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October 25, 2007
Why Is Everything So Scary?
[Ed. Note: This is my newest column on the MCLS site.]
Recently, a friend and I decided to check out some of the haunted houses on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls. We started with a couple of the milder options, which were startling but left us laughing. We were considering a third, one of the scarier ones, but I chickened out. There’s a difference between being startled and being frightened, and I didn’t want to be frightened. It reminded me that in the midst of all the Halloween hoopla are children who are sick and tired of being scared, so I thought I’d offer up some of my favorite picture books designed to empower
Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes (Lower Elementary)
Best friends Chester and Wilson do everything exactly the same way until Lilly moves into the neighborhood and shows them the value of trying something new.
Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley (Preschool, Lower Elementary)
This picture book invites children to shout at a big green (not even remotely scary) monster, and he disappears piece by piece.
Jitterbug Jam by Barbara Jean Hicks, illustrated by Alexis Deacon (Elementary)
A monster worries about the boy living under his bed.
Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems (Preschool, Elementary)
Leonardo the monster can’t scare anyone, so he decides to try to scare the tuna salad out of the wimpiest kid he can find.
Scaredy Squirrel by Mélanie Watt (Elementary)
When an agoraphobic squirrel accidentally falls out of his tree, he learns—to his surprise and delight—that he can fly.
There Are Monsters Everywhere by Mercer Mayer (Preschool, Lower Elementary)
A boy decides to take karate lessons so that the monsters he knows-just-knows are everywhere won’t bother him.
Wallace’s Lists by Barbara Bottner and Gerald Kruglik, illustrated by Olof Landstrom (Elementary)
Wallace is an anxious mouse who organizes everything in his life (including all the clothes in his closet) with lists until concern for a friend forces him to go on an adventure none of his lists took into account.
Posted by adrienne at October 25, 2007 12:21 AM
Comments
Adrienne, I *love* this selection you've put together (so many of the books are ones I really enjoy) AND I love the sentiment behind it--books that offer positive things to kids. It's so refreshing to see! (Usually I just try and ignore Hallowe'en--I don't like to be scared; I had enough of real terror as a child) so your post made me feel so good to read.
I'd also add Sarah Dyer's Five Little Fiends, and The Lamb Who Came for Dinner by Steve Smallman. Thank you for a fantastic post!
Posted by: Cheryl Rainfield at October 25, 2007 10:52 AM
Thank you, Adrienne. Thank you. I'm doing two Halloween parties this year (and am billed as a "spooky storyteller" for one), and while I have a couple of scary stories in my repertoire, I practiced them the other day... and I hated my delivery. Just hated it. I'm a fan of helping children be brave in the face of scary things, which is what to me has gotten lost in Halloween celebrations-- we're supposed to be in this together rallying against the forces of fear. My favorite story of this, The Graveyard Voice, seems as if it's going to be creepy, and then it turns out to be funny.
Posted by: Alkelda at October 25, 2007 03:27 PM
Thanks! Glad to be of service!
I've always wanted to do an out-and-out Halloween storytime, Alkelda, but I've never tried it at the library. Maybe next year will be my year. We did a Christmas storytime last year with a lot of success (so much so that we plan to do it again this year), so maybe it would work.
Cheryl, Thanks for posting on your blog at this topic. (The rest of you have to visit: http://cherylrainfield.com/blog/?p=285.)
Posted by: adrienne at October 25, 2007 09:57 PM
I agree, this is a fabulous list. I've used Go Away, Big Green Monster! for storytimes and it's always a hit.
Also, I found a "monster" version online once of "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" that can be very empowering, esp. when we do it in growly monster voices:
"Horns, fangs, knees and paws, knees and paws;
(repeat);
And eyes, and ears, and tails, and claws;
(repeat first line)."
Posted by: eisha at October 25, 2007 10:26 PM
Go Adrienne! Go Adrienne! What a GREAT idea. I've seen little kids scared too many times to think it's funny... way to go.
Posted by: TadMack at October 26, 2007 04:00 AM
Adrienne, thanks for the link; that's kind of you. I feel lighter about the season this year because of your post. And it's great to hear others here who want to give kids some empowering or face-fears alternatives. Yay! I'm so glad.
Posted by: Cheryl Rainfield at October 26, 2007 10:46 AM
As a father to be, I'm totally going to get these books because they all sound awesome for a kid. Thanks, A.
Posted by: Jeffrey Lee at October 26, 2007 10:59 AM
Clifton Hill? My old stomping grounds! My high school job was there! Ack!
Posted by: stacy at October 26, 2007 08:14 PM
From my observations, Clifton Hill is entirely run by teenagers. I kept wondering if they have any labor laws at all in Canada.
Posted by: adrienne at October 27, 2007 11:12 AM