• And Then Comes Halloween by Tom Brenner and Holly Meade (PreK-2nd)

As soon as geese fly south, children take autumn’s cue to start their preparations: it’s almost Halloween! With poetic language and vivid collage illustrations, Tom Brenner and Holly Meade follow all the familiar rituals, from hanging paper skeletons to carving pumpkins, from costume-making to trick-or-treating.

• Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting and Jan Brett (K-3rd)

This collaboration by two wonders of children’s literature creates a Halloween book that is perfect. The repetitive rhymes are chant-like and the creatures of spirited trick-or-treaters are a typical display of Jan Brett’s artwork.

• In the Haunted House by Eve Bunting and Susan Meddaugh (PreK-1st)

This book features comically creepy rhymes (“Who’s in the closet, dark as a tomb / Rattling his bones in the gloom-gloomy-gloom?”) during a tiptoe journey through a house full of otherworldly creatures—a vampire, ghosts, and a mummy, among others. It offers a nice balance of silly and spooky.

• Halloween Surprise by Corinne Demas and R.W. Alley (PreK-1st)

Halloween is almost here and Lily wants to make her own costume for trick-or-treating. After many ideas and a few wrong turns, Lily finally settles on a costume that will be perfect for a Halloween surprise with her cuddly kittens.

• Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler (PreK-2nd)

The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch’s hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?

• Halloween Night by Arden Druce and David Wenzel (K-2nd)

This book is a nice blend of watercolor illustrations and riddles that present the characters of Halloween.

• Ollie’s Halloween by Olivier Dunrea (PreK-1st)

This Halloween, Gossie is a wizard and Gertie is a chicken. Peedie is a dragon and BooBoo is a bunny. Ollie is a mummy who thinks sharing is more fun than scaring. Join the goslings as they hoot, howl, and haunt the night away.

• The ABC’s of Halloween by Patti Reeder Eubank (PreK-2nd)

Two endearing black cats lead children through the alphabet as each letter brings new words for the Halloween season.

• Bone Soup by Cambria Evans (K-3rd)

Known across the land for his appetite, Finnigin is never seen without his eating stool, his eating spoon, and his gigantic eating mouth. When Finnigin finds himself in a new town on Halloween, he hopes to join a great feast with the creatures who live there. But no one there will share any of their food with him. Armed only with his wits and a special ingredient, will Finnigin be able to stir up a cauldron’s worth of Halloween magic?

• Corduroy’s Best Halloween Ever! by Don Freeman and Lisa McCue (PreK-1st)

Halloween is almost here, and Corduroy can’t wait! He is going to have a party. He and his friends will carve a jack-o’-lantern, bob for apples, and go trick-or-treating! But there is one problem: Corduroy needs to choose a costume. What will he wear?

• The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches by Alice Low and Jane Manning (1st-3rd)

Wendy is a little witch who is afraid of her mean, bossy witch sisters-until one special Halloween night when she makes a magical discovery and outwitches her older sisters.

• Halloween Night by Marjorie Dennis Murray and Brandon Dorman (K-3rd)

It’s Halloween night and all are preparing for a wickedly wonderful evening of scaring. With zombies and banshees and mummies galore, read this book once and you’ll come back for more!

• Shake Dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-Lisa and Mike Reed (K-3rd)

It’s Halloween night. The city is quiet. The city is still. But as the lights go down, the music comes up — and the guests start to arrive at the hip-hop Halloween Ball! And oh, what a party it is. Told in hip-hop rhyming text, L’il Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Tom Thumb, and all of their fairy-tale friends come together for a rapping, stomping, shaking Halloween romp. Scoo-bee-doo-bee-doo-wah. Yeah!

• Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer Barrett O’Connell (PreK-1st)

Ten ghosts, a witch, and a haunted house make this Halloween countdown a spooky treat!

• Fancy Nancy: Halloween…or Bust! by Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser (PreK-2nd)

No one knows Fancy like Nancy . . . and no one knows Halloween like Nancy! Join her on her adventure as she gets ready for Halloween.

• We’re Going on a Ghost Hunt by Susan Pearson and S. D. Schindler (PreK-2nd)

A unique version of the popular song, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt,” introducing four children who go out at night in search of a ghost. After squish-squash-squooshing through a swamp, rustle-rustle-rat-a-tattling through a cornfield, and overcoming all kinds of obstacles on their journey, they come face to face with a ghost in a graveyard. Then—RUN! RUN! RUN!—they race back to the safety of their warm, cozy house.

• The Hallo-wiener by Dav Pilkey (K-3rd)

Oscar is short, like all dachshunds, and all the other dogs make fun of him. On Halloween he takes more ridicule than ever in his hot-dog costume, but one brave act makes him a Grade-A hero.

• Halloween Mice! by Bethany Roberts and Doug Cushman (K-2nd)

Here is a tale of mice partying on Halloween. The little creatures outwit a cat with their own trick.

• Moonlight: The Halloween Cat by Cynthia Rylant and Melissa Sweet (PreK-2nd)

This is the story of a black cat by favorite children’s author Cynthia Rylant. As the cat takes a walk she passes a pumpkin patch, rolling meadows, fences and hay fields. She rests in the lap of a scarecrow and watches the happenings of the night, including children out trick-or-treating.

• Nate the Great and the Halloween Hunt (Nate the Great, No. 12) by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Marc Simont (1st-3rd)

It is Halloween night and all the kids are dressed in scary and funny costumes. Their Trick or Treat bags are getting heavier. Nate’s good friend Rosamond needs his help. Her cat, Little Hex, is missing. Little Hex hates Halloween, so maybe he’s hiding. Or is he lost? Nate and his trusty dog, Sludge, take the case and hunt in the night for Little Hex. They pass robots, pirates, and witches. But where will they find Little Hex?

• Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman and S.D. Schindler (PreK-2nd)

The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is so big she can’t get it off the vine. After several failed attempts, a bat comes along with an idea to save the day. Find out how the tiny bat will succeed where bigger and stronger spooky creatures failed.

• By the Light of the Halloween Moon by Caroline Stutson and Kevin Hawkes (PreK-3rd)

In this catchy cumulative tale a little girl’s toe taps a tune as her legs dangle from a footbridge that has all sorts of creatures hidden underneath. There are cats and witches, bats and ghosts. With lots of repetition, a rhythmic, bouncy text, and imaginative illustrations, this Halloween title is sure to please.

• Druscilla’s Halloween by Sally M. Walker and Lee White (K-3rd)

Poor Druscilla. Her sore, ancient knees are so creaky and loud that she can’t sneak up on anyone to play witchy tricks on Halloween. She and her faithful cat, Drizzle, try to find a way for her to sneak quietly — riding her donkey, enchanting her wheelbarrow, making wings — yet all fail miserably. But when she picks up a broom to sweep up the scattered feathers, she has an idea that just might work! This charming Halloween picture book finally solves the mystery of why witches fly on broomsticks.

• Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White and Megan Lloyd (K-3rd)

This is a humorous harvest tale about Rebecca Estelle and various disaster pumpkin dishes from her childhood. But when she accidentally ends up with a yard full of pumpkins, she uses them for recipes and carving jack-o-lanterns and then enjoys with her neighbors the fun from the result of her carvings.

• The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda D. Williams and Megan Lloyd (PreK-2nd)

0nce upon a time, there was a little old lady who was not afraid of anything! But one autumn night, while walking in the woods, the little old lady heard . . . CLOMP, CLOMP, SHAKE, SHAKE, CLAP, CLAP. And the little old lady who was not afraid of anything had the scare of her life!

• The Night Before Halloween by Natasha Wing (PreK-2nd)

Little monsters and goofy goblins take center stage in this silly, spooky spin on Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem. But what will happen on Halloween when the monsters come face to face with human trick-or-treaters in this fun-filled book?

• The 13 Nights of Halloween by Guy Vasilovich (PreK-3rd)

On the first night of Halloween, what does your mummy give you? A bright, shiny Skeleton Key, of course! In fact, for each of the thirteen nights leading up to the big night, your mummy is ready with gifts that include everything from singing skulls to demons dancing to icky eyeballs. The spookier and slimier, the better! Sing along to the tune of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as you get ready for the scariest — and silliest — night of the year.

• Five Little Pumpkins by Dan Yaccarino (PreK-1st)

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said, “Oh my, it’s getting late.” Get ready for some fun as these five pumpkins run and roll! This is a familiar favorite to revisit over and over.

Note:

The following two titles by Wende Devlin might be hard to locate, but if you can find them in a library, they are worth the search.

• Cranberry Halloween by Wende Devlin (K-3rd)

The citizens of Cranberryport need to raise money to build a new dock after theirs was destroyed in a storm. Almost everyone in town volunteers to help. On Halloween night, Mr. Whiskers and young Maggie are on their way to the town party, where Mr. Whiskers will present the money for the dock at the town hall, when two men in pirate costumes try to steal the money from them. What are they going to do?

• Old Witch and the Polka-Dot Ribbon by Wende Devlin (K-3rd)

When the kitchen is finally empty, Old Witch makes her own magic nut cake to enter in the carnival’s cake baking contest.

• Fortunately by Remy Charlip
• A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Julia Cook
• That’s Good! That’s Bad! (An Owlet Book) by Margery Cuyler
• Meanwhile… by Jules Feiffer
• Fortunately, Unfortunately by Michael Foreman
• What If Everybody Did That? by Ellen Javernick
• We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger
• We’re Going on a Book Hunt by Pat Miller and Nadine Bernard Westcott
• If… by Sarah Perry
• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
• Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy E. Shaw and Margot Apple
• Sheep in a Shop by Nancy E. Shaw and Margot Apple
• The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up For Others by Bob Sornson and Maria Dismondy

Autumn/Fall

In 2012 Fall runs from September 22nd - December 21st.

• Leaves Fall Down; Learning about Autumn Leaves by Lisa Marie Bullard and Nadine Takvorian (PreK-1st)

Autumn is time for the leaves to change colors. Get out your rake and help gather the fallen leaves. Find out why leaves change color. And take a running leap into that huge pile of leaves!

• Let It Fall by Maryann Cocca-Leffler (PreK-1st)

This book celebrates the ups and downs of fall! The leaves turn red, brown, and orange, then drift down from the trees. It is time to go apple picking and on hayrides at the county fair. Fall is finally here!

• There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves! by Lucille Colandro (PreK-2nd)

Our favorite old lady is back and swallowing autumn items! What can you make from leaves, clothes, a pumpkin, and rope? That’s right: a scarecrow!

• Cranberry Autumn by Wende Devlin and Harry Devlin (1st-4th)

A search of Grandmother’s attic turns up a valuable item for Cranberryport’s fall antique sale while, at the same time, the wily trickster, Cyrus Grape, threatens to spoil everything. Mr. Whiskers and the rest of the town come to the rescue.

• Four Friends in Autumn by Tomie de Paola (PreK-2nd)

Reissued from Four Stories for Four Seasons, this story is about Miss Pig’s problems with her dinner party for her friends.

• Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (K-3rd)

Fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one’s quite sure, but this much is certain: A Leaf Man’s got to go where the wind blows.

• Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert (K-3rd)

The use of collage and watercolored paper make a beautiful presentation of the life of a sugar maple tree from the point of view of a young child.

• Kitten’s Autumn by Eugenie Fernandes (1st-2nd)

It’s a vibrant autumn day in Kitten’s new adventure, as the ever-curious Kitten explores the woods near her farm and meets the creatures who live there.

• One More Acorn by Don Freeman and Roy Freeman (K-1st)

The celebrated creator of Corduroy (Viking, 1968) left behind scraps of this story, which his son has pieced together and completed. In Washington, DC, Earl the squirrel joins his park comrades in searching beneath orange leaves for stashes of hidden acorns to feed his wife and three kits. Unable to find the biggest acorn he hid during the summer, Earl braves traffic to cross Pennsylvania Avenue and searches for his lost treasure.

• It’s Fall (Celebrate the Seasons) by Linda Glaser (PreK-1st)

A child experiences the colors and textures of fall.

• Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone (PreK-2nd)

Autumn is amazing! Leaves change color. Animals fly south or get ready to hibernate. People harvest crops and dress up as scary creatures for Halloween. And then there are pickup football games to play, leaf piles to jump in—all the amazing things that happen as the air turns crisp and cool.

• Thanking the Moon: Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival by Grace Lin (K-4th)

This story follows a Chinese-American family as they celebrate the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. Each member of the family lends a hand as they prepare a moonlit picnic with mooncakes, pomelos, cups of tea, and colorful lanterns. And everyone sends thanks and a secret wish up to the moon.

• Count Down to Fall by Fran Hawk and Sherry Neidigh (PreK-2nd)

Count backward from ten to one during one of the most colorful times of year: fall. Learn about the bright, colorful leaves and the trees from which they fall: aspen, birch, maple, oak, chestnut, linden, pine, beech, dogwood, and sweet gum. Watch the animals frolicking in the crisp, autumn air as they get ready for the approaching cold winter.

• For the Love of Autumn by Patricia Polacco (1st-4th)

Miss Parks just loves her new home, her new teaching job, and all her new students. But most of all, she loves Autumn, her perfect little kitten. Then one night, during a terrible storm, Autumn runs away. Miss Parks’ students band together to search for Autumn.

• Fall (Four Seasons Series) by Núria Roca (PreK-2nd)

Both words and pictures bring the moods and activities of autumn, and the illustrations show children at seasonal play

• Animals in Fall: Preparing for Winter (Cloverleaf Books: Fall’s Here!) by Martha E. H. Rustad and Amanda Enright (K-2nd)

Honk! Geese are flying south. Grr! Black bears are looking for a den. Munch! Deer are eating extra food. Find out what other animals do to get ready for winter.

• Fall Weather: Cooler Temperatures (Cloverleaf Books: Fall’s Here!) by Martha E. H. Rustad and Amanda Enright (K-2nd)

Brr! It’s starting to get chilly! Find out how weather changes during fall. See how people and animals get ready for cooler temperatures.

• Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic by Steven Schnur and Leslie Evans (K-3rd)

One brief acrostic poem for each letter of the alphabet from acorn to zero follows the fall season from end of summer to chilly conclusion.

• Autumn Across America by Seymour Simon (2nd-5th)

The signs of autumn are described as seen in different parts of the United States, such as leaves changing color, migration of birds and insects, harvesting of crops, and changes in weather.

• Japan-Thank You, Meiling by Linda Talley & Itoko Maeno (K-3rd)

On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, the Song household will celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival. In preparation for this event, the boy Song Hai sets off on a shopping trip, accompanied by an ill-mannered duck named Meiling.

• Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson and Buket Erdogan (PreK-K)

One cool day Mouse and Minka venture out to play. From leaves of all colors — red, yellow, orange, and brown — to leaves of all shapes and sizes — from pointy to round — Mouse learns that fall is a season full of fun! And before the day is done he just might take the biggest “leap” of all.

National Book Month

October is National Book Month. This annual event encourages readers of all ages to enjoy books.

• Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown & John Parra (K-3rd)

Ana loves stories. She often makes them up to help her little brother fall asleep. But in her small village there are only a few books and she has read them all. One morning, Ana wakes up to the clip-clop of hooves, and there before her, is the most wonderful sight: a traveling library resting on the backs of two burros all the books a little girl could dream of, with enough stories to encourage her to create one of her own.

• My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children around the World by Margriet Ruurs (3rd-5th)

When we think of a library, we picture a building on a street or perhaps a room in a school. But some libraries aren’t kept behind four walls. Some move from place to place in the most remarkable ways: by bus, by boat, by elephant, by donkey, by train, even by wheelbarrow. These unusual mobile libraries are often the only way that books can be brought to people in remote areas, such as the mountains of Thailand, the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, or rural areas of Zimbabwe. In places such as these, the arrival of the libraries is a major and much anticipated event. But the books would never reach the people without the hard work of dedicated librarians and volunteers.

• Library Lil by Suzanne Williams and Steven Kellogg (1st-3rd)

From the day she was born, Lil had a book in her hand…so it’s no surprise when she grows up to become a librarian herself. She even manages to turn the people of Chesterville-who are couch potatoes-into readers. But then Bust-‘em-up Bill roars into town with his motorcycle gang. Just mention reading to him and you’re toast. Has Lil finally met her match? This original tall tale by a real-life librarian, combined with Steven Kellogg’s trademark humor, is a winner!

• Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter (1st-3rd)

Luis loves to read, but soon his house in Colombia is so full of books, there’s barely room for the family. What to do? Then he comes up with the perfect solution: a traveling library! He buys two donkeys and begins his journey.

Columbus Day

Christopher Columbus (before 1451-1506) was an Italian explorer, navigator and colonizer. He completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean for Spain that led to the awareness of what become known as the American continents.

• A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David A. Adler, John Wallner and Alexandra Wallner (1st-3rd)

A picture book presentation of the basic facts and important information about Columbus’s early life and later achievements.

• Young Christopher Columbus: Discoverer of New Worlds by Eric Carpenter (PreK-2nd)

Trace the childhood of Christopher Columbus and how he overcame obstacles to achieve greatness.

• Christopher Columbus by Stephen Krensky (K-3rd)

Illustrated in full color, this is an easy-to-understand account of an important moment in American history.

• Columbus Day by Vicki Liestman and Rick Hanson (K-2nd)

Presentation of how Columbus got lost but still became a hero, why Native Americans are sometimes called Indians, how other countries celebrate Columbus Day, and why it is important.

• Columbus Day (First Step Nonfiction) by Robin Nelson (PreK-2nd)

This book presents a basic overview of Columbus Day for young readers.

These chapter books have been specially selected because they are from series of books or by authors who have written several chapter books. Hopefully, after hearing one of the books read aloud, the students will be interested in reading other books in the same series or by the same author.

• No Talking by Andrew Clements (3rd-6th)

It’s boys vs. girls when the noisiest, most talkative, and most competitive fifth graders in history challenge one another to see who can go longer without talking. Teachers and school administrators are in an uproar, until an innovative teacher sees how the students’ experiment can provide a terrific and unique lesson in communication.

• The Report Card by Andrew Clements (3rd-6th)

Nora Rose Rowley is a genius, but don’t tell anyone. She’s managed to make it to the fifth grade without anyone figuring out that she’s not just an ordinary kid, and she wants to keep it that way. But then Nora gets fed up with the importance everyone attaches to test scores and grades, and she purposely brings home a terrible report card just to prove a point. Suddenly the attention she’s successfully avoided all her life is focused on her, and her secret is out.

• Camp Ghost-Away (Pee Wee Scouts) by Judy Delton (1st-3rd)

Donuts, donuts, a mountain of donuts . . . Molly Duff rubs her stomach. She’d like to eat them, but the Pee Wee Scouts are going to sell them door to door so they can earn badges and help pay for a weekend at camp. Mrs. Peters, their troop leader, plus one mother, will go to camp, too. Molly can’t wait to swim and hike and sing around the campfire! Find out why the Pee Wee Scouts call their camp Camp Ghost-Away!

• Pee Wee Scouts: Grumpy Pumpkins by Judy Delton and Alan Tiegreen (1st-3rd)

Halloween is here . . . with parties, costumes, and pumpkins. The Pee Wee Scouts listen to Mrs. Peters, their troop leader, tell them all about the holiday plans. First, a trip to Mr. Riley’s pumpkin farm; next, carving the pumpkins with a safe tool; then, the big Halloween party! Molly Duff is so excited but when Mrs. Peters tells the Pee Wee Scouts where the Halloween party will be, Molly almost cries. Oh, no! Not there. Bad news for Molly means grumpy pumpkins everywhere.

• A Good Night for Ghosts (Magic Tree House #42) by Mary Pope Osborne (2nd-4th)

Jack and Annie are on their second mission to find — and inspire — artists to bring happiness to millions. After traveling to New Orleans, Jack and Annie come head to head with some real ghosts, as well as discover the world of jazz when they meet a young Louis Armstrong!

• Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve (Magic Tree House #30) by Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca (2nd-4th)

Jack and Annie have traveled all over the world in their magic tree house. But they’ve never been anywhere like this. In the distance, a haunted castle looms dark against the light of the moon. No candles burn in its windows. No laughter rings through its halls. What has happened to the castle and the people who lived there? Merlin the magician asks Jack and Annie to find out. But are they brave enough to brush the cobwebs aside and step through the creaking doors?

• Junie B., First Grader: Boo…and I Mean It! (Junie B. Jones, No. 24) by Barbara Park and Denise Brunkus (1st-3rd)

Halloween with Junie B. has got to be a scream! Get ready for a “Halloweenie” adventure with the world’s funniest first grader!