Five Faves: Spooky Season Informational

There are so many awesome Halloween-themed informational books at the library. Some are fun and spooky while others are down-right frightening. Here are five of my favorites for those wanting to get in the holiday spirit.

The Ghostly Carousel
Written by Calef Brown
Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 2018. 32 pages.

This book of very silly poems will get you in the mood for Halloween. There are poems about scary shadows, creeping crud, and a zombie named Joel. You will definitely get a kick out of these goofy monsters.

Living Ghosts & Mischievous Monsters
Written by Dan C. Jones
New York: Scholastic Press, 2021. 166 pages.

The author of this book is a member of the Ponca Nation of Oklahoma and grew up hearing scary stories from the elders in his tribe. As an adult, he travelled the country to hear more chilling tales from other tribes and nations. These stories truly are spooky--some so wild, you wouldn't come up with them in your wildest dreams. You might want to read these with a light on....

Pumpkin Carving!
Written by Renee Kruilla
New York: Odd Dot, 2022. 47 Pages

If you're anything like me, you can never decide what face to carve into your pumpkin. This "show-how guide" is a fun way to get inspiration for your jack-o-lanterns. It has guides to traditional faces and encourages you to design your own! This would be especially helpful for first-timers who want to learn some tips and tricks.

Wild Things
Written by Jo Schofield
Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet Global Limited, 2019. 176 pages.

This book is ideal for Halloween lovers who are more interested in the magical side of the holiday. Dig into this book of mythical creatures, with only a few spooky monsters. It's pages are full of creative outdoor activities to celebrate these wild things.

Ghosts Unveiled!
Written by Keri Logan Hollihan
New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2020. 195 pages.

Not everyone believes in ghosts, especially when you hear so many far-fetched stories. This book is full of actual ghost sightings all around the world. Some of these tales you might be able to write off as a trick of science or a groggy mind, but for the people who experienced these ghost sightings, they were real.

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Painting for Peace in Ferguson

Painting for Peace in Ferguson By Carol Swartout Klein Treehouse Publishing Group, 2015. Nonfiction. When the city of Ferguson was overrun with so much hate and despair that homes and businesses had to be boarded up to protect property, citizens of the community decided to bring a message of hope by painting the boarded windows. Klein’s rhyming text supports the photographs of the hundreds of artists and volunteers and their artwork as they bring the messages of peace, hope, love, and that by being united they can make a difference. A great book to show children how a community rallied to make a positive change and that even a small gesture can make a huge difference. A great discussion opener on how we should treat each other.

Dragon Run

Dragon Run by Patrick Matthews Scholastic, 2013. 336 pgs. Fantasy Al Pilgrommor is excited for Testing Day, when he will receive his rank, a tattooed number on the back of his neck, and a path forward to his future occupation and life. He feels confident because his parents were fours on a scale of seven, but he is worried for his friend Wisp who doesn't have much of a chance of scoring above a two at best. But when Al is scored a zero, he not only has no prospects, he may lose his life as the dreaded Cullers are unleashed to kill him and his family to purify the land's bloodlines. Al's world is ruled by dragons--the lords and supposed creators of humankind--so he thinks that even if he survives, he will have to make his living as a beggar or thief. But when Al sticks up for his Earther friend in front of Magister Ludi, he is drawn into the struggle of a secret organization hoping to destroy the Cullers, and perhaps the dragons them...

Review: We're All Gonna Die-Nosaur!

We’re All Gonna Die-nosaur! By Kon Tan New York: Disney Hyperion, 2025. Intermediate. 157 pages. Pterry (the “p” is silent) pterodactyl is a worry wart. Pterry is worried about flying (he doesn’t how to fly yet), dinosaurs going extinct (he had a scary dream), and how to protect his family (he has a little brother who hasn’t fully hatched from an egg yet). Even though there is a lot of feels for Pterry, this is actually quite a funny book. Pterry tries to learn how to fly with kites as his “training wheels” and his brother who is inside an egg is quite the adventurer. This is a funny, heart-felt comic-like intermediate fiction book that will be great for many readers. If kids love dinosaurs, this book is for them. If kids like funny graphic novels, this book is for them. If kids want to read something about facing fears and doing things even though they don’t always want to, this book is for them. Plus, even though Pterry does a lot of things on his own, he still has s...

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