Ladybug Girl and the Dress-up Dilemma by David Soman

It is Halloween and Lulu has a MAJOR problem, she doesn't know what to dress up as.  She assumes she will dress up as Ladybug Girl but her brother thinks she has uses that costume one to many times.  She must decide tonight so she goes through a list of possibilities.  Robot?  Nope, too big to fit through the door.  Silent movie star?  How would she ask for candy?  Octopus?  Alien?  Wallaby?  Nothing seems to be the right choice.  Then she decides to be a vampire panda!  Her brother is not very supportive of this idea!  Will Lulu find the right costume before it is too late?  A great story just in time for Halloween costume picking season.  Any Ladybug Girl fan will want to add this one to their collection.

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations:  4 Buckeye leaves

Monster Needs A Costume by Paul Czajak

I am so bummed....that I did not find this book until AFTER Halloween because my kiddos would have LOVED it!  (Yes, next year!)  It is Monster's favorite time of year and of course he does not have the perfect costume to wear!  He tries various costumes out, including cowboy from the West, ballet dancer with a tutu, and ninja.  Nothing seems to be the perfect choice for Monster.  Will he find the perfect costume in time for Halooween night?!  Kids will love this fun, rhyming story about monster's quest to find the PERFECT costume.  Great fun and wonderful addition to any Halloween collection. 

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves

Illustrations:  5 Buckeye leaves (Monster is the perfect SILLY monster....not scary at all!)

A Very Witchy Spelling Bee by George Shannon

Just in time for Halloween, a new witch book full of spells, magic, a stormy night, and spelling.  Spelling?  

Cordelia loves to spell, both studying spells and practicing spells.  Cordelia is very excited when she sees a sign, s-i-g-n, for the upcoming "Witches' Double Spelling Bee" that is held only every 10 years.  Beluah Divine has won the contest the last few times and is excited to beat a child.  When it comes down to Cordelia and Beluah as the final two contestants, Beluah uses her spells to put a chair on Cordelia's head and turn her ears into pears.  Cordelia must come up with a creative way to beat Cordelia.  A good book to be used as a springboard to having students come up with their own spells using creative use of letters.  

Text:  5 Buckeye leaves

Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

 

Me and My Dragon: Scared of Halloween by David Biedrzycki

They both like birthday parties, parades, and fireworks.  But when it comes to Halloween the two pals do not agree.  Boy attempts to help his dragon feel better about Halloween by finding the perfect costume.  Dad was not a fan of the mummy costume, zombie costume scares dragon, and the tutu is flammable.  Will the boy find a way to help dragon enjoy Halloween?

Text:  4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations  4 Buckeye leaves

Monster Mash illustrated by David Catrow

"He did the mash.  He did the monster mash!  The monster mash.  It was a graveyard smash."

Davide Catrow's funny and somewhat creepy illustrations bring the lyrics/song by Bobby Pickett and Leonard Capizzi to life.  Perfect for the upcoming Halloween season, kids will enjoy Catrow's take on the popular song.

Illustrations:  4 Buckeye Leaves

Hush, Little Monster by Denis Markell

"Hush Little Monster, don't you howl.  Daddy's gonna give you a ...screeching owl."

And so begins this monster version of Hush Little Baby complete with a ghost, a vampire, and wolfman.  Adorable pictures will allow even the youngest readers to enjoy.
 

Twelve Haunted Rooms of Halloween

Yes, I know, a little late BUT I had to check this one out this week from the library. It is so cute. I LOVE Halloween books that are not scary or yucky, especially when you are reading them to some of your 1000 students, or your own 3 1/2 year old!!! You might guess from the "twelve" in the title, that the text is patterned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

"Through the fifth haunted doorway I peeked right in to see...
five jack-o-lanterns!
Four skeletons,
Three black cats,
Two wicked witches,
And a bat hanging from a bare tree."

As in the song, this book continues, adding a "new" item in each room. The illustrations are cute, kid-oriented. I will be tucking this book away in my memory until next year.

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

The House That Witchy Built by Dianne de Las Casas

Here it comes....the PICK of the day.....prepare for me to GUSH!
Just in time for Halloween, The House that Witchy Built is a cumulative tale, inspired by the Mother Goose rhyme "The House That Jack Built", with a Halloween, spooky twist which encourages audience participation!

"This is the skeleton (rattle, rattle)
That chased the ghost (boo! boo!)
That spooked the bat (flap, flap)
That landed on the cat (meow, meow)..."

Dianne de Las Casa (author of other books I have mentioned here such as Cajun Cornbread and Gigantic Sweet Potato) is another author that is "a friend to teachers/librarians" with her website packed with ideas and printables for teachers! Yeah DIanne! Kids are going to LOVE this book and the interaction makes it a great book to read out loud in the next few weeks!

UPDATE: I went back to this site today looking for some pics to use with my kids this week....I was apparently in a fog before as I found a TON of this to go with the book as well as a reader's theater! SCORE!!! Thanks Dianne!


Text: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves - Amazing! Look closely!
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves - Adorable! We were not expecting that when we opened the cover! And different at the end!
To see the book trailer click HERE!

Pumpkin Cat by Anne Mortimer

Cat and Mouse are working together in the garden. Together the two friends go thru each step together as they try to grow a perfect pumpkin. From planting to watering, the two friends take good care of their plant and wait anxiously for the pumpkin.
Very cute and informative! Early readers will enjoy reading this book on their own.

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Ten Little Beasties by Rebecca and Ed Emberley

Simple and to the point. Count up to 10 with the beasties....and then back down! I like books that have music to go with them and this father/daughter duo has created other books with music together (If You're A Monster and You Know It and There Was An Old Monster) which I have really enjoyed (and so has my classes I have shared them with).

To hear Ten Little Beasties click here which is performed by Adrian Emberley, Rebecca's daughter and Ed's granddaughter.

Trick or Treat, Marley! by John Grogan

Marley is back and up to his old tricks! A dog with triple the energy of your average dog is ready to help with carving the pumpkins and decorating in preparation for the family's Halloween party! But as always, Marley's "help" turns into anything BUT help as he ends up with a jack-o-lantern on his head, cobweb decoration on his tail and popped balloons everywhere! How will the party end when a surprise GOHSTLY guest shows up! As always, Grogan brings more Marley-fun in his latest tale of this energetic dog!

Text: 4 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye Leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves - LOVE them! (So does the 3 year old at our house that kept pointing out the different faces!

Pumpkin Trouble by Jan Thomas

How do you know if a book is good? When you have a 3 year old that finds it in the basket of new books from the library, takes it in the other room, starts looking through it - commenting on what is happening on each page, despite never having the book read to him and being pretty darn close too, and CRACKING up hysterically!! It was a hoot!! So anyways, if it is Jan Thomas, you know it is going to be funny....and this one does not disappoint. Duck comes upon a pumpkin and decides to make a jack-o-lantern. Of course he ends up, head first, in the pumpkin. He decides to go look for his friends Pig and Mouse but they think he is the PUMPKIN MONSTER!! Ahhh!!! Of course when Duck hears the Pumpkin Monster is around he also becomes quite scared! Hilarious!! Soon to be a kid favorite!

Text: 5 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye Leaves
Endpages: 5 Buckeye leaves
*Yes, we will be buying this ASAP!!