Book Review: 'Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat' by Tracy Gold

✰✰✰✰✰ Follow an adorable little bat as it goes "trick-or-treating" to find yummy bugs to munch on. He searches high and low to find the crunchy Halloween treats up in the sky and down on the ground. With large print and rhyming words, this book is perfect for kiddos just learning to read.

The Bottom Line: This adorable little picture book with rhyming verse and digitally created full color art is sure to please little ones. It's just so cute and a tiny bit spooky. And as an added bonus, the back of the book features several pages with awesome facts about bats. Check out this super adorable book for some seasonal, fall fun.

Details: Trick or Treat, Bugs to Eat words by Tracy C. Gold & pictures by Nancy Leschnikoff. Hardcover picture book published by Sourcebooks Explore in 2021. 40 p. ISBN: 978-1-7282-3329-1 

Book Review: 'How to Scare a Ghost' by Jean Reagan

✰✰✰✰ Chock full of tips for those wanting to scare a ghost, young readers will find information ranging from attracting a ghost to making sure it is real to playing with a ghost and more. There’s even tips for things you can do with your ghost and going trick-or-treating with your ghost. If you've ever wondered how to deal with a ghost, this book will get you started.

The Bottom Line: This humorous and fun Halloween treat is filled with colorful and engaging digitally created illustrations. This would be a fun book to read during storytime or simply aloud with your little one. Enthusiastically recommended for spooky holiday reading.

Details: How to Scare a Ghost (How To Series) written by Jean Reagan & illustrated by Lee Wildish. Picture book published by Knopf Books for Young Readers in 2018. 32 p. ISBN: 978-1-5247-0190-1

Book Review: 'Trick or Treat on Scary Street' by Lance Bass

✰✰✰✰½ It’s Halloween, and like a carnival barker, one little trick-or-treater entices the others to follow him down Scary Street. It’s dark and spooky, but oh so intriguing. What will they find? Enter a gingerbread house or haunted mansion, if you dare. One by one they dwindle down from a group of thirteen to a lone trick-or-treater. What’s in store for him at the end of Scary Street? The answer will surprise you!

The Bottom Line: I absolutely adore Garrigue’s dark, spooky, atmospheric illustrations in purples, blacks, yellows, and oranges. Written with rhymes, kids will find it easy to follow along. This spooktakular treat is highly recommended seasonal reading for kids ages ages 5 - 9 who enjoy picture books with spookier, darker images.

Details: Trick or Treat on Scary Street written by Lance Bass & illustrated by Roland Garrigue. Picture book published by Union Square Kids in 2024. 40 p. ISBN: 978-1454952176

Book Review: 'Just Say Boo!' by Susan Hood

✰✰✰½ If you’ve ever wondered what to say when encountering a spooky friend or foe, Just Say Boo! has just the right words for you. For all types of spooky situations like encounters with wind, wet leaves, skeletons, and dinosaurs, this book has the answers. Don’t know what to say when you receive a treat? Just look it up here. Scared of bugs? Just look it up here. And wondering how to deal with a crying baby? Look no further. Check out this book for seasonal answers. 

The Bottom Line: With catchy rhyming verses and festive, autumnal watercolor illustrations, this seasonal picture book will delight kids ages 3 - 7. It is especially helpful for bashful children who might wonder what to say in new situations or for little ones a tiny bit afraid of some spooky fun. 

Details: Just Say Boo! written by Susan Hood & illustrated by Jed Henry. Picture book published by Harper in 2012. 32 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-201029-2 

Book Review: 'The Vanishing Pumpkin' by Tony Johnston

✰✰✰✰½ Johnston and dePaola team up again to bring readers this delightful tale of a 700-year-old woman and an 800-year-old man who just want to make a pumpkin pie on Halloween. Lo and behold, their pumpkin is missing. This just won’t do, so the old couple set off to look for it. Join them as they question a ghoul, a rapscallion, a varmint, and an old wizard. Each has motives to steal the prized pumpkin, but who really did it? This book will keep you turning the pages with a surprise ending.

The Bottom Line: While searching the shelves for new Halloween books to review, I came across this blast from the past. Perfect seasonal reading for kids in grades 1 - 3, this picture book probably has more words in it that kids are used to today, so be prepared to read-along. Illustrated in dePaola’s signature style, this book is enthusiastically recommended.

Details: The Vanishing Pumpkin written by Tony Johnston & pictures by Tomie dePaola. Hardcover picture book published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons in 1983. 30 p. ISBN: 0-399-20991-3 

Book Review: 'The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky' by Jory John

✰✰✰ The Bad Seed is in a bad mood. Even though Halloween is his favorite holiday, he’s grumpy. He has no one to blame, but himself because he just couldn’t put together an awesome Halloween costume in time. Being a bad seed, he decides to trick the others into postponing Halloween to give himself more time. Will his antics work? Or will the others celebrate without him? Check out this short book to find out.

The Bottom Line: As the Bad Seed learns, there’s no need to take your bad mood out on others. Some things just aren’t that big of a deal, and all we need is someone to point this out. However, it’s never too late to make things right. This book is part of The Food Group series, and kids will enjoy this seasonal offering. Oswald’s illustrations were the highlight of this book; nevertheless, this installment didn’t have quite the snarkiness of the original.

[Note: This book comes with 150 spooky stickers; however, since I checked out a copy from a local library, there were none inside. Thus, the stickers were not a part of my book review.]

Details: The Good, the Bad, and the Spooky written by Jory John & illustrated by Pete Oswald. Hardcover picture book published by HarperCollins in 2021. 32 p. ISBN: 978-0-06-295454-1  

Book Review: 'If You Ever Meet a Skeleton' by Rebecca Evans

✰✰✰½ Skeletons might seem a bit spooky or scary, but really they are just like anybody else. Sure, they can’t smell or play hide-and-seek, but when it comes to making friends, they’d like to find a few. Do you think you’d like to be friends with a skeleton? If so, check out this treat.

The Bottom Line: Well, if you ever happen to run into a skeleton, you now know skeletons aren’t scary. With engaging, humorous illustrations, this picture book is fun seasonal reading for kids ages 5 - 8.

Details: If You Ever Meet a Skeleton written by Rebecca Evans & illustrated by Katrin Dreiling. Picture book published by Page Street Kids in 2021. 32 p. ISBN: 978-1-64567-215-9

Book Review: 'On Halloween Night' by Ferida Wolff & Dolores Kozielski

✰✰✰ Count up to 13 as two little boys journey through a spooky forest to a school yard at night. Along the way they discover creatures like owls, goats, and wolves. Observing from a careful distance, the boys are in for a surprise at the end.

The Bottom Line: The atmospheric watercolor illustrations featuring each item being counted plus the two little boys on each page are the highlight of this book. Somehow the rhyming seemed a bit awkward for me. This could easily have simply been a fall book except for the witch and ghosts.  Page through the illustrations for the best effect.

Details: On Halloween Night written by Ferida Wolff & Dolores Kozielski and illustrated by Dolores Avendaño. Picture book published by Tambourine Books in 1994. 32 p. ISBN: 0-688-12973-0 

Book Review: 'Vunce Upon a Time' by J.otto Seibold & Siobhan Vivian

✰✰✰✰✰  Dagmar is a very shy, little vampire. He's afraid of humans, and he's even a vegetarian! While he likes eating veggies, he loves candy even more. Unfortunately, his vegetable garden is slow to grow, and his secret stash of candy is almost out. What's a hungry, vegetarian vampire to do? Go trick-or-treating, of course. There's just one problem (or maybe two), Dagmar doesn't have a costume, and he's really, really afraid of people. Will he find the courage he needs to to out on Halloween to replenish his stash of candy before he runs out? Check out this popular picture book to find out.

The Bottom Line: Seibold's vivid, digitally created illustrations are a real treat in this humorous, yet charming, Halloween book about friendship and courage. A spooktacular read for kids ages 3 - 8 and highly recommended for storytimes.

Details: Vunce Upon a Time written by J.otto Seibold & Siobhan Vivian and illustrated by J.otto Seibold. Picture book published by Chronicle Books in 2008. Unpaged. ISBN: 978-0-8118-6271-4

Book Review: 'Scary, Scary Halloween' by Eve Bunting

 

✰✰✰✰✰ Two green eyes peer out into the darkness and watch carefully as a skeleton passes by. Soon there are witches, goblins, gremlins, a ghost, and even a vampire parading by as the narrator wonders if it's safe to go outside. It must be Halloween, but when will it ever be safe to go out? Check out this spooky tale to find out.

The Bottom Line: Bunting and Brett are a fabulous combination when it comes to picture books. With intriguing text and fantastic, full color illustrations with lots of spooky details, they'll keep you guessing who the narrator is until the very end. Enthusiastically recommended for spooky, seasonal reading for kids in grades 1 - 3.

Details: Scary, Scary Halloween written by Eve Bunting & illustrated by Jan Brett. Picture book published by Clarion Books in 1986. 40 p. ISBN: 0-89919-414-1

Book Review: 'Zen Ghosts' by John Muth

✰✰✰✰½ It's Halloween, and by the end of the evening Addy, Michael, and Karl have loads of candy treats. However, the fun's not over yet. Their panda friend, Stillwater, has one more surprise waiting for them. A mysterious panda storyteller draws them a story, and when it's finished, the kids are mystified. What happened to Stillwater, and just who was this mysterious storyteller? You'll be left wondering too when you check out this seasonal treat.

The Bottom Line: This gentle Halloween ghost story contains a story within a story that will make the reader think about who they really are. Muth's beautiful artwork in watercolor and ink tell the tale as much as the text. Highly recommended for storytimes for grades 1 - 4. Check out the Author's Note at the end for discussion ideas.

Details: Zen Ghosts written & illustrated by John Muth. Picture book published by Scholastic Press in 2010. 40 p. ISBN: 978-439-63430-4 

Book Review: 'Mouse's First Halloween' by Lauren Thompson

✰✰✰✰✰ On one spooky night, a little mouse creeps out and encounters a spooky noise. Not to worry, it's just bats. As the little mouse creeps along, he hears more spooky noises. "Flit! Flit! Flit!" " Plop! Plop! Plop!" What could the noises be? The brave little mouse continues on his night out only to discover that maybe it's fun to be just a little scared after all.

The Bottom Line: This sweet adventure tale is perfect for little ones who are tiny bit reluctant to celebrate Halloween. Illustrated in bold colors, with rhyming verses, repetition, and large print, this seasonal picture book is just a little bit creepy. Highly recommended for children ages 2 - 5 and for story times.

Details: Mouse's First Halloween written by Lauren Thompson & illustrated by Buket Erdogan. Picture book published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in 2003. 34p. ISBN: 978-0-689-83176-8

Book Review: 'The Sisters of Straygarden Place' by Hayley Chewins

✰✰✰½ Winnow, Mayhap, and Pavonine Ballastian have been living alone at Straygarden Place ever since their parents left them behind seven years ago. The house is surrounded by strange, silver grass and floating trees, and their parents warned the three sisters never to go outside. The girls never want for anything as the magical house takes care of their every need, but then one day Winnow goes outside. When she returns, it's obvious to Mayhap and Pavonine that something is very wrong with her. Mayhap is determined to help her ailing sister, but what she uncovers may destroy their very existence. With time running out to save Winnow, the young girls must make decisions that will change everything.

The Bottom Line: Despite a slow start, the author eventually drew me in with her haunting prose, and the book turned into a real page-turner. The setting features a bit of creepiness as the children grow up with everything taken care of for them. However, what really shines through in this book is the bond of sisterly love. Recommended for middle grade readers and young adults who enjoy reading fantasy and horror. There are a lot of magical elements in this story that readers will appreciate as well.

Details: The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins. ARC published by Candlewick Press in 2020. 208 p. ISBN: 978-1-5362-1227-3 NOTE: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible via the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.

Book Review: 'Six Creepy Sheep' by Judith Ross Enderle & Stephanie Gordon Tessler

✰✰✰✰ When six creepy decide to go trick-or-treating on a spooky Halloween night, they’re the ones in for a surprise. As they go a-haunting, the six creepy sheep meet their matches one-by-one, until...there’s only one left. Where did they all go? Turn the pages of this quick holiday read to discover a fun twist ending and happy surprise.

The Bottom Line: With rhyming text, this picture book is suited for storytimes for beginning readers. It’s a super short and super fun read for kids learning to count backwards, and it’s a great way to introduce kids to the concept of collective nouns too. O’Brien’s Goreyesque illustrations create a lighthearted spookiness, and the use of a Halloween color palette adds to the fun. For kids ages 3 and up.

Details: Six Creepy Sheep written by Judith Ross Enderle & Stephanie Gordon Tessler and illustrated by John O’Brien. Picture book published by Caroline House in 1992. 24 p. ISBN: 1-56397-092-9

Book Review: 'The Bones of Fred McFee' by Eve Bunting

✰✰✰✰½ The creepy fun begins when a brother and sister bring home a plastic skeleton from the harvest fair. High up in a sycamore tree, the skeleton dances with glee. The plastic bones of Fred McFee click and clack in the wind. Once Halloween is over, the bones will be put away until next year, but where are they? The children search and search; there’s nothing to be found but a grave beneath the tree. What could have happened? Where did Fred McFee go? He’s gone! Or is he? Check out this spooktactular tale for a frightfully good scare.

The Bottom Line: This is a spooky tale for kids ages 5 - 8. The rhythmic story is great for reading aloud, and the colorful  illustrations in scratchboard and watercolor add to the creepy fun. Highly recommended Halloween reading, but keep your little ones close because this tale might be a bit scary for some tiny tots.

Details: The Bones of Fred McFee written by Eve Bunting & illustrated by Kurt Cyrus. Picture book published by Harcourt Children’s Books in 2002. 32 p. ISBN: 0-15-202004-7

Book Review: 'Young Scrooge: A Very Scary Christmas Story' by R. L. Stine

✰✰✰½  Rick Scroogeman thinks he's the life of the party. He likes to joke around with his friends, but can't understand why they don't appreciate his humor. That's because Rick is a twelve-year-old bully. He thinks teasing his fellow classmates at Oliver Twist Middle school is funny just as long as the joke's on them.

Rick doesn't tolerate it when other people tease him. Take Christmas, for example. Every year the other kids get their chance to get back at Rick when the class watches the classic old movie, A Christmas Carol. All the kids start calling him Scrooge, and Rick gets all prickly about it.

This year Rick is ready to retaliate with even more teasing. What he doesn't know is that things are going to be different. Just like in the movie, Rick is haunted by three ghosts who whisk him away to different eras and try to teach him a lesson. Will Rick change his bullying ways, or is he a lost cause? Only time will tell as Rick tries get back to his family in time to celebrate Christmas.

The Bottom Line: This ghostly retelling of a holiday classic (A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens) features a scary twist with a modern lesson to learn. Middle grade readers will identify with the characters on both sides of the bullying issue. Recommended seasonal reading for young fans of horror.

Details: Young Scrooge: A Very Scary Christmas Story by R. L. Stine. hardcover published by Square Fish in 2016. 208 p. ISBN: 978-1-250-12955-0

Book Review: 'One Witch' by Laura Leuck

✰✰✰✰✰ One witch with an empty pot has a plan. As she visits all her friends, each provides a tasty, ghoulish ingredient for to fill her pot. When she finally has enough items to create a spooktacular stew, she sends out invitations. Cats, ghouls, mummies, and vampires are all eager to sample the delectable dish, but there's something missing. You'll never guess what it is unless you check out this spooky tale.

The Bottom Line: This creative, Halloween-themed take on the classic Stone Soup folktale is super fun to read. Kids will enjoy counting up to ten and back down again with Leuck's spooky and silly rhymes. Children and adults alike will delight in Schindler's wonderful ink and watercolor illustrations which are colorful and detailed, but not too scary. This is one picture book you'll read over and over again with your little ones. Also, highly recommended for storytime for children in Kindergarten and Grade 1.

Details: One Witch written by Laura Leuck & illustrated by S. D. Schindler. Hardcover picture book published by Walker & Company in 2003. 32 p. ISBN: 0-8027-8860-2

Book Review: 'Frangoline and the Midnight Dream' by Clemency Pearce

✰✰✰✰½ Frangoline is a sweet little girl by day, but don't be fooled. When night arrives, Frangoline makes her escape through the window and sets out on dark adventures. While the worried moon watches, Frangoline explores dark and twisted paths. Through the creepy wood and into the churchyard she goes. Nothing can stop her until she goes just a step too far. With nowhere else to hide, a frightened Frangoline turns to the moon for help. It's time for this little girl to sleep snugly in her bed. Sweet dreams Frangoline...until tomorrow night.

The Bottom Line: Many kids will identify with Frangoline, a good little girl who enjoys being just a tiny bit naughty every once in a while. Children will love Elliott's illustrations full of dark colors and just the right amount of creepiness. The rhyming verses make this a great pick for storytime at school or the library. It's perfect seasonal fun for kids in grades 1 - 3.

Details: Frangoline and the Midnight Dream written by Clemency Pearce & illustrated by Rebecca Elliott. Hardcover picture book published by Chicken House in 2011. 32 p. ISBN: 978-0-545-31426-8

Book Review: 'Substitute Creature' by Charles Gilman

✰✰✰✰½ Middle school students Robert Arthur, Glenn Torkells, and Karina Ortiz, the school ghost, have returned in the fourth installment of the Tales from Lovecraft Middle School series. Lovecraft Middle School is not just any ordinary school. It was built upon the remains of Tillinghast Mansion, the home of renowned mad scientist Crawford Tillinghast. The school grounds contain hidden portals to other dimensions, and the school itself is teeming with demons, monsters, creatures, and an assortment of creepy crawly insects. While seventh graders Robert and Glenn have survived several near-death experiences over the past few months, nothing can prepare them for their current adventure.

It’s Valentine’s Day and the school has a special treat for the students; it’s a surprise concert. When Glenn notices that the choir robes look mysteriously like the garments worn by Tillinghast’s servants, they find themselves stepping through another portal and into a new adventure. Just then a blizzard suddenly descends upon their town trapping Robert and a few others inside. Faced with freezing temperatures, little food, and no electricity, the trio of friends must confront a mysterious substitute teacher and the most frightening monsters they have encountered so far. Before all is said and done, Robert will be faced with the most difficult choice of his life, and their lives will be changed forever.

The Bottom Line: The fourth book in the series is just as fun and full of adventure as the previous installments. Authentic characters and dialogue make this book appealing to both boys and girls in grades 4 – 7. Author Charles Gilman expertly weaves the themes of friendship and teamwork into the story. While illustrator Eugene Smith’s black and white pencil drawings are spot-on.

Although there are references to the previous adventures, young readers can dive right into this installment without having read the other books in order. This very quick read is highly recommended for kids who enjoy monsters, horror, and adventure fiction.  For more creepy fun, check out Lovecraft Middle School.

Details: Tales from Lovecraft Middle School #4: Substitute Creature written by Charles Gilman & illustrated by Eugene Smith. Hardcover published by Quirk Books in 2013. 176 p. ISBN: 978-1-59474-614-7 Note: I received a copy from Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible by the Early Reviewer program at LibraryThing.

Book Review: 'Doll Bones' by Holly Black

✰✰✰✰ Poppy, Zach, and Alice have been friends since they were just little kids. Together they have always played elaborate fantasy games with the girls using their favorite dolls and Zach using action figures. However, now that the trio is in middle school, things are changing rapidly. Zach is involved in sports, and Alice has theatre leaving little time for fantasy play. As they try to finish one last game with their toys before they grow up, Zach suddenly stops playing. He won’t even give the girls a reason.

In a last ditch effort to finish the game and get Zach to play, Poppy kidnaps a doll called the Queen. The Queen is an antique china doll that is integral to all their stories. She sits in a locked glass cabinet and is strictly off limits. However, as soon as she is released, the Queen appears in one of Poppy’s dreams as a ghost girl. It seems that the doll is made from the bones of a real little girl who died a tragic death. According to Poppy, the ghost wants her bones to be buried properly. If Poppy doesn't help her, the Queen promises to make her sorry. While Alice and Zach aren’t entirely convinced of the ghost story, they agree to help Poppy. Sneaking away during the night, they set off to discover the ghost’s true story and find her grave. With clues to guide their journey, they find themselves on a real quest instead of a fantasy. The friends discover that they must work together as a team to overcome several obstacles and see the quest through to the end to give the Queen the eternal rest she yearns for.

The Bottom Line: After a slow start, Doll Bones turned into a real page-turner; it’s a tale of adventure, friendship, and growing up. The story is filled with middle school tension as the characters face the uneasy transition from childhood to adolescence. The friends argue with and challenge each other, as they try to work together to complete the task. As with all quests, the participants change along the way. The characters learn that they don’t need to fear growing up, and even when things look bleak, they still have their friendship.

I have never been a fan of antique china dolls, and Black’s story justifies this dislike. These dolls are just plain creepy, and the Queen in this story is eerie and a bit sinister. This is a quick read that ends rather abruptly. Nonetheless, it’s a spooky tale that middle grade readers will enjoy.

Details: Doll Bones by Holly Black. Hardcover published by Margaret K. McElderry Books in 2013. 256 p. ISBN: 978-1-4169-6398-1