By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd 

Win a book of your choice from today’s blog! 

Making trips to the pumpkin patch to select the perfect pumpkin and decorating front yards with fuzzy spiders and inflatable ghosts are all signs of the Halloween season. In the spirit of Halloween, I have selected several “spooky” books that will delight your young children. Selections for older children and moms will make readers think deeper, more aware of the world around us and more insightful about life — all good things! Enjoy and have a Happy Halloween!

Preschool to Pre-K — Zip! Zoom! On a Broom by Teri Sloat and illustrated by Rosalinda Bonnet

Fans of Ten Little Monkeys will love this adorable counting book created in the spirit of Halloween. Little goblins will enjoy counting the witches as they fly through the skies and then fall off, one by one. The perfectly rhyming text and wonderful illustrations will captivate all readers. Bets are, this book will be on repeat for story time!

Early Elementary — Click, Clack, Boo: A Tricky Treat by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

The barnyard friends are up to their antics again in this installment of the well-loved Click, Clack books by author Cronin and illustrator Lewin. In this Halloween-themed story, Farmer Brown makes it clear that he does not like Halloween and, in fact, he seems frightened of the day. The animals enjoy a little fun with Farmer Brown, and have a few good-natured tricks in store for their beloved farmer. Young ones should not fear, the Halloween party ends well and everyone has a great time. Caution: uncontrollable laughter may result from reading of this story!

Older Elementary/Early Middle School — Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds

New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds. This novel explores the different directions life can take while walking home. Told in ten blocks, each chapter takes on a life of its own. Themes include talking about boogers, stealing pocket change, complicated handshakes, braving up and finding comfort. This book will make readers laugh, think and pay closer attention to walks through life, wherever they may be.

Young Adult — The Similars by Rebecca Hanover

This thought-provoking debut by Rebecca Hanover will not only entertain young adults (and adults), but offer food for thought. At Darkwood Academy, six new students join the class, but they are different. They are clones, created by a madman who broke the law against cloning. Emmaline Chance is attracted to one particular clone who looks exactly like her best friend, Oliver, who died over the summer. But, it isn’t really him. Emma wonders who can be trusted. Teens who loved One of Us Is Lying and Scythe will enjoy this book.

Moms — The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

This title is the prequel to the author’s popular book, Practical Magic. It is also a Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection and New York Times bestseller. In this story, the Owens family has been laden with a curse since 1620: love. Maria Owens fell in love with the wrong man and was charged with witchery as a result. Generations later, Susanna Owens creates rules for her three, unique children to protect them from the curse. Family secrets are uncovered and the children discover there is no way to escape love. The New York Times Book Review says this novel is a “fairy-tale promise with real-life struggle. A story how the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself.”

Win a book of your choice from today’s blog! 

Remember to share your thoughts and comments below, and you could be selected to win a copy of one of the books, compliments of Barnes & Noble, Friendly Shopping Center, Greensboro. The Triad Moms on Main team will choose a random winner one week after the blog runs. (Please be sure to enter your email address when you fill out your comment so they have a way to contact you.)

Ellen Bryant Lloyd is the author of FRECKLES and FRECKLES and The Great Beach Rescue. Please visit www.funwithfreckles.com and www.facebook.com/funwithfreckles to learn more about Freckles. Ellen writes a blog about her perspectives on life and parenting at www.mindfulmom.wordpress.com and tweets at @EllenBLloyd. She lives in Greensboro with her husband and two children.

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