Tag: Halloween

5 Favorite Halloween Books for Kids

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October is just around the corner and it’s time to start busting out those great seasonal books. Whether you have a book basket in the living room, or a shelf displaying books, adding in some festive Halloween books is a great way to get in the fall spirit.

I LOVE that I can share some of my favorite childhood Halloween books with Molly, and I wanted to share a list of the ones that we will have in rotation over the next few years.

The Witches by Roald Dahl. This has always been a personal favorite Roald Dahl book of mine. Since Halloween is the time of year for witches, this book fits in perfectly. The plot is engaging and absurd as only Dahl could create. This chapter book is longer than other works by the author, so give yourself plenty of time to read it aloud to kids. I recommend this book for kids in grades 1-4.

The Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat by Stan and Jan Bernstain. To me, Berenstain Bears a staple in children’s literature, so reading one of their seasonal books is a must. As with all other books in this series, Trick or Treat includes an important lesson about right and wrong. I recommend this book for kids in grades P-2.

Arthur’s Halloween by Marc Brown. I can still remember when Arthur was afraid to touch the bowl of spaghetti that was meant to be brains. I really like how this story shows kids how creative Halloween can be, and that things can look much scarier than they really are. I recommend this book for kids in grades P-2.

Llama Llama Trick or Treat by Ann Dewdney. Since becoming a mom, I have fallen in love with Llama Llama books. I LOVE reading these books with Molly because of the simple sentences and great illustrations. This quick-read board book is ideal for NB- 5 year olds.

EEK! Halloween! by Sandra Boynton. Similar to the previous book, I became familiar with this author when Molly came along. This book throws in some great humor and wacky illustrations that will entertain kids and adults. I recommend this board book for NB- 5 year olds.

So, as the weather turns chilly, snuggle up with one of these great books and read with your kids with a bowlful of candy.

Little Reading Coach is a certified Teacher of English (K-12) and Reading Specialist (P-12) offering online reading,  writing and home-based learning support tutoring services for students in grades 3-12. For more information click here.

Natalya Loves Candy Book Review

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I’ve been on a quest for some super cute Halloween books for Miss Molly recently. Today’s book popped up in my Facebook newsfeed and I had a feeling it was just what I was looking for.

Natalya Loves Candy, by Rebecca Yee, is an adorable picture book about a little girl’s adventure on Halloween night.

From a structure standpoint, I love how there isn’t a lot of text on the pages. The illustrations are so cute, so the little bit of text keeps everything balanced. The colors pop and have a nice fall/Halloween feel. I truly LOVE the rhyme scheme of this book. My voice naturally changed in all the right places, which made the story more engaging and enjoyable.

Natalya is a little girl who is excited to go trick or treating with her friends. She is dressed up as a witch, and has a great time getting candy with her friends. While she’s out, a black cat crosses her path, and she falls in love with him. She takes the cat home, names him Candy, and hopes that her mommy will let her keep him.

I love how this book has some of the traditional aspects of Halloween (witch costume, black cat), but I really enjoyed the play on candy. Yes, Natalya collected candy trick or treating, but the addition of Candy made the story even sweeter. The creativity of this element was unpredictable in a good way, and made the text more memorable.

I think this would be a great read loud for parents and teachers of preschool and early elementary children.

To purchase the book click here.