Which books should your child be reading under the duvet this autumn?
Dark nights and pumpkin spice
It’s rapidly turning to that time of year again and whereas Halloween might not be as we planned this year there is still the option of getting in some seriously spooky reading instead of trick or treating. So give them a hot chocolate (pumpkin spiced of course), pass them the treats and set them away with some of our hand picked spook-tastic reads. Or maybe give them a torch and encourage them to read hiding under the duvet!
Zombierella by Joseph Coelho
Think you know Cinderella? Think again because this Cinderella dies before she gets her happy ever after! Fantastically illustrated with just the right amount of darkness I would probably aim for 8 and up for this familiar yet unfamiliar tale.
“A yellow moon hangs in a satin sky the night Cinderella, barefoot and in hand-me-downs, slips at the top of the stairs … and dies. But not for long. The Shadow of Death arrives to breathe life back into her bones and, for three nights only, Cinderella goes forth as ZOMBIERELLA. With her skin as cold as ice and her faithful horse Lumpkin back by her side, can she seek revenge on her three cruel, fake sisters, once and for all?
Crawl out of the grave and step into your mushroom carriage for this haunting and humorous adventure of the undead girl searching for her happily ever after.”
Monster Doctor by John Kelly
Revolting Rescue is the latest in this series designed for the 7 and overs. It’s funny scary rather than overly scary but it’s very readable
“WARNING! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. There’s been a major Q-T incident reported in Cringetown – we need the monster doctor, stat!
Q-Ts are highly dangerous to all monsters – they have huge eyes, tiny noses, squeaky high-pitched voices and are covered in a disgustingly soft fur-like material. Physical contact with these revolting creatures is to be avoided AT ALL COSTS!
Ozzy is an ordinary human – an unusual trait for a monster doctor in training! – and he can’t understand why monsters are so scared of these Q-Ts. So when the doctor receives a desperate phone call reporting a Q-T sighting, she and Ozzy race to save the horrible creature before the abominable Inspector Pincher arrives . . .“
The Invasion of the Crooked Oak by Dan Smith
Book Social favorite Dan Smith has joined up with Barrington Stokes to provide this dyslexia friendly spooky tale. A master at providing a chilling tale, is your middle grader brave enough to read it?
“Nancy’s parents are acting weird. Their eyes are blank, they won’t eat – it’s like they’re no longer themselves. Pete and Krish are obsessed with unexplained phenomena and when they offer to help Nancy investigate, they’re sure they can crack the case. But the deeper the trio dig, the darker the mystery gets … Crooked Oak is under attack from a dangerous foe, and they’re the only ones who can stop it.”
The Monsters of Rookhaven by Padraig Kenny
I could love this one for it’s cover alone but Padraig Kenny really knows how to write children’s books. Whereas Book Social favorite Tin explored what it’s like to be a Robot, Rookhaven takes on monsters with brilliant protagonist Mirabelle
“Mirabelle has always known she is a monster. When the glamour protecting her unusual family from the human world is torn and an orphaned brother and sister stumble upon Rookhaven, Mirabelle soon discovers that friendship can be found in the outside world.
But as something far more sinister comes to threaten them all, it quickly becomes clear that the true monsters aren’t necessarily the ones you can see.“
The Werewolves Who Weren’t by TG Shelley
A follow up to The Monster Who Wasn’t this is perfect for fans of Jennifer Bell or Sophie Anderson. For 8 years and up.
“Sam might be half-monster and half-fairy, but since finding a loving family with the Kavanaghs, his daily life has been all human. And now he’s facing one of the greatest human challenges – starting secondary school.
But Sam barely has time to worry about the strange stuff teachers say (why do they call it the Great War when it sounds like was anything but great?) before he is thrust back into the world of monsters. Sam’s school friends Amira, Hazel and Wilfred reveal that they are shifters: noble twin-souled beings who live half their lives as humans and the other half as dogs. When his new friends are kidnapped one by one, Sam is dragged into an adventure that will force him to confront both halves of his own identity, monster and fairy, if he wants a chance at saving their lives “
So what spooktastic book are you reading this month?