My Thoughts:
Charlie and his more adventurous sister soon realize something is very fishy when the kids in their neighborhood start visiting grandparents they've never met and for some reason they never return. So when their mother starts talking of sending them both to visit a pair of grandmothers they've never even heard of, Charlie knows something is wrong. And when they finally get there it's up to him to figure out how to save his sister and save them all.
I really enjoyed this one. We see Charlie grow and step up and figure things out. The grandmothers are super creepy and the world Towell builds is dark and delicious. Both my son and I enjoyed reading this one together in October for a spooky reading month and this one fit the bill.
My Thoughts:
Deja and Josiah are best friends while they work at the world's greatest pumpkin patch every fall in Omaha, Nebraska. It's their last night ever working at the pumpkin patch since they're both going off to college next year. Can they make their last shift a night of adventure? Taste all the yummy foods? See all the sights? And maybe even Josiah can finally talk to the girl he's always had a crush on? Who know?
I want to go to this pumpkin patch! It's fictional but it's also based on the real pumpkin patch in Omaha, Nebraska. The illustrations are scrumptious. The characters are adorable. Deja is my favorite! And where their adventure takes them by the end of the night was a place I was super excited about by the end. Perfect fall read to cozy up to and imagine the world as a sane place.
Where the Woods End by Charlotte Salter
My Thoughts:
Kestrel lives in a dark and foreboding forest where no one leaves and the forest and its creatures are not so friendly. Her father hunts wolves and is almost never around. Her mother is an evil witch. And she even let her own grandmother die by a Grabber. Her only friends are a blood-thirsty weasel named Pippit and one boy from the village who lives in the trees. Her only task is hunting the Grabbers and the villagers despise her for it. What happens when her own Grabber comes for her? Can she find a way out of the forest and save herself and the village?
I loved, I mean absolutely loved this dark and twisted fairy tale. It's a true fantasy-horror. Dark things happen to Kestrel and her family. The way Kestrel makes mistakes and learns from them is truly heart-warming. It's dark but it's full of hope. There are so many questions and there aren't a lot of answers but that's what makes a fantastic world. Not everything is explained but that's OK. You can imagine something or just dive into this creepy and horrible world but it makes sense and it's well-built. And then you throw in some great characters and you have an almost perfect combination. Both my son and I adored this book. It's perfect for Halloween, fall, winter time to just curl up and read.
Nightbooks by J.A. White
My Thoughts:
Alex gathers his nightbooks and heads down to the basement of his apartment building in order to destroy them but the elevator doesn't stop at the basement; it stops a few floors up. He wonders over to some sounds and lights flickering and notices that his favorite movie "Night of the Living Dead" is playing on TV. He just can't resist. He asks the lady in the apartment if he can watch with her and as soon as he steps inside...It's a trap. The witch Natacha has kidnapped him she needs his scary stories to keep her magical apartment working. Together with Yasmin, another kidnapped child, they must figure out how to escape.
My son and I loved the creepy factor. It's a retelling of the Scheherazade story from Arabian Nights and we get to hear all sorts of creepy short stories. It also weaves lots of writing how-tos and how to get rid of writer's block. So it's great for budding writers! We also get some Grimm Fairy Tales as well and it all comes together at the end. Another fantastic find for the Halloween season.
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