The Green Ghost

Kaye and her parents are on their way to her grandmother's house for Christmas. It's a stormy night, and their car gets stuck in a ditch. A glowing light leads Kaye and her parents to an old farm house. A kind old woman named Elsa lives there and takes them in for the night. Before dawn the next daty, a mysterious girl wearing a green cloak, named Lillian, wakes up Kaye and takes her on a trip through the woods to see a magnificant pine tree. Read this chapter book mystery by Marion Dane Bauer to see how the characters of this story are interrelated. Is it a Halloween story or a Christmas story?, or a good mystery for any time of year. You decide.

Day of the Dead

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated in various places in North America from October 31-November 2. This easy reader will introduce students to the history and activities associated with this holiday. Written by Linda Lowery, with illustrations by Minnesotan, Barbara Knutson, this is a nice classroom resource for this favorite Fall holiday.

Mudkin

The rain has stopped, a girl and her favorite toys go outside to play. She looks into a mud puddle, and sees Mudkin, a friendly--if a little muddy creature. He gives her a robe, crown, and carriage, and takes her away to a castle where she becomes queen of the realm. The kingdom only lasts until the next rain, but it's fun while it lasts. Written and illustrated by Stephen Gammel, in his easily recognizable style, it is a tribute to mud and imagination -- two key elements of a happy childhood.

The Haunted Hamburger, and Other Ghostly Stories

Frankie and Franny Ghost beg for a scary bedtime story from their father. He agrees to tell just one story. Soon, one story turns into three -- each scarier that the one before -- at least for ghost children, because the stories are about people. For kids, they will be laugh-out-loud funny stories by David LaRochelle and illustrator Paul Meisel. Not to be missed for Halloween.

Pick a Pup

Sam and his grandmother are off to the local animal shelter to adopt a puppy. Sam isn't sure he will know when he picks a puppy if it will be the right one. Along the walk to the shelter, they meet all the wonderful (and different) dogs of the neighborhood. When they arrive at the shelter, a golden puppy picks Sam, and everyone is happy. The rhyming text is written by Marsha Wilson Chall, with illustrations by Jed Henry; this is a fun story for young readers.

Playful Slider

First published in 1993, this book would normally be outside the date range of this blog. However, I recently saw an advertisement where the University of Minnesota Press has rereleased it. If you missed it the first time, here is your second chance.
This book, written by Barbara Esbensen, describes the daily life of the American river otter. Unlike their more aggressive relatives in the weasel family (including badgers, wolverines, and skunks), river otters are known for their sense of fun and playfulness. The realistic illustrations by Mary Barrett Brown add to the enjoyment of this informative book.

Wonderstruck

This is the new illustrated novel by Brian Selznick (creator of the Caldecott Medal winner, The Invention of Hugo Cabret). I am including it here because the story has a Minnesota connection. Ben and Rose are the main characters, and both are hearing impaired. Ben is 12, and lives in a cabin along the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota. Rose is also 12, but her story takes place 50 years earlier in New Jersey. Ben's story is told in prose; Rose's in black and white pencil illustrations. Both children have a missing parent, and both run away to New York City in search of that person. The two stories begin to converge at the American Museum of Natural History; but I won't reveal the mystery behind their connection. Read and enjoy it for yourself! Not only is the artwork a feast for the eyes (just like Hugo was); the amount of research behind the book (described in the acknowledgements) shows that this wasn't a book hastily thrown together. I enjoyed it just as much as Hugo, and I hope you will too.