HALLOWEEN ROUNDUP
2007

Witches and ghosts, princesses and goblins. What will be YOUR costume of choice on October 31st? At Kidsreads.com we love this time of year --- not only do we savor the cooler weather but we also look forward to the tricks, the treats and (of course) those spooky stories. Enjoy these books under a blanket with a flashlight --- some are frightening while others are funny, yet all of them will get you in the mood for Halloween!

CAMP CREEPY TIME
Gina Gershon and Dann Gershon
G. P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN-10: 0399247378
ISBN-13: 9780399247378
Ages 10-up
224 pages

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Einstein P. Fleet is forced to attend camp in the desert despite his best arguments, and man-eating spiders are the least of his problems. The camp is haunted, the campers are turning into monsters and his counselors are aliens plotting to sell the kids to an intergalactic zoo (once they completely transform into mummies, vampires and werewolves). He writes home and relays his predicament, but his parents don’t believe a word of it --- even though it’s entirely true. Will he be able to save himself and his fellow campers from a terrifying fate?

GHOST CAT AND OTHER SPOOKY TALES
James Preller
Scholastic Paperbacks
ISBN-10: 043979398X
ISBN-13: 9780439793988
Ages 7-10
76 pages

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A scary new house. A horrible monster hiding in the closet. An imaginary friend that does very bad things. And a cat that lurks around every corner --- even though it's dead. These are just a few of the things that go bump in the night inside the pages of this creepy collection. Look inside, if you dare…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, STINKY FACE
written by Lisa McCourt
illustrated by Cyd Moore
Cartwheel Books/Scholastic
ISBN-10: 0439779774
ISBN-13: 9780439779777
Ages 4-8
32 pages

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Mama, what if Mrs. Petry doesn't know it's really just me at her door? What if she gets so surprised from my super-scary costume that she throws her candy bowl up and it lands on her head and candy spills all over?

It's almost time to go trick-or-treating, but first Stinky Face has just a few questions for Mama. As always, Mama lovingly addresses each and every one of her child's concerns.

MERCY WATSON: PRINCESS IN DISGUISE
written by Kate DiCamillo
illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
Candlewick Press
ISBN-10: 0763630144
ISBN-13: 9780763630140
Ages 6-8
80 pages

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When the Watsons decide to zip their porcine wonder into a formfitting princess dress for Halloween --- complete with tiara --- they’re confident that Mercy will be beautiful beyond compare. Mercy is equally certain she likes the sound of trick-or-treating and can picture those piles of buttered toast already. As for the Lincoln Sisters next door, how could they know that their cat would get into the act and lead them all on a Halloween "parade" of hysterical proportions?

NIGHTMARE ACADEMY
Dean Lorey
HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0061340421
ISBN-13: 9780061340420
Ages 10-up
320 pages

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It's hard to fit in when your nightmares open portals to the Netherworld, where horrible creatures live. Luckily there's a place for Charlie --- the Nightmare Academy. Built from wrecked ships set in the branches of the world's most incredible tree fort, the Academy trains people to use their unique gifts to fight the monsters that rush in when the lights go out. But Charlie is far more powerful than anyone ever imagined, and his entrance exam opens a portal straight to the heart of the Netherworld, where ultimate evil plots Earth's destruction. He'll need all his cleverness --- and the help of his new friends --- to save himself and his family.

SKELLY THE SKELETON GIRL
written and illustrated by Jimmy Pickering
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing
ISBN-10: 1416911928
ISBN-13: 9781416911920
Ages 4-8
32 pages

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Skelly, the little skeleton girl, finds a bone. Who does it belong to? Not the monster under her stairs, her man-eating plants, her pet bat or anyone else she asks. She even x-rays herself to make sure she’s not missing one. Solving the mystery brings a big surprise and a new friendship for Skelly.

SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT
Derek Landy
HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0061231150
ISBN-13: 9780061231155
Ages 10-up
400 pages

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Meet Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton. Sure, he may lose his head every once in a while (in fact, he won his current skull in a poker match), but he's much more than he appears to be. Skulduggery avoided the grave so he could save the world from an ancient evil. In order to defeat it, he will need the help of a new partner: a not-so-innocent 12-year-old girl named Stephanie.

THREE LITTLE GHOSTIES
written by Pippa Goodhart
illustrated by AnnaLaura Cantone
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN-10: 1582347115
ISBN-13: 9781582347110
Ages 3-6
32 pages

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How much trouble could three harmless little ghosties get into in one night? Plenty! These silly spirits love boasting to each other about who is the scariest. Ghouls, witches and even a neighborhood ogre all find themselves at the mercy of these naughty ghosties, who spook them with a “woooo, woooo, woooo, BOOOO!” But when the ghosties decide to scare some boys and girls for a change, who will get the biggest fright of all?

UNCLE MONTAGUE’S TALES OF TERROR
written by Chris Priestly
illustrated by David Roberts
Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
ISBN-10: 1599901188
ISBN-13: 9781599901183
Ages 10-14
192 pages

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This spine-tingling novel has more than enough fear factor for the most ardent fan of scary stories. Uncle Montague lives alone in a big house, but regular visits from his nephew, Edgar, give him the opportunity to recount some of the frightening stories he knows. As each tale unfolds, an eerie pattern emerges of young lives gone awry in the most terrifying of ways. Young Edgar begins to wonder just how Uncle Montague knows all these ghastly tales. This clever collection of stories-within-a-story is perfectly matched with darkly witty illustrations.

VAMPYRE: The Terrifying Lost Journal of Dr. Cornelius Van Helsing
Dr. Cornelius Van Helsing & Gustav de Wolff
HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0061247804
ISBN-13: 9780061247804
Ages 10-up
32 pages

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Vampyre! The name alone strikes terror into the hearts of most mortals…but not Dr. Cornelius Van Helsing --- a doctor by profession but secretly a vampyre expert and hunter extraordinaire. Lucky for us, he recorded everything he discovered about the hideous undead in his 19th-century journal…or did he? His trusted companion Gustav deWolff has a slightly different story to tell. So, was Van Helsing a friend or foe to vampyres after all? Only you can decide. But beware, lest you draw the attention of a mysterious dark prince from Transylvania.

WINNIE THE WITCH
written by Valerie Thomas
illustrated by Korky Paul
HarperCollins
ISBN-10: 0061173126
ISBN-13: 9780061173127
Ages 4-8
32 pages

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Everything in Winnie’s house is black --- the carpet, the chairs, the bed and the sheets, the pictures on the walls, and even the bathtub! And of course her cat, Wilbur, is black too --- all except for his bright-green eyes. Whenever poor Wilbur closes his eyes and tries to take a catnap, Winnie stumbles right over him. Or accidentally sits on top of him. Until one day, when Winnie gets a brilliant idea. What if Wilbur were a different color?

THE WIZARD
written by Jack Prelutsky
illustrated by Brandon Dorman
Greenwillow Books
ISBN-10: 0061240761
ISBN-13: 9780061240768
Ages 5-10
32 pages

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A watchful wizard waits alone within his tower of cold gray stone and ponders in his wicked way what evil deeds he'll do this day. What do you think the wizard is planning to do? Conjure a magic spell? Turn a frog into a flea? Fill a cauldron with bubbling brew? You may think you know…but watch out. Because if the wizard is bored, he may come looking for you!

    --- Compiled and written by Mary “Spookmeister” Dubbs

WHAT? YOU WANT MORE SPOOKY TALES? CHECK OUT THESE: 2006 Roundup, 2005 Roundup, 2004 Roundup, 2003 Roundup, Spooky Books and More Spooky Books.

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