halloween Hauntings!

Halloween is fast approaching!  This week I'm going to share some of my favorite Halloween picture books for young kids.  These are perfect for those kids who don't want too scary of a book . . .

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.

Jungle Halloween by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
Rhyming verses tell the story of jungle animals which decorate for Halloween, dress up for the occasion, and participate in the night's festivities.

The Hallo-Wiener by Dav Pilkey
All the other dogs make fun of Oscar the dachshund until one Halloween when, dressed as a hot dog, Oscar bravely rescues the others.

Six Creepy Sheep by Judith Ross Enderle
Out trick-or-treating on Halloween, the six sheep meet a passel of pirates, a gaggle of goblins, and other trick-or-treaters who scare the wool off them.

Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar

Tamaya Dhilwaddi and Marshall Walsh have been walking to and from school together for years.  It's a long four-mile walk around  the woods to their house.  Then one day, Marshall decides to take a "short cut" through the woods to avoid a school bully and Tamaya follows him into the woods.  They soon get lost.  Then they bully finds them.  Then they escape only to find that something in the woods was a lot more dangerous than they thought.

This was a great story of courage, suspense, adventure, and mystery.  The issues of bullying, telling the truth, and doing the right thing are handled with great care.  I would recommend this book to any reader.

Get Away @ the Library

This week is Teen Read Week -- a time to celebrate reading for fun and pleasure.  This year's theme is Get Away @ Your Library which highlights how reading a book can take you anywhere you would like to go.  So here are some great teen books that will transport you to new lands, worlds, and adventures . . .

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
After the death of her father, Amy, a high school student and Roger, a college freshman, set out on a carefully planned road trip from California to Connecticut, but wind up taking many detours, forcing Amy to face her worst fears and come to terms with her grief and guilt.

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
A young woman who has endured unspeakable cruelties is magically granted a safe haven apart from the real world and allowed to raise her two daughters in this alternate reality, until the barrier between her world and the real one begins to break down.

Nil by Lynne Matson
Transported through a "gate" to the mysterious island of Nil, seventeen-year-old Charley has 365 days to escape--or she will die.

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.

Trash by Andy Mulligan
Fourteen-year-olds Raphael and Gardo team up with a younger boy, Rat, to figure out the mysteries surrounding a bag Raphael finds during their daily life of sorting through trash in a third-world country's dump.


More Books --
The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
Game Changer by Margaret Peterson Haddix
The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Lawson
The Jumbee by Pamela Keyes
Love by the Morning Star by Laura L. Sullivan
The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith
A Meeting of Minds by Carol Matas
More Than This by Patrick Ness
Now That You're Here by Amy Nichols
Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis
A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston
Stravaganza: City of Stars by Mary Hoffman
Summerland by Michael Chabon


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through November 13, 2015.

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan & Maureen Johnson

Magnus Bane was one of the most fascinating characters in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series and The Infernal Devices series.  A warlock who has lived for centuries, Magnus' life intertwines with the Downworlders -- vampires, werewolves, fairies, and warlocks -- and the Shadowhunters who hunt them.  His life has been full of adventure and romance.  Here are the stories that reveal yet more about him and his life.

The audio version of these short stories is wonderful.  Each story is narrated by a different British actor.  Anyone who has read either of Cassandra Clare's series should definitely check out this book.

Boo! Tales to Haunt You

Halloween is quickly approaching, which means that one of the most popular requests at the moment is "scary" books.  Ghosts are always a popular answer to those requests.  So here are some of my favorite ghost stories for children . . .

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise
In this story told mostly through letters, children's book author, I. B. Grumply, gets more than he bargained for when he rents a quiet place to write for the summer.

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
A mix-up involving the greatest magic in the world has tremendous consequences for Liesl, an orphan who has been locked in an attic, Will, an alchemist's runaway apprentice, and Po, a ghost, as they are pursued by friend and foe while making an important journey.

The Beasts of Clawstone Castle by Eva Ibbotson
While spending the summer with elderly relatives at Clawstone Castle in northern England, Madlyn and her brother Rollo, with the help of several ghosts, attempt to save the rare cattle that live on the castle grounds.

The Seer of Shadows by Avi
In New York City in 1872, fourteen-year-old Horace, a photographer's apprentice, becomes entangled in a plot to create fraudulent spirit photographs, but when Horace accidentally frees the real ghost of a dead girl bent on revenge, his life takes a frightening turn.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier
Irish orphans Molly, fourteen, and Kip, ten, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling manor house where nothing is quite what it seems to be, and soon the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and secrets of the cursed house.


More Ghost Books ---
Constable & Toop by Gareth P. Jones
Doll Bones by Holly Black
The Ghost Behind the Wall by  Melvin Burgess
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn
Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost by Cornelia Funke
The Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton Shaw
Knee-Knock Rise by Natalie Babbitt
Paranorman: A Novel by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Please the Ghost by Sharon Creech
Stealaway by K.M. Peyton
Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge: A Ghost Story by Kathryn Reiss
The Time of the Ghost by Diana Wynne Jones
The Wicked, Wicked Ladies in the Haunted House by Mary Chase


Check out these and other ghosts stories at the Arnold Branch!

What Should I Wear Today?

Clothes are an important part of our lives.  We love to pick out what we are going to wear for different occasions and activities.  Here are some great picture books featuring clothes . . . .

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems
Wilbur, a naked mole rat who likes to wear clothes, is forced to go before the wise community elder, who surprises the other naked mole rats with his pronouncement.

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
A tiny fish wearing a blue hat hopes not to wake up the trouble that might be following close behind.

Chamelia by Ethan Long
Chamelia loves to stand out and often wears outrageous outfits, but eventually she learns to shine in other ways.

Sally and the Purple Socks by Lisze Bechtold
When her tiny purple socks start to expand, Sally turns them into a scarf and then curtains, but things soon get out of hand.



More Books About Clothes --
Baby Shoes by Dashka Slater
Bridget's Beret by Tom Lichtenheld
Buy My Hats by Dave Horowitz
The Day We Danced in Underpants by Sarah Wilson
Dog in Boots by Greg Gormley
Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
The Emperor's New Clothes by Demi
Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London
Glasses: Who Needs 'Em? by Lane Smith
Grandpa's Overalls by Tony Crunk
A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Hello, Sun! by Dayle Ann Dodds
I Love My Hat! by Douglas Florian
I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback
Lamby Lamb by Christopher Raschka
Lost and Found by Bill Harley
The Magic Hat by Mem Fox
My Grandfather's Coat by Jim Aylesworth
Not All Princesses Dress in Pink by Jane Yolen
The Orange Shoes by Trinka Hakes Noble
Pirates Love Underpants by Claire Freedman
Red Hat by Lita Judge
Ruthie's Big Old Coat by Julie Lacome
The Skeleton in the Closet by Alice Schertle
Tacky and the Emperor by Helen Lester
Time to Get Dressed! by Elivia Savadier
What Can You Do With a Shoe? by Beatrice Schenks de Regnier
Which Hat is That? by Anna Grossnickle Hines


Check out these books on display at the Arnold Branch through October 23, 2015.