Scary Scary Halloween
October 30, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
Cover of Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting
I peer outside, there’s something there
That makes me shiver, spikes my hair.
It must be Halloween.
Eve Bunting has teamed up with Jan Brett in this classic Halloween tale, Scary, Scary Halloween
The rhyming text is told by an unknown narrator who fills us in on all of the Halloween happenings around her. Ghosts and witches are abound, who we later find out are trick or treaters, roaming the streets. But it’s our narrator’s eyes that pop out throughout the book, and later reveal that they belong to the real prowlers of the night…a group of cats who stalk the shadows, dark, unseen.
The rhymes are full of fun verses about Halloween and the images are sure to get kids excited about this ghoulish day. It’s a Halloween book fit for the youngest readers that captures the true spookiness of October 31st.
Additional Information:
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 40 pages
Publisher: Sandpiper (September 19, 1988)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 089919799X
ISBN-13: 978-0899197999
Source of book: Library
Disclosure: Some of the books I review are received from publishers , PR agencies, and authors, but it does not sway my opinion of the book. I maintain affiliate accounts with Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you purchase a book through one of my links, I will receive a small commission (at no cost to you). You can support this site by originating your purchase via these links and I appreciate your support of Lori Calabrese Writes!
One witch serves up one great Halloween book
October 28, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
One witch on a hill, has an empty pot to fill.
Join One Witch
Two cats, three scarecrows, four goblins, five vampires…
One Witch is a Halloweeen counting book that makes for one fun story. Many Halloween figures are represented and the witch visits each one (counting to ten), gathering a musty moth, a rattlesnake, a fingerbone, and other ghoulish items. When her stash is complete, the witch begins to plan her spooky bash and sends her bats out with invitations. The bats deliver the invitations to everyone who contributed to the stew (counting down from ten), and all of her friends come to enjoy her gruesome brew. At the end, there’s a special surprise waiting just for you! But will you want to take part?
This counting exercise is hidden in a fun story, full of rhyming couplets that roll off the tongue. The illustrations capture the spookiness of Halloween, which is why I have to call this my favorite Halloween book.
Additional Information:
Author: Laura Leuck
Illustrator: S.D. Schindler
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Paperback: 32 pages
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (September 15, 2005)
ISBN-10: 0802777295
ISBN-13: 978-0802777294
Source of book: Library
Disclosure:
Some of the books I review are received from publishers , PR agencies, and authors, but it does not sway my opinion of the book. I maintain affiliate accounts with Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you purchase a book through one of my links, I will receive a small commission (at no cost to you). You can support this site by originating your purchase via these links and I appreciate your support of Lori Calabrese Writes!
Wake the dead
October 8, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
I’m sure all of us in our lifetime have been told, “Be quiet or you’ll wake the dead.” It must be one of those mandatory lines in the required parent’s manual. If you’re a parent, perhaps you’ve even shared this tidbit with your children and if so, you’ll want to read Wake the Dead by Monica A. Harris.
Read my review at Examiner.com
Additional Information:
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers; Original edition (August 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802789226
The 13 Days of Halloween
October 7, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
Halloween books are on the rise and it seems as though more and more are published each year. Besides Christmas, many children list Halloween as their favorite holiday–after all, besides gifts, who wouldn’t love a big basket full of free candy?
To help celebrate your ghoulish gathering, check out The 13 Days Of Halloween
The story unfolds as a ghastly ghoul attempts to win his “good friend’s” heart with surprising gifts, such as cooked worms, fat toads, hissing cats, and a vulture in a dead tree.
As the succession of gifts unfolds, readers are left with an open-ended question of “guess what” the final gift is. It creates an opportunity to discuss with your young readers what they think is in the box (great for any classroom), although some readers might be left scratching their heads.
Whether you love open ended questions or not, the text is fun and playful. But the illustrations will take your breath away (if you’re already not out of breath from singing!). Tim Raglin’s attention to detail is magnificent and your young readers will be counting spiders, looking for the vulture in a dead tree, and following the skeleton dog from page to page.
Originally published in 1985, The 13 Days of Halloween proves that it’s a timeless tale– a fun treat sure to top off any young reader’s plastic pumpkin head!
Additional Information:
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (September 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402230966
ISBN-13: 978-1402230967
Porkenstein
April 8, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · View Comments
Porkenstein
Author: Kathryn Lasky
Illustrator: David Jarvis
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Blue Sky Press (September 1, 2002)
ISBN-10: 059062380X
ISBN-13: 978-0590623803
“Dr. Smart Pig was a famous inventor, but he didn’t have any friends…”
This is a Halloween book that can be enjoyed all year long. Most kids are fascinated with The Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf. So if you’ve read The Three Little Pigs a million times and need a bit of a change, then this is the book for you. You’ll be happy to have a little variety in your life, and your young reader will be happy to still be hearing about the Big Bad Wolf.
The story begins with Dr. Pig who feels alone ever since the Big Bad Wolf ate his two brothers. Then he realizes, he’s a famous inventor, so he can invent a friend. He sprints to his lab where he mixes up concoction after concoction. Kids will love the illustrations of his results–a pig fish, a pig bat. He just can’t quite seem to get it right until finally, he thinks he’s picked all the ingredients and out comes the biggest pig you’ve ever seen. And he’s hungry. News of the giant pig spreads fast (I loved the illustration of the paparazzi snapping photos outside their house window) and the Big Bad Wolf catches a glimpse of the pig on TV. Thinking the pig would be a tasty meal, he heads off to Dr. Pig’s house for a feast. In classic Big Bad Wolf style, he disguises himself in a Halloween costume and rings the bell to trick or treat. The giant pig answers the door and after they size each other up, it’s the Big Bad Wolf who gets swallowed up by the pig. Nothing like a little payback!
This is a mad-scientist story that stresses the importance of friendship sure to bring laughs.
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