Spooky Celebrations Around the World

Spooky Celebrations Around the World - 48 pages

Matt Ralphs, Veronika Kotyk (Artist)

Summary (From the MARC Record)

You'll have heard of Halloween, and maybe Dia de Muertos, or Obon too, but did you know there are spooky festivals all over the world? Across every continent there are festivals that celebrate and honor spirits. Children will delight in discovering the stories behind these 21 amazing celebrations.

Review

While I had heard of some of the celebrations in this book, there were just as many -- if not more -- that I had no prior knowledge of whatsoever!  Even in the case of the ones I had heard of, there were many facts about them I wasn't privy to before reading this book.  I definitely recommend this one to anyone looking to learn!  

Mischief Night Massacre: Ten Tales of Halloween by Jason Parent

 

Mischief Night Massacre: Ten Tales of Halloween by Jason Parent - 267 pages

Halloween. For the costumed child skipping along a safe, well-lit street, pillow case chock full of candy, it is a night of magic and mischief, delightful frights met with sugar-toothed grins. But for the would-be revelers in these tales, Halloween is a horrifying ordeal the likes of which many will not survive. And those who do make it to November may wish they hadn’t.

In this collection, Jason Parent gathers ten tales that embody the holiday in ways surely to surprise and delight the most avid horror reader. From traditional settings like amusement parks, Halloween parties, and haunted houses to more obscure locales where you might think terror couldn’t possibly find you, each story will have you breathing a little faster, startling at every bump in the night.

I know we're past Halloween but I gave this one a try anyway.  A great book when you're in the mood for scary short stories.  All were pretty good!

Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot, #41) by Agatha Christie

 Hallowe'en Party (Hercule Poirot, #41) by Agatha Christie-259 pages

⭐⭐⭐

This is our next Book to Movie Club selection. The movie based on the book is called "A Haunting in Venice." A young girl, Joyce Reynolds, is drowned in a tub of apples (for bobbing for apples) at a Halloween party. Hercule Poirot's author friend, Ariadne Oliver, who was at the party asks him to investigate the murder. This book is a bit meandering and unfocused. It is definitely not Agatha Christie's best work. It does pick up a bit near the end, though. The ending does pretty much wrap things up and tie all the ends together, but I am still not fully satisfied with it. I actually like the movie better, perhaps because the story is different and more focused.

Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel by A.W. Jantha

 Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel by A.W. Jantha, 521 pages

Seventeen year old Poppy Dennison doesn't believe her parents' stories about the rise of the Sanderson sisters. After all, who really believes in witches and ghosts and immortal cats? With love on her mind and something to prove, Poppy finds herself under a blood moon accidentally switches the souls of her parents and Aunt Dani with the Sanderson sisters. Now Poppy and her friends must race to save all of Salem from a tidal wave of witches. 

This book was so much fun! The author did a good job of shaping the new story to parallel the old one without too much fanservice.  I do wish that there had been more focus on the second part, though. It felt a little rushed.  

While I enjoy the Hocus Pocus movie, it never felt sacred to me; I don't have the hallowed nostalgia some of my friends do, so take my opinion with a grain of salt! 

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling -- 320 pages 

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two.

That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.

Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

Halloween A B C by Eve Merriam

Halloween A B C by Eve Merriam – 28 p.

This little book is a deliciously spooky way to get ready for the greatest holiday of the year. The fact that some have attempted to ban it just ramps up the fun! A clever little poem accompanies each letter, some more malevolent than others (D for demon vs. O for owl). Parents can quickly suss out which are appropriate to read to their little kiddos. Older ones will have a blast (and maybe a good, healthy scare) reading all of them. Just remember not to cry, or “you’ll end up in pumpkin pie”.

“Halloween ABC is on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 as ‘it allegedly contains satanic references, cult symbols, and promotes violent and deviant behavior.’” [Wikipedia]

Attack of the Jack-O'-Lanterns (Goosebumps #48, Classic Goosebumps #36) by R.L. Stine

Attack of the Jack-O'-Lanterns (Goosebumps #48, Classic Goosebumps #36) by R.L. Stine-144 pages

I am still reading Goosebumps. In this one, Drew loves Halloween and she and her friends (Walker, Shane, and Shana) have been trying to get back at her neighbors (Tabby and Lee) for a trick played two years ago at a Halloween party. The party was at Tabby's house and Tabby and Lee played a trick on all attendees and scared them good. The following year, Drew and her friends host a party and plan a nasty trick to get back at Tabby and Lee. However, Tabby and Lee don't come to their party and end up going somewhere else. This year, Drew and her friends have something even better, nastier planned. Drew and her friends invite Tabby and Lee to go trick-or-treating with them in the neighborhood. A little while into the night, though, something very strange and scary happens. Two "creatures" with Jack-O'-Lanterns for heads show up and force Drew, Walker, Tabby and Lee to go to a new neighborhood to trick-or-treat. Is this Shane and Shana? If so, how are they doing it? Tabby and Lee are really scared and Drew and Walker seem to be frightened, also (but are they really?). Read the book and find out! The Goosebumps series has been banned/challenged in the past for being too scary and/or graphic for kids (although having read quite a few now they aren't typically all that scary or graphic, just weird/creepy). 

Haunted House Murders by Leslie Meier

Haunted House Murder by Leslie Meier, 321 pages

In Leslie Meier's latest Lucy Stone murder mystery, Lucy has to discover who bought the haunted house next to the school and why.  Why do the neighbors hear haunting and frightful sounds from the house?  Can Lucy solve the mystery while caring for her young grandson and her family?  This book also contains mysteries stories from Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross.  Great cozy mystery reads for Halloween.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli - 303 pages

Simon is being blackmailed. 

Simon has been communicating through email with another closeted boy at his school.  He has quickly fallen in love with him even though he only knows him by the alias Blue.  They email each constantly.

Now Marty has accidentally discovered these emails and is blackmailing Simon into hooking him up with Simon's best friend Abby . . . .


I really enjoyed this book.  Simon was a very likable main character who was trying hard to make the best of several bad situations.  The secondary characters were also well developed and drew you further into the story.  I picked this book up after catching the movie version on tv the other night and I'm glad I did.

Yotsuba, v. 6-13 by Kiyohiko Azuma

Yotsuba&!, v. 6 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 208 pages
Yotsuba&!, v. 7 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 208 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 8 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 224 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 9 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 226 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 10 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 224 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 11 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 224 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 12 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 224 pages

Yotsuba&!, v. 13 by Kiyohiko Azuma - 208 pages

The story of Yotsuba, her dad, the family next door, and their friends continues.  I really like this series.  It's great for all ages - kids, teens, or adults.  I would highly recommend this series.

Howl for Halloween by Ursula Ziegler Sullivan

Howl for Halloween by Ursula Ziegler Sullivan - 32 pages

The puppies from Nickelodeon's PAW Patrol become ghost hunters when they throw a costume party on an old pirate ship. 

A cute children's book.

Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve by Mary Pope Osborne

Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve by Mary Pope Osborne (audiobook)-128 pages in print

Merlin invites Jack and Annie back to Camelot on Hallows Eve (Halloween) to find the Stone/Diamond of Destiny, which has gone missing. They are instructed to "bring order back to the Duke's Castle" by Merlin and Teddy (whom they have worked with before) is sent with them to help. Together with Teddy, they are able to recover the Diamond of Destiny from the Raven King and save everyone in the Duke's Castle/restore or bring order back to the Castle. I think it would be really fun to explore a "haunted" castle on Halloween (or any time), although a half-raven, half-human creature would be kind of creepy. It's kind of fun that Jack and Annie have to use rhymes and riddles to complete the missions that they go on. This one was fun to listen to on audiobook, as well.

Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier

Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier, 248 pages

This is another Lucy Stone mystery by Leslie Meier.  I love her books because they are just light, cozy mystery reads.  In this latest mystery, it is the annual Pumpkin Fest in Tinker's Cove, Maine, and someone has killed Lucy's husband's friend, Evan.  While managing her job and her duties as mother, as well as volunteering to help with the annual mitten drive and the Pumpkin Fest, Lucy is determined to prove her husband's innocence.  What follows is a revealing look into the past history of the local store, Country Cousins.

Gossamer Ghost by Laura Childs

Gossamer Ghost; a Scrapbooking Mystery by Laura Childs - 322 page

Halloween in the Big Easy.  A week of celebration, wild times and murder in the French Quarter. Carmela Bertrand, the owner of Memory Mine Scrapbook Shop fines Marcus Joubert, neighbor and owner of Oddities Antique Shop, stuffed into a cabinet, when she investigates strange noises in Oddities as she passes on her way home.  She continues to stick her noise in the murder investigation when Marcus's assistant/ fiancé Mavis asks Carmela to help locate Napoleon’s stolen death mask.

In addition to being a quick, cozy read, you’ll find several favorite New Orleans recipes, costume and scrapbooking and craft ideas with directions.  Want to make a death mask?

Miss. Smith And The Haunted Library by Michael Garland

Miss. Smith And The Haunted Library by Michael Garland, 30 pages

Miss. Smith's class is going to the library along with her book, the Incredible Storybook.  The class meets the librarian, Miss. Creeper. Miss. Creeper reads stories from the Incredible Storybook. The Headless Horseman, Frankenstein, Captain Hook, and the Wicked Witch appear.  Miss. Creeper serves snacks, and everyone enjoys the party.  Oh no, the seniors are coming for book club.  The characters go back into the Incredible Storybook.  The kids were looking forward to checking out books and reading about the characters they just met.  This would be a great book for Halloween!

MSCHMITT--- Mickey's Spooky Night by the Disney Book Group 32

MSCHMITT--- Mickey's Spooky Night by the Disney Book Group 32

It is Halloween and Mickey is getting rady for his friends to come over, and everywhere he turns in his house he is having spoooky sightings! When his friends arrive they declare his house is the best haunted house ever

MSCHMITT-- The Queen of Halloween, Mary Engelbreit, 32

MSCHMITT-- The Queen of Halloween, Mary Engelbreit, 32

Halloween is fun, but it can also be scary!

MSCHMITT-- Ten Trick or Treaters, Janet Schulman, 32

MSCHMITT-- Ten Trick or Treaters, Janet Schulman, 32

This is a counting and rhyming book all about the scary things on Halloween! (But not too scary)

MSCHMITT-- Jungle Halloween, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler, 32 pages

 Jungle Halloween, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler, 32 pages

***POSTED FOR MOLLY SCHMITT***

The jungle animals are out trick or treating! Lots of colors, very cute story.

MSCHMITT-- Ghost in the House, by Ammi Paquette, 32 pages

Ghost in the House, by Ammi Paquette, 32 pages

***POSTED FOR MOLLY SCHMITT***

Look at that ghost- he's cute!  This counting book for children pretends to be really spooky, but it's a fun read about Halloween.