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Spooky and Fun Reads for the Young Trick-or-Treaters to EnjoyHalloween and children's books go hand in hand. Halloween is all about mystery, imagination, fun and humor. These are some of the traits found in the best of children's literature. "Only a Witch Can Fly" by Alison McGhee; illustrated by Taeeun Yoo; Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan Publishing; 32 pages; $16.99. Imagine being a young witch and being unable to fly. McGhee's sophisticated picture book portrays that helpless feeling many young children have of not yet having the skills to ride a bike, or read, or run fast. But in this case, the child is a witch who longs to soar into the sky, and who tries and tries, but lands among pumpkins, discouraged. As her little brother, black cat and brown velvet bat encourage her to "look at the star," the happy little witch soars past a reservoir, past the moon and eventually back home to her waiting family. Certainly not a call to witchcraft but to the power and yearning within young children to overcome obstacles, "Only a Witch Can Fly" has the makings of a well-loved classic. Interestingly, McGhee used an old form of poetry known as sestina — with the same six, three- and six-line stanzas in different orders, throughout the book. Yoo's moonlit primitive illustrations add to the tale's vintage autumnal appeal. "The Scariest Monster in the World" by Lee Weatherly and Algy Craig Hall; Boxer Books; 28 pages; $14.95. The thought of monsters plague many a young child's mind, especially before bedtime. The big hairy monster in Weatherly's fun picture book thinks he's scary and tries to spook all the animals in the forest. This works only until he gets a bad case of the hiccups and cries in frustration. The animals then decide to help, and soon realize the monster doesn't seem so frightening while standing on his head trying to drink a glass of water. The helpful woodland creatures try everything to help rid the monster of his hiccups, but nothing works until the beast looks into a mirror, screams, "Eeeek!" and scares his own hiccups away. A humorous read-aloud this time of year, "The Scariest Monster in the World" really isn't very scary. "Fly, Ghost, Fly!" by Betty Ann Schwartz; illustrated by Steve Cox; Sterling Publishing; 12 pages; $9.95. Gimmicks are often popular in children's books. Also gimmicky but fun is "A Scratch & Sniff Halloween" by Elizabeth Spurr; illustrated by Maggie Swanson; Sterling; 24 pages; $9.95. Kids can scratch and sniff cherry lollipops, apple cider, sugary bubble gum and many more Halloween candy smells in this mouth-watering holiday tale. The text is rhyming and gentle — "Skeletons with rattling bones, and gloomy ghosts make eerie moans. Grinning goblins brew big trouble. Gremlins rise up from the bubbles" — but the selling point will be the smells. "An Awfully Beastly Business: Bang Goes a Troll" by David Sinden, Matthew Morgan and Guy Macdonald; Aladdin/Simon & Schuster; 202 pages; $9.99. Book series are hot, hot. This third in the "An Awfully Beastly Business" series for ages 8 to 12 means trouble for boy-werewolf Ulf. As a member of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Beasts (RSPCB), Ulf must figure out what to do when danger arrives. What now? A rare colony of trolls is being smoked out from their caves to be used as game in an evil beast-hunting preserve. A lighthearted, slightly spooky read particularly smart for reluctant boy readers, this "Beastly" series not only has beasts, but also contains plenty of teamwork, cooperation and hard work from Ulf and his friends. "Spooky Spooky Spooky!" by Cathy MacLennan; Boxer Books; 28 pages; $16.95. Preschoolers love repetition in their stories. MacLennan's big and bold picture book introduces a cast of creepy critters, always followed by "spooky spooky spooky!" Kids will love chanting this refrain again and again after meeting "velvety, velvety bats ... and horrible howling cats," and "Rotten rats and bug-eyed flies, gobbling up the pumpkin pies. Spooky spooky spooky!" A wacky read-aloud, especially for raucous preschool classrooms, MacLennan calms things down when the trick-or-treaters arrive to scare away the spooks. Hilariously gleaming illustrations of grinning pumpkins will also evoke guffaws. To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
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