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 Books
Present Trick-Or-Treat Alternatives
By Michaele
Birney Arneson
February 1, 2003
Story Time Ideas
For those who crave Halloween reading with more literary punch,
classic thrillers are just what the doctor (Jekyll, of course) ordered.
The three horror must-haves for any bookstore hoping to capitalize
on the Halloween shopping season include Robert Louis Stevenson’s
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Indypublishing
Company, 2002), Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein
(Bantam Classics, 1984 reissue), and Bram Stoker’s
Dracula (Signet, 1997).
Stephen
King’s newest, Dreamcatcher |
From
the modern king of horror himself, Stephen King’s newest,
Dreamcatcher (Pocket Books, due to release February
25, 2003), finds him working a classic macabre style with an infusion
of new twists to keep the reader turning pages. Keep in mind that
these four books are meant to scare, and may not be appropriate
for young or sensitive readers.
For the younger audience, Skeleton Hiccups (Margaret
McElderry, 2002, ages 4–8) is a delight not only for children,
but also for those reading it aloud. Illustrated by S.D. Schindler
with paintings done in gouache, ink and watercolor, the pictures
bring to life the unique circumstances that a skeleton with hiccups
faces.
Mouse’s First Halloween (Simon & Schuster,
2000, ages 2–5) is a good introduction to Halloween for preschool-aged
children. Using repetitive language patterns, author Lauren Thompson
guides Mouse along to discover that scary first impressions can
turn out to be not so scary after all.
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