#157 Favorite Halloween Books

     Before I begin to list a few of my favorite Halloween books, I want take a moment to welcome a new member to our reading audience. My stats page indicates that someone from Belarus has recently joined us.  I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I rejoice in this demonstration of world-wide interest and support for children's literacy.  

     This blog at Jumpup2chapterbooks.blogspot.com and my other one at, ebooks4kids.blogspot.com currently have a total of 59 countries in their two reading audiences.  That is amazing, isn't it?!

     Now about Halloween.  The holiday is not without controversy, of course.  As a teacher in a public school, I always tried to be sensitive to my parents' concerns.  We celebrated with a Fall Festival that included pumpkin math and home-made root beer in my classroom.

     However, as a parent, I sewed and glued amazing costumes each year for our two daughters.  I escorted them around the local neighborhood so that they could "Trick or Treat". I also accepted the responsibility of inspecting all of their "loot" for a small percentage of the take.

     Therefore, with only a few days left before October 31st, I will go ahead and recommend a few books on the subject.  If I am not leaving you enough time to order them, I suspect that they are available at your local bookstores or libraries.

     And another thing, please consider giving a few of these titles to your favorite goblins in lieu of candy treats! Remember, a book is a lasting treat.

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     For children of all ages:

        The Ghost Eye Tree, by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault (a lovely picture book with illustrations of a time- gone-by, written in gentle verse)

     For emergent readers:

          BOO and I MEAN it! with Junie B. Jones, by Barbara Park

          Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve (A Magic Tree House Book) by Mary Pope Osborn

          Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry G. Allard, Jr. 

     And for independent readers:

          The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (The 1959 Newbery Winner)

          Jennifer Murdley's Toad by Bruce Coville

          Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe

*****

     In future posts I will recommend some of my favorite Thanksgiving and other holiday books.  

     And for now, as you begin to look forward to Christmas, it may interest you to know that my own short chapter book, Margaret's Christmas Cookies is out in paperback.  It is currently available on Amazon.com and on Barnesandnoble.com. I will feature it in my next post.

     And as always, please keep reading.