Featuring Ali from the Augusta County Libraries and kids’ books and movies perfect for Halloween! Who needs trick or treating when you can treat yourself to some tricksy twisty books? Promise, these won’t actually keep your kid up all night.
For the littlest goblins in your family, Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds brings the Twilight Zone to the carrot patch. Jasper Rabbit can’t resist the carrots from Crackenhopper Farms - until the day the carrots start to follow him home! Great illustration and a funny story are a great combo in this picture book.
Carl Reiner’s Tell Me a Scary Story - but not too scary is about a kid who’s scared of his new neighbor, and sneaks into their house to find out what’s really going on. Featuring an audio recording of Carl Reiner reading the book - complete with pauses to make sure no one’s toooo scared - this is a fun, interactive read for younger kids.
For the middle-grade readers, Coraline by Neil Gaiman is available as a book, graphic novel, audiobook, and even a movie. The day after moving to her house, Coraline explores the fourteen doors of her new home. Thirteen can be opened normally, but the Fourteenth is closed and boarded up. When she finally gets it open, she finds a secret passage that leads to another house like her own that is chilling.
The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is a Victorian ghost story with classic themes. Two Irish siblings work at a crumbling English manor, but the kids soon discover the house and the family are not what they seem. More than just a spooky tale, this is a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling. Available as an e-book, e-audiobook, in print, and on CD.
A Tim Burton Halloween classic film - The Nightmare Before Christmas, is available as a picture book, as just the excellent soundtrack, and on DVD and Blu ray. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, is bored of making Halloween scary for all the children. In fit of pique, he stumbles upon Christmastown and decides to take over for Santa, sending scary toys and decorations to everyone. Great for Halloween or the winter holidays, so watch it multiple times a year!
For teen readers, AW Jantha released a sequel to Hocus Pocus last year, and it is a screaming good time. This books features a fresh retelling of the original film then the sequel skips ahead 25 years to Max and Allison’s 17 year old daughter, Poppy, encountering the Sanderson sisters herself on Halloween night. She and her friends have to save Salem from the witches again in a race against time.
For a much creepier read, The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco is the Japanese story of Okiku, the spirit of a murdered young girl who avenges other children who have been killed. Okiku meets Tark, a teenage boy who writhes with an evil entity trapped under his skin with intricate tattoos. Okiku wants to free Tark like she has other spirits, but can Tark survive the process? Definitely for kids 14 and up, this one is a spooky time.
All these and more are available at your local public libraries! We love to help you find new titles to read, so don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations from your favorite librarians. Remember: masks and social distancing are required inside the libraries, and we still have curbside services available for you if you’d rather stay outside. Visit the libraries' websites and social media for location specific programs, services, and hours:
Valley Librarians talk books, culture and all things happening at your local library on 106.3 WQSV: https://www.wqsv.org/about/program-schedule/
Wednesdays & Fridays at 8:00 a.m.
Thursdays at 5...
