Halloween Picture Book Favorites: Johnston, Williams, Mueller, Boynton

 

Years ago, it seemed that Halloween was mostly a holiday for children, one that you outgrew in the teen years.  Nowadays, it’s more of an all ages holiday, but I still have fond memories of favorite picture books for the season.

For older listeners, I love Tony Johnston’s The Vanishing Pumpkin.  A little old man and a little old woman discover their prize pumpkin, intended for pie, has disappeared so off they go to track it down.  Vibrant illustrations by Tomie de Paola make for a fun and exciting search to a satisfying conclusion.

Shorter but just as satisfying is the somewhat spooky The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams with illustrations by Megan Lloyd.  A little old lady is walking home at night when strange sounds start following her.  This is a great book for audience participation as listeners can help make the sounds.

For very young listeners, A Halloween Mask for Monster by Virginia Mueller is one of my absolute favorite books.  Little Monster is not sure what he wants to be for Halloween.  He tries on various masks—a dog, a cat, etc.—but deems them all “too scary.”  Finally, he finds just the right one.  With illustrations by Lynn Munsinger, this book is no trick but a real treat.  It’s also very reassuring for young trick-or-treaters who have their own doubts about dressing up and don’t want to be “too scary.”

Finally, a book I have given to most small children I know, Spooky Pookie is a board book written and illustrated by the one and only Sandra Boynton.  Pookie is a little pig-child who is trying to figure out what to be for Halloween.  Boynton’s art is a delight for all ages, and her style is instantly recognizable.  Also "Spooky Pookie" is just fun to say.

-Jeanne

Nevermore: Things Past Telling, Summer Crossing, After World

 

Nevermore 6-4-24

Reported by Rita

Things Past Telling: a Novel by Sheila Williams

Loosely based on the author's real-life female ancestors, this story of Maryam Prescilla Grace, a midwife, born in West Africa around 1758, charts her journey across an ocean of years, as she gains and loses family, her culture, a husband, lovers and children

  Excellent read – highly recommend.      - KN      5 stars

 

Summer Crossing by Truman Capote

Seventeen-year-old Manhattan society girl Grady McNeil is free to pursue her illicit romance with Clyde Manzer, a Jewish parking lot attendant from Brooklyn when her parents decide to leave her alone for the summer.

 Loved it – will be reading more Capote.    – DC      4 stars

 

After World: a Novel by Debbie Urbanski

A sentient AI determines that all humans must be eliminated as the root of climate change and leaves a woman named Sen as a“witness” to record her observations on the end of humanity as the world begins to rewild.

Enjoyed the creativity, but it is a very bleak story.    – PP       3.5 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

 

Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati

Know My Name: a Memoir by Chanel Miller

The Lost City of Z: a Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

British Killers by Guy Hadleigh

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers: a novel by Samuel Burr

The Women by Kristin Hannah

Reclaiming Desire: 4 Keys to Finding Your Lost Libido by Andrew Goldstein

What a Fool Believes: a Memoir by Michael McDonald

The Hawk's Done Gone by Mildred Haun

The Great Society to the Reagan Era, 1964-1990 by William Loren Katz

The Maid: a Novel by Nita Prose

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

 

New Books

 

The Museum of Lost Quilts by Jennifer Chiaverini

Throne of Grace : A Mountain Man, an Epic Adventure, and the Bloody Conquest of the American West by Bob Drury

Nevermore: Heartbreak, Old Babes, Healing

 

Reported by Rita

Can grief literally break a heart? Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williams explores the effects of grief on the human body on a cellular level where it appears loss can effect physical health. The story is the author’s own personal experience of loss and discovery. Full of scientific research and interesting information, our reader gave this title 5 stars. KM

If life was hard for the average teenage girl growing up with a single mother in the 1950s, imagine what it was like if that single mother was a witch. My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood is a humorous coming of age novella that shows what that life would be like. Our reader had only two word to express their feelings for this story…LOVED IT! This novella is included in Atwood’s Old Babes in the Woods:  Stories. MH

Not all of the books discussed in Nevermore get positive reviews. Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient by Theresa Brown is one such book. The author chronicles her journey from cancer nurse to cancer patient. Our reader found the author to be self-absorbed and entitled, giving the title 1 star. CD

Also mentioned:

Jack by Marilynne Robinson

The Last Chairlift by John Irving

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson

In the Distance by Hernan Diaz

Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernières

A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

I Could Pee on This: and Other Poems by Cats by Francesco Marciuliano

 

New books:

 

The Wind Blows in Sleeping Grass by Katie Powner

Mary and the Birth of Frankenstein by Anne Eekhout

Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart

Mountains of Fire: The Menace, Meaning, and Magic of Volcanoes by Clive Oppenheimer

More Found Reviews

When library staff prepares to re-shelve books, we always flip through them to look for forgotten items, damage, etc. so that the next person won’t have a surprise. Sometimes we find comments.  Here are some of the ones we’ve enjoyed:

An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor apparently pleased a couple of readers, since one wrote “Good” and in a different handwriting, “Couldn’t put it down.”

 

I have to say I love dueling reviews.  Plaster Sinners by Colin Watson was deemed “Very very dull” by one reader, perhaps evoking this response:  “This is a work of deductive genius.  Very enjoyable & well done.”

Bluebird Winter by Linda Howard drew two “Good” notations, a “Good (heart),” a “Very good,” and “Every woman’s dream!  Just plain wonderful book!”

James Patterson’s sophomore title Season of the Machete earned a one word review:  “Lousy.”

Still Glides the Stream by D.E. Stevenson came out in 1957, but this tale of a Scotsman who sets out to find the truth about a friend’s death drew a lot of comments on the review page.

“A delightful romantic story.”

“A sweet, simple, nostalgic story.”

“Very good—I really enjoyed it.”

“Great—I hated to see it end!”

“A little ‘tame,’ but I agree with the above.”

“Very good—I really enjoyed it for the second time around twenty years later.”

“D.E. Stevenson is my all-time favorite author, bar none.  I have read all her books many times & enjoy them every time.  I just found one from 1923, Peter West, which was overly descriptive, probably her first, but she certainly learned the right amount of adjectives as she aged.  I think she wrote the best family values—ever!”

 

Sherryl Wood’s Sweet Tea at Sunrise in large print had a couple of “Good” and “Very good” reviews, followed by, “Can’t believe it took 469 pages for two people to get into bed together!”

Christmas in My Heart: A Second Treasury edited by Joe Wheeler had “Very good book 2015” written in it.  Just beneath it, in the same handwriting was “Very good book 2016.” It’s very good to know that the reviewer’s opinion hadn’t changed in a year!

 

Jill Marie Landis’ Magnolia Creek won rave reviews from three readers.  The story is set during the American Civil War and chronicles the story of Sara Collier who marries her sweetheart Dru just before he rides off to fight.  Our readers judged it as “Great,” “SUPER GOOD,” and “A wonderful heartwarming book!  Among the best I have read!” 

Murder for Treasure by David Williams earned two reviews.  One was the pithy “Boring!” while the second was a bit more descriptive:   “Not top grade English but readable if you’re hard up for a weekend read.”

Nevermore: Mahood, Speaks, Hamby, Melham, Rash, Jones, Willilams, Cooper

Reported by Garry and Laura

In the humorous non-fiction book Not Tonight Josephine: A Road Trip Through Small-Town America by George Mahood, the author and a friend come over from England, buy a 1985 Dodge minivan and proceed on a road trip across America from New York to California.  Once in California, Mahood’s friend, Mark, must return to the UK, and George manages to convince his girlfriend to fly over and meet him in Breckenridge, Colorado to accompany him on the trip back to New York.  Our reader reported that she smiled a lot while reading this light-hearted romp from coast to coast.  

Our next reader thoroughly enjoyed the book Historic Disasters of East Tennessee by Dewaine Speaks. In particular, she was riveted by the recounting of a disaster that happened in Bradley County which is known as the worst traffic accident in Tennessee history and the fifth worst in U.S. history.  One of our readers had a friend who was a proof-reader for a court recorder who recorded testimony during the lawsuits that came after the crash.   Our reader also pointed out the story of the 1904 train wreck in New Market, TN, 30 miles east of Knoxville in which 56 passengers and crew were killed, and 106 injured.  An inquiry into the disaster was inconclusive as the engineers and drivers involved died in the accident.    

Soul Full of Coal Dust:  The True Story of an Epic Battle for Justice by Chris Hamby is an investigative book which delves into the ongoing battle for compensation for coal miners and their families due to the ravages of black lung disease.  Our reader’s grandfather and all her neighbors were miners, and this book brought back memories of the miners returning home pitch black from coal dust because there were no showers at the mines.  The laws that were passed in the 1960s in to protect coal miners have failed to end black lung disease or to provide for those who are ill.  This true story of how a carpenter turned lawyer and a miner took on Massey Coal makes for an eye-opening read.

Published in 1976, John Muir’s Wild America by Tom Melham is an exploration of the lasting effect of land conservation and preservation, a movement spearheaded by John Muir – a Scottish born adventurer who lived in California and who was responsible for getting Congress to declare Yosemite as one of the first National Parks in the US.   Our reader praised John Muir for being such a dogged adventurer, barely even slowing down when he contracted malaria.  Amongst his many accomplishments he started the Sierra club, climbed mountains in Yosemite, and helped establish Sequoia as a National Park. 

Something Rich and Strange by poet and novelist Ron Rash is a series of short stories, all based in the Appalachian region. The stories are scattered throughout time, some being set in the modern day, others in the past.   Our reader recommended this book due to short stories not requiring a lot of memory during these times.   

Charley Davidson is a private investigator and Grim Reaper (yes, THAT Grim Reaper) in a series of supernatural detective mysteries by Darynda Jones.  The first novel in the series is First Grave on the Right which our reader thoroughly enjoyed and recommends. The books are a silly mindless romp, according to our reader and can be summed up as "graves and sex."  They are an excellent distraction right now and don’t require a lot of attention or brain space, but are pure fun. 

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams, Karen White, and Lauren Willig is a historical fiction mystery which intertwines two stories – one in 2013, and another in 1915.  Sarah Blake is an author looking for ideas for a new book when she goes against her mother's wishes and opens a trunk which belonged to her great-grandfather who died in the disaster of the RMS Lusitania.  What she discovers could change history.   Our reader liked this book, and recommended it.

Cut to the Bone by Ellison Cooper is a modern-day crime mystery thriller that revolves around a DC-based FBI agent who has a psych degree and is investigating the hijacking of a school bus of high school students.  The books has twists and turns, which makes our reader happy; she plans to go back and real all the other books by this same author.  This is the only book that our reader has encountered that has a cliffhanger ending, and it definitely has her hooked for the next!  Highly recommended if you like thrillers and procedurals.

 

            The Overstory by Richard Powers won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2019. It tells the story of nine strangers who are brought together by an unfolding natural catastrophe. The reviewer liked the book, but didn’t love it. She found it long and didn’t really begin to enjoy it until the stories began to intertwine. The book was a meditation on the fact that we don’t value the life of other living things or see what’s in front of us.

          

            Our last review is Good Dogs Don’t Make it to the South Pole by Hans Olav Thyvold, which is narrated by Tassen, a dog who can talk, but not read. After losing his master, the man’s wife begins to read to him about arctic expeditions and the dogs who serve them. The book has some light moments, but is very much a meditation on the ethics surrounding the treatment of the dogs used, and sometimes sacrificed, in the expeditions. This was a good book and comes recommended.