"The Mystery of the Haunted Farm" by Elys Dolan

"The Mystery of the Haunted Farm" 

by Elys Dolan

34 pages /  Print / Sci-Fi

Summary: Farmer Greg calls the pig ghost hunters to investigate paranormal activity at his farm. There are zombie ducks, mummy sheep, ghost cows, and a Dracula horse. The pigs aren't registering any paranormal activity on their ghost machines, which lead them to look more closely at the haunted animals. As it turns out, the animals are all pretending to be haunted by dressing up in scary costumes. They are trying to scare away a werewolf, which actually turns out to be farmer Greg! The pigs tame Werewolf Greg and enter him into a dog/werewolf competition. Werewolf Greg wins the competition and the farm is at peace once again.


Evaluation: This is an adorable book that fits nicely into a Halloween themed lesson. Readers can play detective along with the pigs. Little clues are left on each page that makes the reader realize that the animals are not really haunted. Teachers can talk to students about these clues and encourage them to share their opinions. Werewolf Greg turns out to be a nice monster, which is good for students that are afraid of monsters.

Appeal Terms: spooky, creepy, ghost story, breakneck, humorous, event oriented, plot twist, resolved ending

"Far Out Fairy Tales : Hansel and Gretel and Zombies" by Benjamin Harper

   

"Far Out Fairy Tales : Hansel and Gretel and Zombies" 

by Benjamin Harper

40 pages /  Print / Graphic Novel

Summary: Zombie Hansel and Zombie Gretel's parents send them out in the woods to find brains of a tourist to bring back to eat. The parents dress them up in "human" costumes to trick tourists into helping them find their way back home. A witch sees them walking in the forest and she puts on her "human costume" to trick them into her candy house. The witch tricks Hansel into a cage by baiting him with brains. Hansel is fed brains so he can become nice and fat to eat Gretel is chained up and kept as a slave to do housework. The witch asked Gretel to light the oven, but then Gretel locks the witch in the oven. Instead of burning the witch, Gretel bites her and turns her into a zombie. Now all three of them are hungry for brains. The witch reveals that Hansel was not eating real brains, but rather "soy-based brains".  The witch returns the children to their parents. They all live together happily in the forest eating "soy-based brains".

Evaluation: This book is perfect for Halloween or teaching fractured fairy tales. There is a section in the book that explains the differences from the original Hansel and Gretel fairytale. The author also includes some reason comprehension questions to help the reader understand the plot. Kids love zombies these days, and the dialogue is very funny for readers. The story is short so readers can finish it in one sitting and feel accomplished that they read a book.

Appeal Terms: fairy tale, dark, humorous, magical, creepy, spooky, plot twists

"I Spy: Spooky Night" by Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo

"I Spy: Spooky Night" 

by Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo

40 pages /  Print / Realistic

Summary: Spooky rhymes challenge readers to find clues in the pictures on the page. The theme of this book is "spooky nights". Readers explore a haunted mansion and a graveyard to find creepy items like ghosts, skeletons and other things that go bump in the night.

Evaluation: Students love reading these books with a find, which is a postivie thing to see in a library. Adding this book to a library display with ensure that it gets checked out just around Halloween time. Reading the text and making connections with the illustrations is a skill that readers need to development.

Appeal Terms: engrossing, creepy, spooky, thought provoking

"The Book That Eats People" by John Perry ( Illustrated by Mark Fearing)

"The Book That Eats People" 

by John Perry ( Illustrated by Mark Fearing)

38 pages /  Print / Humorous

Summary: This is simply the book that eats people! This book can smell the food on your hands if you don't wash them. That makes the book hungry. It hides in the library, sometimes disguising itself by putting on a different book's jacket. It will even eat other books in the library! The book kept eating other children until it was locked away in jail. It couldn't be kept in jail for long, so it was sent to the zoo. It would not eat junk food that they sold at the zoo, it only wanted to eat people. Never read this book after eating something delicious, it will smell the food and get hungry. Don't read this book alone! It is the book that eats people!

Evaluation: I really enjoy a book that breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to its readers. The page design in this book is very creative. There is a lot of collage work, and designs borrowed from comic books ( cells, and columns). Some illustrations are made to look like the book was taped together and ripped apart by the monster book. Some pages look like the inside of a stomach of a book that just ate a collection of science textbooks. Creepy. An unexpected monster, a book, is a perfect character to use in a library during Halloween. Students and librarians are the main characters in this book, so they both can find a connection in this book when reading it.

Appeal Terms: science fiction, humorous, fast, foreboding, edgy, magical, creepy, spooky, character centered, quirky