Happy Book Birthday, It's Almost Time For Halloween! by Maisha Oso

It's time for another book birthday celebration! Following in this month's groove, I have another Halloween read hitting the shelves before the holiday season begins. Hmmm...it's a bit like the sales I've been seeing on summer clothes the last week or so. Already Fall clothes is sliding in and Fall decorations. But then, I asked my daughter, yesterday, what classes she'd like to take this next semester (she's homeschooled), and she moaned with the complaint that summer had just begun. She moaned 10x louder when I reminded her that the regular school season in this area starts in about 5 weeks. 

Life is always so short when you're working hard...ummm...having fun, I mean.

Anyway, I'm going to dive into today's read with the expectations of humor and fun. So, let's see if that's what these pages hold.

IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!

by Maisha Oso

Illustrated by Tom Knight

Margaret K. McElderry

Picture Book   /   Holiday

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

How to Catch a Monster meets The Night Before series in this laugh-out-loud rhyming picture book celebrating the excitement leading up to Halloween—the first in a new series!

It’s almost time for Halloween, and excitement is running high! It might not be here yet, but there’s so much to do before the spooky day arrives…

From decorating the house with ghoulish decorations to crafting creative costumes and picking out the perfect pumpkin to carve into a jack-o-lantern, there are endless ways to celebrate and traditions to explore! But not everyone can read the signs of the highly anticipated holiday on the way…

It’s Almost Time for…Halloween is a perfect blend of festive fun and read aloud humor that will have young readers laughing and identifying the misunderstanding at play before the characters catch on. This picture book makes a delightful gift for kids aged four to eight!

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MY TIDBITS

Decorations, costumes, treats...oh my! There's so much to do to get ready for the big, spooky celebration, and these pages let that fun fly.

It's almost time for Halloween, which means it's time to get everything prepared...because that isn't something done just in one day. Decorations need to be hung, costumes need to be made, and plenty of sweet treats have to be ready for ghosts, ghouls, and more to devour. 

The most fun is often in the anticipation and preparation, and these pages let that ore-Halloween excitement flow. The little girl is putting her heart into getting everything ready for the big day, and it's hard not to feel the joy right along with her. Plus, this books showcases the various activities readers/listeners can do themselves to get ready for the spooky day. So there's inspiration worked in as well. The ending holds a fun surprise, which jolts in just the right way to draw one last smile.

The entire thing is written in rhyme, and this flows seamlessly. The length of the text is well suited to the intended age group and makes this a very nice read-aloud. The illustrations are bright and as energetic as the girl's excitement. They also hold plenty of details for listeners/readers to search through and discover something new each time. Plus, there are a few, small surprises built in these as well.

It's a cute read to raise excitement for the holiday and a lovely way to open up to preparations.

And here they are...

Maisha Oso is the author of picture books Buster the Bully, My Hair Is a Book, Before the Ships, and the It’s Almost Time For… series, as well as the Venus Washington chapter book series. She writes stories to empower, entertain, and encourage emotional intelligence in young children. A former strategy and analytics professional from New York City, Maisha is currently working in her most challenging role to date: a stay-at-home mom of three tiny humans. Visit her at MaishaOso.com.

After an enjoyable stint as a graphic designer, Tom Knight is now proud to be using his imagination as a full-time career. Drawing on a long and abiding love of imagery from children’s literature, Tom has worked for a diverse range of publishers, including Little Tiger Press, Templar, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, and Macmillan. He has also turned his hand to authoring his own titles and is the author and illustrator for the Good Knight, Bad Knight chapter book series and picture book Jimmy Finnigan’s Wild Wood Band. He does all this from a poorly temperature-controlled studio in the garden, where he is constantly distracted by the greedy birds that hang out by the feeder outside his window.

The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick by Christina Wolff

I've been trying to get to today's read for quite awhile and am glad I, finally, had a chance to pick it up. It should be a mix between mystery and paranormal fun, and takes a peek at ghosts in an antique store. That's already enough to perk my curiosity. So, let's take a look!

And before I forget, it's Monday! That means there is tons of middle grade goodness over at the MMGM (Marvelous Middle Grade Monday) over HERE. Knowers and lovers of literature for this age group recommend all sorts of tales to dive into. So, if you're into middle grade literature, you're going to want to head over there and take a peek.

THE GHOSTS OF PANDORA PICKWICK

by Christina Wolff

translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp

Arctis

Middle Grade Fantasy

256 pages

ages 8 to 12

Summer vacation in London turns mysterious and exciting when Mia learns that her aunt’s antique shop is actually a ghost placement agency and she gets training in how to cross over into the spirit world.

Welcome to Pandora’s Antiques, with rarities for every occasion.

Nowhere does Mia feel so at home as in her Aunt Harriet’s antique shop. How wonderful that she can spend her summer vacation there! But something is wrong in the store. Things disappear as if by magic, furniture that has just been wiped dusts up again in seconds, and there is an eerie number of clatter at night. However, her aunt acts as if this is completely normal. Mia, on the other hand, suspects that Harriet is hiding something from her—just like the question of who her birth parents are.

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON     /    B&N

MY TIDBITS

Ghosts mix with a secret past, incredible abilities, and an adventure to keep the pages turning until the very end.

Mia's looking forward to spending time at her Aunt Harriet's antique shop, but soon realizes that strange things are happening. When she asks her aunt, she doesn't get a real response and decides to figure it out for herself. The truth, though, is beyond her wildest dreams, and soon, she finds herself conversing with ghosts during the witching hour. It turns out that her aunt runs a very special business beyond simple antiques, and that's about to flip Mia's world upside down.

In many ways, this tale reminded me of Beetlejuice but with a lighter, more playful beginning. The first chapters are simply magical as Mia steps into the antique shop and discovers secrets behind the curious business and her aunt's odd sales antics. It's a world to enjoy as old trunks and more mix with quirky ghosts, who simply want to find a new home. There's such a whimsical atmosphere with the shop and the ghosts that it's hard not to want to spend more time in the shop and learn more. But this only holds for so long before things start taking a slightly, darker turn. So called friends have secret agendas, and some of them are very dangerous. Even trusted family members turn out to be harboring secrets. 

This is a fun story, which grabs. It packs more than a few surprises and while it's clear that several things aren't quite right, the reasons behind it aren't what a reader might expect. Mia is a wonderful character with a good heart, and that clashes nicely with the more 'gray'  characters, giving the story a sharp edge. There's a bit of a message surrounding the problem of naive trust as Mia is lead to go against her better judgement, but even this isn't clear-cut necessarily. There's also goodness surrounding family bonds and the golden side of true friendship and loyalty. 

It's a fun read with a touch of magic and adventure, which manages to weave in enough bite to make it hard to put the book down.

And here she is...

Christina Wolff worked as an elementary school teacher before starting her own business as an author. When she's not writing books, she likes to rearrange her apartment, browse her favorite bookstore, and eat lots of cheesecake. She lives in Hanover, England with her family and a cheeky little dog lady.

Spoops: The Little Spirits of Halloween by A.J. Locascio

Halloween is...well, not here yet, but as you know, the publishing world works on an earlier schedule. Which I get, since printing doesn't happen overnight. Kind of like the stores stocking things very, very, very early for each holiday...although we all know they do it too early. I went to Hobby Lobby this last week, looking for a couple of things (they didn't have any of them). One item on my list was a bright, cheerfully colored table cloth. Yeah, I go there with hopes more than solid 'they will definitely have this' sometimes. And they had table cloths. Fall ones with oranges and yellows and such. Summer items had, obviously, been put on sale a couple weeks ago and were already mostly gone. 

But I'll give them some credit since the Halloween stuff hadn't appeared yet.

Anyway, I saw today's read and was a little curious to see what is inside, since I didn't want to miss the opportunity of getting my hands on an early copy. So, let's take a peek, shall we?

SPOOPS:

The Little Spirits of Halloween

by A.J. Locascio

Illustrated by Laurie A. Conley

Top Shelf Productions

Chapter Book Holiday  /

Graphic Novel

72 pages

ages 5 to 8

COMING AUGUST 12th!!!

Young Holly Hollowell loves Halloween more than anything, but her dentist parents are totally against any event that promotes tooth-rotting sweets. While other kids trick-or-treat, Holly watches sadly from her window… until the Spoops arrive to turn things around! With their magical help, Holly can finally show her parents the true spirit of Halloween: not the candy, but the joy of expressing yourself, unleashing your imagination, and letting your spooky side soar!

Presented in rhyming verse that recalls Dr. Seuss and “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” along with nostalgic illustrations in black, white, and orange, Spoops is an instantly timeless classic that places Halloween right alongside other beloved holidays.

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Cute Halloween-vibes mix with a more traditional tale for a delightful surprise.

Holly Hollowell is the child of dentists, who are completely and utterly against Halloween for obvious reasons. While they love Holly and are more than happy to support her quirks. After all there's nothing wrong with loving orange and black clothing or visiting graveyards or anything like that. And they do these things with her all year long, but come Halloween, she's forced to sit in the house and watch the other kids trick-or-treat in their costumes. When she tries to turn things around, her parents become more adamant. But maybe a hint of magic with the cutest creatures can help her out.

This is an adorable read in verse with a character to enjoy and magical creatures to adore. I could see the Spoops as little figures or stuffed toys kids would like to carry around with them, too. Like a collection. The tale follows a more traditional path and starts with an introduction to the town and Holly's parents as well as her birth and growing up to ten-years-old. Then, it highlights her troubles, her shot at rebelling, and the disappointing result. The surprise and magic first starts almost halfway into the read, but after that, it's truly a magical read with zest.

While this is sold as a graphic novel, it doesn't take that format. Instead, it's a fully colored and illustrated children's book for beginning readers...or listeners (like a picture book in chapter book format). The vocabulary, at times, is on the heavier end for the audience level, especially the younger block. The rhyming verse flows mostly well and holds the right, playful note to invite to dreams and fantasy. The entire seventy-some pages doesn't include any chapter breaks or such, which also means it's a fairly long read for a read-aloud sitting. So, I'd recommend this one more for the upper end of the age group and those who have a good grip on words. It'd also be nice as a read-aloud for the younger ones, but breaks will have to be worked in by need and desire.

It's a cute and uplifting tale with messages surrounding hope, family, learning to open up to new ideas, and friendship. Plus, the Spoops are little creatures to love and wish to have the chance to meet, too.

 

Oh No They Aren't: Science by Eric Huang

Today's read comes from a collection of Oh No They Aren't books. I haven't had the chance to pick up any of them, yet, and wanted to hit the science one, first. My family is all about science...not sure why, but my husband and each and every one of my children are doing, studying, or planning on having their carriers in some sort of mechanical or science direction.

I studied International Politics and Economics, so I feel a bit left out in the cold. You'd think one of my kids would lean my direction, right?

Anyway, I'm excited to see what this book is all about and hope it's exciting, while teaching some fun facts along the way. 

OH NO THEY AREN'T

SCIENCE

by Eric Huang

Illustrated by Sam Caldwell

words & pictures

Children's Nonfiction

ages 7 to 9

COMING...

AUGUST 25th!!!

Science is all about figuring out how things work. It means asking questions and conducting experiments to discover and test possible answers. Science affects every aspect of life, from what you’re wearing and what you had for breakfast, to the weather outside.

Through science, you can examine the smallest atoms to the largest galaxies—and get to know the universe just a little bit better. But how much do you really know about science?

For example, we all know that . . . 

Moons are smaller than their planetSummer is caused by Earth being closer to the SunWater is an element Tectonic plates don't move that much anymore AND that engineers are people who fix things Do we . . . ? Because . . . OH NO THEY AREN'T!

Misconceptions about our world are everywhere, but none of them are true! In Oh No They Aren' Science myths are busted about science from chemistry to geology, engineering, astronomy and even technology.

In this fresh and funny guide learn about how our world works from atoms and molecules to volcanoes and solar systems, or even artificially intelligent robots. Stylishly designed and humorously illustrated by Sam Caldwell, Oh No They Aren' Science brings important STEM topics to life for kids, uncovering how our world works and making science FUN accessible for everyone. 

In the Oh No They Aren't . . . series popular misconceptions in science and nature are dispelled. Check out the Oh No They Didn't . . . companion series for hilarious history and popular culture myth-busting. 

GOODREADS    /     PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

These pages hit a huge span of scientifical fields and topics, exposing the vast array the term 'science' covers while heading through all sorts of general facts along the way.

To start things off, there's a two-page spread explaining what science is and it's importance. The book is, then, divided up into several chapters, each one presenting a different area of science (geology, space, and more). Various topics in each category are addressed to give a solid foundation of what is covered, but it also allows a large amount of basic information from the various fields to flow in. On each page (at least, it seemed it was once per page), a question or statement, which isn't quite right, slides between the other information. The phrase 'Oh no they aren't' then follows (bold and in special font) to quickly disperse the misconception and steer readers in the right direction. So, readers come out knowing more.

This felt like an avalanche of science information. Some topics such as plate tectonics, fossils, the solar system, and more will be familiar to most readers, while other facts will be relatively new. There are a few exact facts and numbers, but many things are described in a more general context—fast and furious. Some of these info onslaughts, also, seemed to be hit upon too lightly, leaving more questions than answers. But maybe that's the point, since it leaves the reader curious to know exactly what is going on, leading them to search for answers later on their own. It's definitely quick-paced and keeps boredom at bay. That also means that this isn't really the type of book to be read in one sitting. Rather, it invites readers to discover one thing after then next as they learn more about the realm of science. The illustrations are bright, add lightness, and keep things upbeat. They also help clarify information, when necessary, and even add humor. 

Science opens up in a general way as the book shows the reader how vast it really is, while erasing some misconceptions about various topics along the way. It's not really about the details and facts, but rather, brings on a more general impression with the more exact tidbits. It's a nice read for science fans or for those, who would like to learn a little more about the field, and that while having some fun along the way.

And here they are...

Eric Huang is a podcaster, writer, start-up mentor and university lecturer. He reads a lot, loves museums, nature, and art history. He worked as an editor and book publisher for 20 years with roles at Disney Publishing, Penguin Australia, Penguin UK, and LEGO Books—then joined digital agency Made in Me and became a children’s media consultant, and now a children's author.

Sam Caldwell is an illustrator who lives in Glasgow with his wife and two cats, Tonks and Luna. He grew up in the north of England and studied painting at the Edinburgh College of Art. He loves inventing characters and creating images packed full of detail, texture, and color. He is passionate about animals and nature and, when not drawing, can often be found exploring the Scottish Highlands.

Bright Lights and Summer Nights by Shauntay Grant

I grew very excited to get my hands on today's read...not that there really is a reason. I simple found the rollercoaster, fireworks, and a boy drumming interesting. I'm pretty sure this is a bedtime read, although drums and everything else would suggest otherwise. I don't know of many little ones, who would fall asleep easily with any of these things around. Maybe, that's why I'm so excited to open this one up and see what's inside.

So, let's do just that!

BRIGHT LIGHTS AND SUMMER NIGHTS

by Shauntay Grant

Illustrated by Zach Manbeck

Tundra Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

Take a luminous bedtime journey through the summery dreamworld of a restless baby in this enchanting picture book lullaby. A fresh alternative to Goodnight Moon, this gorgeous book with a cloth-like spine is the perfect gift for new parents.

Fireflies and mystic moon

Mystic moon and brilliant night

filled with friends and firelight

On a hot summer night, Mother Moon soothes a little star baby who won't go to sleep. With her magic, she spins a warm, lyrical tale of friendship and a dreamy summer evening set beneath a blanket of twinkling stars as children and forest friends with balloons enjoy a country fair with a carousel and caramel apples before taking a fantastical trolley ride to a marvelous, light-filled destination. 

A captivating book, sure to be picked up night after night, that will send all little star babies off to dreamland.

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON     /     B&N

MY TIDBITS

With a hint of magic, this book invites to dreams while bringing across a calming atmosphere.

This book is for younger listeners and works great for a bedtime read. It begins with the boy floating and playing his drum and gently slides into the tale with several pages without words as a magical woman holds a wand and carries him into the world of dreams. When the text settles in, there are only a few words on each page...just enough to bring across images and mood. The rest is in the illustrations.

The illustrations hold a constant, blueish-green direction to keep darker, nightly tones. The golden sparkles and magical scenes hit with brightness against the dark background. The details are mostly done in dark lines with slightly different tones of the color they are on. It keeps a fantastical impression, while still carrying cheerful vibes and excitement. The mix invites to yawns despite the amusement park and fun, and it's well done because of it.

And here she is...

SHAUNTAY GRANT is an award-winning author, poet, playwright, interdisciplinary artist, and associate professor of creative writing at Dalhousie University. She is the author of a number of picture books, including My Fade is Fresh, which garnered multiple starred reviews, Sandy Toes: A Summer Adventure, Snowy Mittens: A Winter Adventure and When I Wrap My Hair. A former poet laureate for the City of Halifax, her picture book Africville won the 2019 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and was a finalist for the 2018 Governor General's Literary Awards, the 2019 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Awards, and the 2019 Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterworks Arts Award.