Even though it's a request I hear year-round, October is the heart of "I want a SCARY story" season.

Here are some newer titles that will please those readers looking for something to read on a dark and stormy night. BOO! (Please note, several titles work for a variety of ages, not just the ones listed. They might be appropriate for your readers at a higher or lower grade level).

Kindergarten - 3rd grades:
Boo Who? by Ben Clanton
Creepy Pair of Underwear by Aaron Reynolds
The Too-Scary Story by Bethany Murguia
Bone Soup by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
I Just Ate My Friend by Heidi McKinnon
Baby Monkey, Private Eye by Brian Selznick
Night of the Zombie Zookeeper by Andres Miedoso

4th - 8th grades:
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
The Girl in the Locked Room by Mary Downing Hahn
One for Sorrow by Mary Downing Hahn
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor
Otherwood by Pete Hautman
Scream and Scream Again! by R.L. Stine

9th-12th grades:
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
Spooked! by Gail Jarrow
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
Mary's Monster by Lita Judge
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
The Agony House by Cherie Priest
How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

2018 marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein. Since many high school classes around the country read this novel as part of their Language Arts curriculum, I thought that I would highlight two OUTSTANDING new books that you can pair with your teaching of the original.

The first is Mary's Monster by Lita Judge. This gorgeously gothic illustrated FREE VERSE biography of Mary Shelley is a MUST for every library serving students that read Frankenstein. Judge does not shy away from the pain or tragedy that defined Shelley's life, and therefore her novel. There is also discussion to be had on women's rights (or lack thereof) at the time vs. present day.

The second book is The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White. In this, White re-imagines the classic with Elizabeth Lavenza as narrator. This is a clever retelling that keeps the gothic traditions of the original, while developing a character we know very little about. White has done an impressive job matching tone and language with this fresh take. Readers of the original will find much to like here, while those new to the Frankenstein story will not have the original spoiled by their reading of this.

For teachers in the classroom, Dark Descent would be a terrific compare and contrast novel to challenge your higher level students or early finishers (or the students who come to class on day one and say "but I've already read Frankenstein"). There are many possibilities for discussion and writing, and a teacher's guide that you can get.

1. Each chapter of the book begins with an epigraph, which alludes to Milton's Paradise Lost. Pick one and discuss how it relates to Elizabeth's story.

2. How does Elizabeth's perspective shift throughout the story?

3. What is gained/lost by shifting the storytelling to Elizabeth's perspective?

4. Discuss the author's note at the end.

5. Discuss the introduction by Percy Shelley at the beginning of Frankenstein.

5. Where are the girls/women in classic literature?

6. Discuss other stories that could be re-told from a different character's perspective? How does that change the story?
7. Would "The Modern Prometheus" work as a subtitle for this book? Why or why not?

This month marks the 80th anniversary of the (in)famous War of the Worlds broadcast, led by Orson Welles.

If you teach H.G. Wells classic sci-fi novel "The War of the Worlds," or journalism, or even theater, then Spooked! by Gail Jarrow is a terrific new book to consider for your classroom. Jarrow explores, in detail, the events of that night, the people involved, and the aftermath of the broadcast. Included throughout are actual letters (primary sources!) received by the FCC after the show aired.

Perfect for any classroom or library serving students in 6th-12th grades, this would also be a great book to discuss fake news and broadcast media.

There are many ways that we talk about banning materials (books, music, etc) with students, often in grades 8-12. Maybe you highlight "Banned Books Week" in September, or discuss book banning in social studies and how it relates to Constitutional issues or Supreme Court cases, or have students read banned/challenged books as part of a class assignment to tie-in with your reading of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

If you are looking for a great title to introduce this topic to younger readers (4th-7th grades), Property of the Rebel Librarian by Allison Varnes would make a good read aloud, lit circle, or book club book. I really enjoyed June and her underground Little Free Library of banned books, and I think fellow librarians and book lovers will also. Pair it with Alan Gratz' "Ban this Book."

BE A REBEL!

10 Word Book Blurb:
Shhhhhhh! June started a banned books library...in a locker.

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