Well, it would have been fun to put this post up in early October, but, life. This school year has KICKED MY BUTT, but actually in a lot of the very best ways. T and I are just sort of in this season of working our tails off, and it's nice to see how much we are able to accomplish. I spent a lot of years of early motherhood just surviving motherhood, so to be able to challenge myself creatively and intellectually feels immensely satisfying. Don't get me wrong, I'm still teaching and leading teachers in a pandemic, and it is bat crazy, but also totally rewarding.
Anyway, I've been buying books and putting up decorations to compensate for the fact that there is very little festive activity happening outside of our house. I feel like it's all just a giant prequel to Christmas - it seems like those of us who celebrate Christmas have a collective agreement to lean in HARD this year, and I am here. for. it. But while it's still October, if you have a chance to grab one of these at your local bookstore (our very favorite is The Reading Bug in San Carlos), I highly recommend it!
I can't help breaking them down by theme, and of course leading the way is...
Cats:
The Little Kitten: This book is so sweet! M has read it approximately 1000 times, because the little black kitten reminds her of Willow (of course). It’s really pretty, and just very darling and warm-fuzzy-y.
The Cat at Night: This one isn’t really Halloween-y or even fall-y at all, but I see it pop up every year on Pinterest. We finally ordered it, because #pandemicbookbuying, and it does not disappoint! The illustrations are gorgeous, and the colors are swoon-worthy.
They All Saw a Cat: Another not-really Halloween book, but, as you know, we are really leaning in to the cat thing this year, so we’ll reach for anything we can get! We are using it as part of our “Spooky Week” for homeschool this week, with some compare/contrast writing and a discussion about different perspectives...I think I know some grown-ups who could benefit from this conversation as well...
(Not pictured) Cats’ Night Out: This one also looks gorgeous, but I’m afraid if I order ANOTHER CAT BOOK this fall, Tommy might leave me, and I need him around to cook dinner.
Ghosts:
Gustavo, the Shy Ghost: Another sweet, sweet book! Gustavo is painfully shy, but he shares his gift with some friends, and they show up. I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Gilbert the Ghost: I’ve got a theme going with the ghosts who don’t fit in, and I love it. Gilbert doesn’t want to be scary like his teachers expect him to, but when he gets punished for it, he ends up making a friend and providing a welcoming home for all of his classmates.
How to Make Friends with a Ghost: We are using this cute craft from Mai Storybook Library (Maya is a must-follow on Instagram!) for our Spooky Week this week. Another lovely tale about the power of looking beyond appearances.
Pumpkins:
The Very Best Pumpkin: We bought this book randomly at a library used-book sale, and it ended up being a sweet tale of generosity.
Spookley: We love Spookley the square pumpkin and how he uses his unique shape to help his friends. So many books about celebrating differences!
Stumpkin: Poor Stumpkin is missing his stem. Just like almost every other book in this list, we learn that being different makes him special. As I’m writing this, I really didn’t realize that all of our Halloween books fall into this theme, but I dig it.
Witches, Monsters, Wiener Dogs, Oh My:
Room on the Broom: It’s a classic for a reason. If you don’t have it, you must add it to your library. It’s my very favorite to read aloud - the rhymes and rhythm make it so much fun!
The Scariest Book Ever: Spoiler alert, this book is not actually scary at all, and much like The Monster at the End of This Book, it will have your kids laughing at the silly protagonist.
Hallowiener: Staying in line with our “celebrating differences” theme, this is an adorable tale about a wiener dog, which is really all you need to know.
A Few of Our Favorite Characters:
I didn’t include these in the graphic, but I couldn’t leave out some of our very favorite characters that we read year after year! I think I might like the nostalgia factor more than the girls, but I don’t care.
Happy Halloween Curious George
Fancy Nancy’s Fabulous Fall Storybook Collection
Berenstain Bears Trick or Treat
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