Thursday, October 11, 2012

Three Non-Spooky Halloween Book Picks

My son is obsessed with Halloween. It is his very favorite holiday. He loves spooky books, but those aren't always my speed or his sister's speed. Luckily, we have managed to find a few favorites that everyone can appreciate.  Here are my top three non-spooky Halloween book picks:

1. Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara
The ghosts that live in this haunted house are easily tamed by the little witch that moves in. She makes quick work and uses these happy little ghosts for her own purposes. Ghosts make great drapes by the way.  The illustrations really set this cute, simple story line apart. The dramatic orange, black and white drawings are wonderful. It is a great read-aloud and both of my kids (2 1/2 and 4 1/2) have requested it over and over again.

2. H is for Haunted House by Tanya Lee Stone
A sweet alphabet book with a simple rhyme and cute illustrations.  I love how it uses potentially scary elements (neighbors dressed as scary things), but manages to make them light and fun. The costumes, trick-or-treating and the school party are all happy. This is a nice compromise for my kids. Buddy has preferred Y is for Yowl (another alphabet book, but decidedly scarier). Jellybean and I enjoy this one a bit more (I like reading it aloud a lot more) and Buddy still loves the alphabet element.

3. The Skeleton in the Closet by Alice Schertle
This is probably our all-time favorite non-spooky Halloween book. We read it all year round. The story is done beautifully in rhyme and makes a perfect read-aloud. The little boy in the story hears a knock at the door and discovers a skeleton has come to visit. He worries that the skeleton has sinister intentions, but then discovers that he is just in need of some clothes. My kids love the moment when the skeleton is fully revealed: completely non-threatening and even a bit silly looking. The author does a great job of building the tension and then releasing it so that my kids are all giggles by the end. I have read this enough times that I have the entire book memorized, yet I still want to pull it out and read it again. The bad news is that this title is out of print. The good news is that there are used copies for sale out there. Definitely snatch one up (or a few for gifts). You won't be sorry.

Have a Happy Day!

~MJ


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3 comments:

  1. It's the same with my son and daughter. He loves spooky things but his older sister, not so much. Thanks for sharing these three books. Another book we really enjoy is the Spooky Wheels on the Bus. We love singing it together.

    Cheers!

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  2. Hi,
    Just nominated your blog for the Liebster Award. Here's the link from my site: http://heymommychocolatemilk.blogspot.com/2012/10/liebster-award.html

    Enjoy!
    Julie @ Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk

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  3. Great books - we've enjoyed the halloween alphabet book many times!
    So glad you linked up with Cozy book hop again this week - your links are always great!

    Marissa
    http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com/p/cozy-book-hop-thursdays.html

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