A Harper Halloween

It's almost time for Halloween! While I've never been big on dressing up myself, I love seeing how creative the neighborhood kids get with their costumes, and this year will be only the second year since the husband and I bought our house six years ago that we've been present for trick or treating. This makes us sound like terrible people, I know, so let me explain. We have two dogs. Two absurdly active, ridiculously adorable–and also slightly insane boxers–who absolutely lose their minds when the doorbell rings at our house. This makes Halloween a stressful time for all parties, so we typically head over to my in-laws where, for some inexplicable reason, the doorbell doesn't bother them nearly as much. I've learned not to ask questions when it comes to our dogs:) So, in conclusion, we're giving Halloween another try this year. Wish us luck!

To help celebrate Halloween, HarperCollins has some outstanding children's, middle grade, and young adult books available, and I wanted to highlight some of them for you to help usher in Halloween week. Assisting me in this endeavor is my amazing mom Pam, (YEAH MOM!) who is making her blogging debut with a few mini reviews of some Harper children's books she read and then gifted to my 3 year-old niece Julianna to help build up her library.

CHILDREN'S BOOKS

JUST SAY BOO

by Susan Hood

Illustrated by Jed Henry

MOM'S THOUGHTS

A wonderful hard cover book that acquaints young children with Halloween and the beloved tradition of going door-to-door calling out “Trick or Treat” or “BOO!” The author presents a variety of “what may happen” situations and then helpful “what to do” solutions that may occur on Halloween night to give confidence to even the littlest Trick or Treater.  Enhancing the cute and cleverly written situations are full-page watercolor illustrations that are simply stated and absolutely beautiful! The book is a delight for adults to read aloud, allowing them to interact with the children. It’s destined to be a Halloween favorite!

Rating: 4/5

IT'S PUMPKIN DAY, MOUSE!

by Laura Numeroff

Illustrated by Felicia Bond

MOM'S THOUGHTS

An adorable board book that is a perfect fit for the very young and preschool child. The author devotes each page to a charming mouse, who decorates one of his seven pumpkins with a face that expresses an emotion. A child not old enough to read can explore how they feel as well as learn to recognize how someone else feels by gazing on the faces of each large pumpkin. The colorful and simply drawn illustrations also help introduce children to the concept of numbers and counting. The author has created a fun and delightful book that will be viewed again and again!

Rating: 3.5/5

MIA: TIME TO TRICK OR TREAT!

By Robin Farley

Pictures by Olga and Aleksey Ivanov

MOM'S THOUGHTS

Toddlers learn how Mia and her friends find a way to compromise so everyone enjoys a night of trick or treating in costumes they all had a hand in designing. The book also comes with stickers a child can use to help create new costumes, just like the characters in the story do. The storyline wanders a bit, and some concepts (such as tie-dying) might not be understood, but the watercolor and pencil illustrations as well as the animal characters in the story will likely appeal to little ones. They will also have loads of fun with the stickers!

Rating: 3.5/5

MIDDLE GRADE

   

CORALINE

By Neil Gaiman

Illustrations by Dave McKean

From Amazon:

"Coraline discovered the door a little while after they moved into the house. . . ."

When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.

But there's another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. 
They want to change her and never let her go.

Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

ALWAYS OCTOBER

by Bruce Coville

From Goodreads:

No doubt about it, little brothers can be monsters. When sixth grader Jake Doolittle finds a baby on the doorstep and his mother decides to keep it, those words are more than just an expression. Instead, they perfectly describe the way his new little brother, LD, sprouts pointy ears, thick fur, and "fangs" in moonlight.

Not only is LD a monster. . . . "other" monsters have plans for him. But together with his friend "Weird Lily" Carker, Jake isn't about to let anything happen to the baby. The little guy is still his brother, even if it turns out that LD may be the key to saving the world--or destroying it.

Soon Jake and Lily are on a perilous quest through Always October, a world populated with monsters ranging from the venomous to the ridiculous. Master of comic suspense Bruce Coville presents a tale of ominous dangers and hairbreadth escapes, of the conflict between forces of dark and light, and of the lengths to which one boy will go to save his brother--monster or not.

MORE MIDDLE GRADE READS

Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones by Christopher Krovatin

The Whispering House by Rebecca Wade

Scary School: Monsters on the March by Derek the Ghost; Illustrations by Scott M. Fischer

YOUNG ADULT

SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY

By Susan Dennard

From Goodreads:

The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

* I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though zombies are typically not my thing. You can read my full review HERE.

DARK EDEN

By Patrick Carman

From Goodreads:

Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains...

What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?

*This was a hugely surprising read for me. I had no idea what to expect and it absolutely blew me away. You can read my full review HERE.

TEN

By Gretchen McNeil

From Goodreads:

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

MORE YOUNG ADULT READS

The Turning by Francine Prose
Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
Dark Eden: Eve of Destruction by Patrick Carman

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, be sure and check out the cover reveal for Sweet Peril, the sequel to Sweet Evil, which went up on the blog yesterday. Sweet Evil isn't so much a Halloween read, but I'm including it in this post because Kaidan is scarily sexy (see how I tied this bit in? Well done me.) and it's possible I'm a tiny bit excited for this next book:)