"A library book, I imagine, is a happy book." Cornelia Funke

"Everything puts me in mind of a story." Ben Franklin

Thursday, October 22, 2009

"What's your name?" Family Storytime




Tonight, we are doing stories about and including proper names. We will use:


  • Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name by Tedd Arnold


  • My Cat Jack by Patricia Casey


  • Bark, George by Jules Feiffer


  • Let George Do It! by George Foreman


  • Daisy is a Mommy by Lisa Koppler


  • There Are Cats in This Book by Vivian Schwartz (We will name the cats, despite of the fact that they are named on the jacket flap)


  • The Thing That Bothered Farmer Brown by Teri Sloat , Illus. by Nadine Bernard Westcott


  • Sixteen Cows by Lisa Wheeler, Illus. by Kurt Cyrus (Mudskipper! Sissy Nell! Sassafras! Maisie Bell...)

We will also say:

Higgelty, wiggelty, bumblebee

who can say their name for me?(child says name)

let's all say it (name)

Let's clap and say it (name)

Let's whisper it (name)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Kid's Halloween Read: Half-Minute Horrors


Half-Minute Horrors, edited by Susan Rich, is a timely new collection of 71 very short, fun and scary stories. This is an excellent variety of authors known for writing for adults (Faye Kellerman, Gregory Maguire) teens (Libba Bray, Melissa Marr), and of course, kids (Lane Smith, Lemony Snicket). All kinds of frightening topics are visited, such as creatures under the bed, alien takeover, unpleasant babysitting gigs and (shudder) clowns. Some of my favorite tales include "Grand Entrance," by James Patterson, "The Legend of Alexandra and Rose," by John Klassen, "Chocolate Cake," by Francine Prose and "The Final Word," by John Greenhut and illustrated by Brett Helquist.

This is a very quick read and would make good read aloud material for families and classrooms!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Scary Reading Plans for October

Photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/merciewinters/



I seldom read Horror, except for in October. Then, I read only creepy, scary books. True, some are for children, but that is about my speed. I also prefer ghost stories and Gothic tales to monsters and slasher stories. Some I've read and enjoyed during Octobers past:

Teen/Adult:



  1. The October Country by Ray Bradbury

  2. Cat in Glass by Nancy Etchemendy

  3. Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

  4. It by Stephen King


Kids:


  1. Sweet Miss Honeywell's Revenge by Kathryn Reiss

  2. Breathe by Cliff McNish

  3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman


This year's possibilities:



Teen/Adult:


  1. The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein by Peter Ackroyd

  2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

  3. The House of the Lost Souls by F.G. Cottam

  4. The Ghost's Child by Sonya Hartnett

  5. Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

  6. Ruined: A Ghost Story by Paula Morris



Kids:

  1. Seer of Shadows by Avi

  2. All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn

  3. Half-Minute Horrors edited by Susan Rich