BAR-EL, Dan. Illustrated by David Huyck. That One Spooky Night. Kids Can Press, 2012. ISBN 9781554537518. JLG Level: GE : Graphic Novels Elementary (Grades 2-6)

Big yellow eyes are featured on the front cover of this Halloween graphic novel, presented in three short stories. Youngsters go trick-or-treating with real witches and vampires. Mermaids and sea monsters lead two brothers on an underwater adventure. It all happened that one spooky night. Or did it?

GOODRICH, Carter. Zorro Gets an Outfit. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012. ISBN 9781442435353. JLG Level: K : Kindergarten (Grades PreK-K)

Maybe you want a Halloween tale, but your students prefer tamer titles. Enter a dog named Zorro. Zorro and his friend Mister Bud have an average kind of life. They eat. They sleep. They go for a walk. They eat dog biscuits. Today is different. Zorro gets an outfit―a fitted mask with attached cloak. “Zorro was embarrassed. He didn’t want to go for a walk.” All the other dogs make fun of him until a new dog comes running through the park―in his own get-up. No longer outsiders, Zorro and Mister Bud run and play with the new guy. Spending time with his new friend makes him realize that maybe wearing a costume isn’t such a strange idea after all.

JENKINS, Emily. Illustrated by Harry Bliss. Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins. Balzer + Bray, 2012. ISBN 9780061802232. JLG Level: HE : Humor Elementary (grades 2-6)

Sometimes a book’s fear factor is in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. Jenkins delivers just the right mix of laughter and terror in the second book about Hank and the invisible bandapat. Hank is having a hard time in school. His friends are far and few between. His big sister thinks he is a bother. And most importantly, he lies all the time in order to protect Inkling, his bandapat. When Inkling gets Hank into trouble after trouble, a Halloween ghost delivers a surprise that does more than scare everyone.

MCELLIGOTT, Matthew. Even Aliens Needs Snacks. Walker & Company, 2012. ISBN 9780802723994. JLG Level: P+ : Primary (Grades K-1)

“My mom says I’m a good cook…[My sister] says that no one in the whole universe would eat the things I cook.”  A young boy who wants to become a chef has a strange experience one night. His first customer is from out of town― way out of town. Arriving by spaceship, the alien seems to like his mushroom iced tea. Every night the boy creates new dishes for hungry aliens. Filled with great illustrations and a good dose of humor, McElligott’s new tale is a great read aloud for your primary readers.

JONES, Diane Wynne. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. Earwig and the Witch. Greenwillow Books, 2012. ISBN 9780062075116. JLG Level: I : Independent Readers (Grades 2-4)

For your independent readers, Diane Wynne Jones has a new “orphan” book. Earwig leaves the orphanage to become a foster child at the house of a witch. Not willing to be bullied, she devises a foolproof plan and learns some magic along the way. Graduating fans of Clementine and Lucy Rose will love her. Zelinsky’s illustrations evoke Quentin Blake and enhance the hilarious tone.

REYNOLDS, Aaron. Illustrations by Peter Brown. Creepy Carrots.  Simon & Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9781442402973. JLG Level: P : Primary (Grades K-1)

Sometimes a guilty conscience may make you see things. So after you steal carrots, you may see the orange vegetables following you after school. You may see them watching you from under the bed or in the closet. You may see them hiding in the tool shed and bathroom. Guilt can also drive you to action. Building a fence with a moat seems to be the best solution for keeping the creepy carrots at bay in this cautionary tale. Use of orange as a highlight against a dark and scary background adds to the “creep” factor. Your young readers will delight in being scared and laugh out loud at the surprising conclusion.

SPECK, Katie. Illustrated by Paul Ratz de Tagyos. Maybelle and the Haunted Cupcake. Henry Holt and Company, 2012. ISBN 9780805094688. JLG Level: I : Independent Readers (Grades 2-4)

Maybelle the cockroach and Henry the flea team up in this comic story. No bugs are allowed at Mrs. Peabody’s residence at Number 10 Grand Street, but Bernice the ant is oblivious to any danger. When the miniature cupcakes are too much for Maybelle to resist, Mrs. Peabody is sure that the moving cupcakes are haunted. Will Bernice get the cupcake? Can her new friends save her from the cat and extinction? How does Maybelle like being the Queen? Find out in this mini-mystery for your independent readers.

For ideas about how to use these books and links to supportive sites, check out the Junior Library Guild blog, Shelf Life.

Junior Library Guild is a collection development service that helps school and public libraries acquire the best new children’s and young adult books. Season after season, year after year, Junior Library Guild book selections go on to win awards, collect starred or favorable reviews, and earn industry honors. Visit us at www.JuniorLibraryGuild.com.

From witches and monsters to haunted houses and headless horsemen, there’s something for everyone this holiday season.

It was a stroke of genius to combine augmented reality technology and a collection of ghost stories. Horrible Hauntings is a free app (Trigger) that works in conjunction with Shirin Yim Bridges’s book of the same title (Goosebottom Books, 2012; Gr 5 Up). Each of the 10 folktales and legends begins with an excerpt followed by a history of the story’s origin and reports of sightings of the ghost or ghoul in question. Illustrating each tale—from “The Flying Dutchman” to “Bloody Mary”—is an oil painting by William Maughan depicting a variety of settings for spectral viewings: a dark forest, an unlit gallery, a shadowy moor, The Tower of London. Viewers are instructed to hold their iPad or iPhone device directly over the illustrations and watch as the apparitions appear. On one screen a woman in a brown dress floats down a deep staircase accompanied by eerie music; in another, the Headless Horseman charges off the page; and in a third, a skeleton clanks across a stone floor. The trailer will give readers a peek at this exciting technology.

For the younger crowd, there’s Charles M. Schulz’s It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Loud Crow Interactive; K-Gr4; $4.99), narrated by Peter Robbins, “the original voice” of the comic strip character on the big screen. As our reviewer Melissa Murphy notes, “In addition to listening to the story of the Peanuts gang on the eve of Halloween, children can interact with this app. Sometimes it’s as simple as touching a character to make him or her move or speak, while at other moments it’s helping Lucy bob for apples, or playing the piano with Schroeder. Many of these actions aren’t apparent at first glance, so exploring each page is essential.

Readers can jump into the story by creating their own avatar, but this requires an account (email and password necessary). While it’s free to make the avatar, access to costumes requires coins. These can be earned by unlocking rewards or they can be purchased. Once the avatar is created, it will appear in the story. Overall, a fun retelling of a holiday classic that have readers and listeners wanting to hit replay, but they should be cautioned about potential costs.”

Fans of popular culture will also want to take a look at Frankenweenie: An Electrifying Book (iBooks2; Free; Gr 6 Up), a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Tim Burton’s stop-motion animated film (Disney, 2012). “Frankenweenie” is the story of a boy who resurrects his dog, and kids are encouraged to Frankenweenie-fy their pets (Disney; Gr 3 Up; Free) with that app. Selecting a photo of a favorite animal from their camera roll or Facebook album, viewers can manipulate the image by adjusting the contrast or selecting a backdrop, or adding a name, the “Frankenweenie” logo, or a new set of eyes or ears before saving or emailing the black-and-white picture. Photos of friends and family will likely be fair game when this app gets in kids’ hands.

Interior art, “Frankenstein” (Dave Morris/Inkle, Ltd.)

For a “sophisticated take on Mary Shelley’s classic,” try Dave Morris’s Frankenstein (Inkle, Ltd.; Gr 8 Up; $4.99). In this version, readers are asked to choose the direction of the story. Our reviewer found the artwork “delightfully atmospheric.” The ideal audience for this app?  “Readers who couldn’t get enough of  Darren Shan’s horror series, moved on to Kenneth Oppel’s This Dark Endeavor, and [are] drawn to Rick Yancy’s “Monstrumologist” books.” A trailer is available.

Each knock in Peekaboo Trick or Treat with Ed Emberly (Night & Day Studios, Inc.; PreS; $1.99) brings one of 14 creatures to the door, until all the characters assemble for a quick dance. When viewers bid this friendly group farewell, they’ll see the silhouette of a witch as it passes through moonlight, and a final scene where a gorilla, robot, and puppy snore soundly while a bat hangs upside down, eyes wide open, and “Happy Halloween” is heard. The bold, flat colors of the story will appeal to the intended audience. Listeners can choose between a child or adult narrator. With the sound off, emergent readers can practice their developing skills on the one word that appears on each screen.

And for the youngsters who want their thrills “without the fright,” don’t miss Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Night & Day Studios, Inc.; PreS-K; $2.99), based on Emberly’s popular title featuring die-cut illustrations. Read the full review of this app, and take a peek at the trailer…this is one production that will have children and adults tapping their toes.

A young girl in a witch costume lets her dressed-up friends know, You Can’t Scare Me! (Auryn; K-Gr 2; $.99) in the Wendy Wax story, but inadvertently scares herself when she sees her own image in a mirror. The simple rhyming text and the pictures—a collage of photos against colorful interiors—aren’t particularly exciting, but children will have fun playing the “Match” and “Spot the Difference” games, and personalizing the app.

Screen shot from “Meet Heckerty” (Broomstick Productions)

In Meet Heckerty! 
(Broomstick Productions; PreS-K; Free until 10/31/12) children encounter a 409-year-old witch who wakes up one morning to discover she is covered in warts. The wrong spell, chanted with the help of her cat Zanzibar, doesn’t reverse this condition, but leaves Heckerty hopeful that viewers will still want to be her friend.

And finally, don’t miss the MeeGenius! Bookshelf collection of narrated holiday stories—each title can be sampled before purchase. Sesame Street’s Michaela Muntean’s Which Witch is Which? (Sesame Street), Steven J. Simmons Alice and Greta, Barbara Barbieri McGrath’s The Little Green Witch, and Haunted Party by Iza Trapani, are a few of the available titles.

Lawrence takes on the role of Elissa, a high schooler who moves with her recently divorced mother Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) to a small but affluent rural town in order to make a fresh beginning. Though their new home is everything they could have wished for, they soon learn more about the awful secrets that shroud the house next door, where a daughter had brutally murdered her parents several years earlier and then disappeared. Now, the ill-fated abode is occupied by the killer’s brother, Ryan (Max Thieriot), an enigmatic loner—and the only remaining member of the family.

When they meet, Elissa finds herself attracted to the charismatic boy, and despite her mother’s warning to stay away from him, the two begin a relationship that continues to grow more intimate. As strange and disturbing events begin to occur, they are caught up in web of lies and mysteries, rooted in both past and present, and Elissa soon finds herself in terrifying danger. Kids can visit the movie’s Facebook page to view photos and get in on the buzz, or stop by Yahoo!Movies for a selection of trailers and clips.

Book Tie-in

Based on the David Loucka’s screenplay, Lily Blake’s novelization of the House at the End of the Street (2012; Gr 7 Up) is available from Little, Brown’s Poppy imprint. Film fans will be drawn in by the movie-poster cover, showing Lawrence in character, her face filled with fear as she peeks around an open doorway. A black backdrop and sepia tones set the proper mood as do the chapter lead-ins, old-fashioned patterned wallpaper adorned with unsettling slash marks. A prologue recounts the tragic events of the past, while suspenseful chapters relate Elissa’s tale.

Flashbacks and current plot points reveal details about her character—her disappointing relationship with her father and disconnect with her mother, feelings of alienation from many of her peers (including the hard-partying “in” crowd), her instant connection to Ryan—making their growing romance believable. Filled with creepy twists and turns, the story unfolds with unexpected revelations, violent encounters, and moments of adrenaline-surging danger. The book’s rapid-fire dialogue, straightforward writing, and ever-building tension add up to a page-turning read for movie viewers.

Some Scintillating New Thrillers for Teens

Cleverly plotted, compellingly unnerving, and impossible to put down, these recently published novels make great choices for film fans and young adults who love to curl up with a mystery/thriller. Suggest these gripping tales as read-alikes, or consider making them part of a Halloween display or booktalk.

Barry Lyga’s I Hunt Killers (Little, Brown, 2012; Gr 9 Up) introduces Jasper “Jazz” Dent, a 17-year-old who has good looks, charisma, and a natural way with people. He also happens to be the son of the world’s most notorious serial killer, and though Billy has been behind bars for years (thankfully), Jazz is still haunted by his father’s ruthless voice and a childhood spent learning gruesome lessons at the knee of “Dear Old Dad.”

When a body is found in his hometown of Lobo’s Nod, Jazz is determined to assist with the investigation—after all, who would have better insight into the mind of a serial killer? Though the local sheriff turns down his help, Jazz launches his own (sometimes unlawful) inquiries, but as the body count increases, he begins to struggle with his own inner demons—shadowy memories from his past, his inability to connect with others, horrible urges that are boiling to the surface. Is he truly looking to atone for his father’s actions and prove that he is not his father’s heir? Or is he fated to step into Billy’s shoes?

Complete with harrowing details and fueled by a pulse-pumping plot, the story’s real power lies in its strong characterizations, and Jazz’s compelling first-person narrative, deftly seasoned with believable self-doubt, disturbing insights, and dark humor. One look at the cover—a shadowy figure surrounded by splatters of blood—and teens will be hooked…and they won’t stop flipping pages until they reach the cliff-hanger climax (a sequel will be published in 2013). Visit the LB-Teens site for a reader-grabbing book trailer.

Seventeen-year-old Gabie had switched shifts with Kayla on The Night She Disappeared (Holt, 2012; Gr 8 Up), heading out from Pete’s Pizza to make a delivery and never returning. Even more chilling, Gabie discovers that the man who placed the order—giving a bogus address in a deserted area where Kayla’s car was later found abandoned—had asked for the girl who drives the Mini Cooper (Gabie’s set of wheels), meaning that she was the intended victim.

As time passes and the kidnapper eludes capture, the police begin to focus on searching for a body. It’s up to Gabie and her co-worker and classmate Drew to prove that Kayla is still alive, and find her before it’s too late. The story is told from various points of view, amping up the anxiety and keeping readers embroiled in the unfolding events. Chapter heads tick off the days, and an array of documents (interview transcripts, evidence reports, a missing girl poster) add detail to the plot and provide atmosphere. A blossoming romance offers a pleasant distraction, but the focus remains solidly on the quick-reading, crime-solving action.

Is it possible to steal a life? Jenny Valentine’s Double (Hyperion, 2012; Gr 9 Up) is told in an edgy first-person narration by a 16-year-old runaway who has long called the streets of London his home. When Chap is mistaken for a boy who went missing two years ago, he decides to seize the opportunity. Taking on the identity of Cassiel Roadhouse (to whom he bears an uncanny resemblance), Chap travels “home” with his newfound sister, believing that he has suddenly landed everything he has ever dreamed of—a loving family, security, a real name. However, things do not go as anticipated: not only does he live in constant fear of being found out, but he also discovers that the Roadhouses are harboring a few secrets of their own.

As he delves into the mystery surrounding Cassiel’s disappearance, Chap realizes that he is in grave danger, a danger that reaches beyond his ruse being revealed and threatens his very life. Details about the teen’s early childhood are cleverly interwoven into the action, adding intricacies to the novel, spinning out the suspense, and building toward the book’s final breathtaking bombshell.

In The Butterfly Clues (Egmont USA, 2012; Gr 9 Up), Kate Ellison crawls right into the mind of her protagonist, Penelope “Lo” Martin, a 17-year-old whose lifelong struggle with obsessive-compulsive behavior has been exacerbated by the recent death of her brother.
Lo just can’t seem to stop her thigh-tapping, word-repeating, counting-off behavior, or her kleptomaniac impulses (it gives her comfort to arrange and rearrange a room full of stolen items). While wandering a crime-ridden Cleveland neighborhood, she pauses at an old house to snatch an angel statue; suddenly, she is caught up in a stream of gunfire, but manages to flee back to the safety of her suburban home. When she discovers that a 19-year-old girl named Sapphire, a dancer in a strip club, was murdered, Lo feels compelled to get to the truth.

Returning to the scene of the crime, she becomes embroiled in the seedy, perilous world of Neverland, where she befriends—and soon finds herself falling for—Flynt, a runaway teen who agrees to help her but whom she suspects is keeping secrets of his own. Tension and danger build, along with Lo’s compulsions, as she tracks down clues and begins to piece together the truth. The writing is both lyrical and street-savvy, and the action is smartly paced. Teens who like a lot of meat to their thrillers will enjoy the spellbinding insider’s look at Lo’s off-kilter psyche as much as the meandering twists and turns of the mystery.

Publication Information

BLAKE, Lily. House at the End of the Street. Little, Brown/Poppy. 2012. pap. $12.99. ISBN  978-0-316-23063-6; ebook $8.99. ISBN 978-0-316-23064-3.

LYGA, Barry. I Hunt Killers. Little, Brown. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-0-316-12584-0; ebook $9.99. ISBN 978-0-316-20174-2.

HENRY, April. The Night She Disappeared. Holt/ Christy Ottaviano Bks. 2012. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-9262-2; ebook. $9.99. ISBN 9781429942454.

VALENTINE, Jenny. Double. Disney/Hyperion. 2012. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-142314714-5.

ELLISON, Kate. The Butterfly Clues. Egmont USA. 2012. Tr $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-263-8; ebook $17.99. ISBN 978-1-60684-268-3.