"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

"The Eleventh Hour" by Graeme Base

"The Eleventh Hour" 

by Graeme Base

40 pages /  Print / Fantasy

Summary: Horace the elephant decides to invite 11 friends over to his house for a big celebration. He cooks up a big feast of delicious foods and desserts for everyone to enjoy. The 11 animals guests arrive, all dressed up in costumes and ready to celebrate. Before they can hear the feast Horace has prepared, they spend the afternoon and evening playing games with each other. The feast would have begun at the eleventh hour, but a thief has eaten all the food! Every animal friend denies that he or she ate the food. Horace thinks quickly and makes sanwiches for all the friends. They eat the sandwiches outside together. But who ate all the food? It is a mystery that the reader must solve.

Evaluation: The ending of this book really caught me by surprise. I was so distacted by the wonderful rhyming verse that told the stories, and the realistic images, that I wasn't paying attention to the fact that this book is full of clues and mystery. At the conclusion of the book, Graeme Base has a secret section that explains how to solve the mystery of who ate the food. He also explains the artwork and reasoning behind each illustration in the book. After finding clues on each page and solving the puzzle message at the end of the book, it is revealed that the mouse ate the food with his 200 mouse friends. The author then invites you to locate the mice on each page of the book, which are skillfully hidden in different images. This is a great book for a class to read together and to try to solve as a team. Solving the mystery is very difficult, but many eyes and minds working together would make it easier. Besides the interactive aspect of the book, it is beautfully illustrated. The images and scenes come to life. I looked at each page for a long time, appreciating how detailed and wonderful the illustrations were. This book could be read time and time again, trying to solve the mystery of who stole the food.

Appeal Terms: animal, mystery, engrossing, engaging, event oriented, multiple plotlines, well developed

"A Log's Life" by Wendy Pfeffer, Illustrated by Robin Brickman

"A Log's Life" 

by Wendy Pfeffer, Illustrated by Robin Brickman

32 pages /  Print / Realistic

Summary: "A Log's Life" brings us through the amazing life cycle of tree as it falls, decomposes and gives life to a new tree. Many animals and insects depend on a tree in each stage of its life. The book reads like a story, but it is very educational. Realistic illustrations add to the value of this fascinating book.

Evaluation: This book is an excellent tool for understanding and appreciating nature's greatest gift, trees. A teacher could use this book in a science class to introduce a unit on earth science. The illustrations and text are very meditative, making you feel like you are walking through a shady forest. The message of this book with surely make readers appreciate trees and how many creatures interact with it. The message of rebirth (of the tree) is beautiful and could be used as a metaphor for human life.

Appeal Terms: animal, realistic, engrossing, easy, engaging, event oriented, fact-filled, life like