Look What's New for Kids!

I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll - When Ethan checks under the bed for his monster, he finds a note saying that Gabe has gone fishing and will be back in a week. He tries out several substitute monsters, but finds that none are as perfect as Gabe.

October Recommendations for Kids

Fiction

The Runaway Mummy by Michael Rex - Remember Runaway Bunny, where the Mommy Bunny continues to reassure her bunny child? What if there was a rotten little mummy who wanted to run away? Filled with monster mayhem, the rotten little mummy dreams up many scenarios, even becoming a little boy who takes karate and learns to play the piano, which horrifies his Mummy. All ends well, with little mummy deciding to be his mother's rotten little mummy forever and ever.

The Hungry Ghosts by Julius Lester - Jessica, Bryon, and Lamont are three hungry ghosts who drift quietly through the moonlight into Malcolm David’s room. Malcolm’s solution to their hunger provides a fun tale for October nights!

V is for Vampire by Adele Griffin - Lexie Livingstone just might be the first vampire to run for class president of her 9th grade class, with help from Blix and Mitzi, annoying pixies from the Old World. Lexie is a vegan, vampire-human hybrid trying to gain mortality and capture Dylan’s attention.

The Bag of Bones by Vivian French - Green-tongued, beady-eyed witch Truda Hangnail spreads evil in her wake, as she attempts to become Queen Bluebell’s successor. With the assistance of the rats in the kingdom, and by hindering the good witches, it appears she may become the new queen. Will the ingenuity and determination of Loobly, a sweet resourceful orphan, a scruffy prince, a large troll, and two quarrelsome bats be sufficient to wreck havoc with her plans?

The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children by Keith McGowan - A modern take on Hansel and Gretel beginning with a selection from the witch’s diary where she admits, "I love children. Eating them, that is." Witch Fay Holaderry, rarely goes hungry because of the abundance of unruly children who are 'donated' by their exhausted parents. Sol, eleven, and Connie, eight, increasingly suspicious of their new home and surroundings, are puzzled by their parents mysterious behavior. After exploring their strange neighbor’s house, and researching its owner at the library, they realize the grave peril at their fingertips. Fans of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snickett will enjoy this spooky mystery.

Dying to Meet You by Kate Klise - A fun romp featuring Seymour Hope, an abandoned youngster, I.B. Grumply, an antisocial writer who has not published in years, and Olive, a bossy ghost with literary yearnings. The setting is a decomposing Victorian house, and the ghost story unfolds through a series of letters, emails, news articles and the like. Can Ignatius B. Grumply overcome his writers block? Will Seymour’s parents return to reclaim him? Rounded out by a cast of amusing characters like realtor Anita Sale, publisher Paige Turner, and local newspaper editor Cliff Hanger, this amusing story will keep you entertained!

My Unwilling Witch Sleeps Over by Hiawyn Oram - Hagatha Agatha, or Haggy Aggy for short, is an unwilling witch who is much more interested in sleepovers with two human girls than in scaring them and casting spells. These diary extracts written by her frustrated familiar, Rumblewick Spellwacker Mortimer, illustrate why Haggy Aggy makes this cat’s life a "right Bag of Hedgehogs!"


Nonfiction

Nevermore: A Photobiography of Edgar Allan Poe by Karen Lange - Fascinating details of the life of the enigmatic author, who was raised by wealthy foster parents, dropped out of West Point and married his 13 year old cousin.