There is definitely a magic in the air; that of tricks and treats! And candy and Calaveras too! Given the 31st of October is Halloween, as well as Books for Treats Day and Magic Day! I just discovered that Books for Treats is actually a very local initiative (local for me, I mean) started by a San Jose mom in 1995; and now it is a nation-wide initiative. That is so cool! If books are given as treats, I would pick treats any day 🙂 not that I don’t love candy!

Candy is magic too – in moderation; and then there are Calaveras or Calaveritas for the Day of the Dead (Nov 1 – 2, 2022) – the edible kind; the beautiful artistic expressions on paper and sculpture; and finally, those of the written nature (the poetic form I featured yesterday) .

Anyway, here are a few tricks and treats for you, plus some candies as well – all in the form of books plus some other extras thrown in (like candies and a couple of printable calaveras)

Bookish Tricks and Treats

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Spooky Sweet Reads

• Skeletitos: Make Every Moment Count by Susie Jaramillo (Baby – 6 years, and up).
  • Check out my review of this cute book here.
• Too Cute to Spook by Diana Aleksandrova and illustrated by Alicia Young (3 – 8 years, and up).
  • When you are too cute to spook others, what do you do? Read this sweet story about Lorry, the cutest monster you have ever seen! All about fitting in and standing out. And the illustrations are simply so very sweet and beautiful, to help tell the story of cute Lorry perfectly!
• Ghost Afraid of the Dark by Sara Conway and illustrated by  Alex Willmore  (Baby – 4 years, and up!)
  • What’s not to love about a story told in a rhyming narrative that begs to be read out loud, and adorable artwork that demands many a second look? Well, it was simply another way to say that I love this oh-so-adorable book about overcoming fears with the help of friends and loved ones.

Plus these additional reads, including Edgar, Allen, and Poe, and the Tell-tale Beets (love the puns here); Ogre Fun (I promise you will enjoy this fresh read!); and a couple more I talk about in this post on another Halloween eleven years ago!

Magical and/or Witchy Reads (also Sweet! So Both Tricks and Treats!)

• Abra Cadabra the Tooth Witch by Nurit Karlin (4 – 6 years, and up).
  • Check out my thoughts on this book here.
• How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead and illustrated by Megan Joyce (3 – 7 years, and up)
  • I have read a couple of books in this series before, including How to Catch a Dragon. Each one is a fun read with catchy rhyming text, a spooky fun narrative, and cute illustrations. Plus, as a bonus, this is part of a fun series with all of them blending in STEAM concepts.
• The Witches of Brooklyn by  Sophie Escabasse (7 years and up)
  • Another book that is part of a series. Many of you who have visited my blog often know I love graphic novels, and it was no surprise I had to read this one. I am glad I did; it is a delightful read and a beautiful graphic novel in every way – the story telling, the artwork, the characters, well, everything! A great way to get young ones started on reading. I am off to read the others in the series next.
• The Magic Misfits by by Neil Patrick Harris and illustrated by Lissy Marlin and  Kyle Hilton (Illustrator)
  • I have only read (or rather reading) the first book in this magical series, and am totally loving it. So I am boldly recommending the whole series. Harris is definitely super-talented; I just wrote about watching him act in Lemony Snicket in last week’s post, and here I am gushing about his authoring now. Plus, I recall watching him sing in the Epcot Center’s Christmas celebrations a few years ago.
• Hocus Pocus: The Illustrated Novelization by A. W. Jantha and illustrated by Gris Grimly (8 years and up)
  • A beautiful novelization of the popular movie. It will be a great treat as you sit down to watch the movie with this book in hand!

And the Rest of the Tricks and Treats

• A World Full of Spooky Stories by Angela McAllister and illustrated by Madalina Andronic (5 – 8 years, and up)
  • I have read and enjoyed McAllister’s collections before, and this book is as wonderful as the others, for example, A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories. This one is as it says, spooky, in both the stories it tells, and the artwork that accompanies the tales!
• Laugh Out Loud Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliott (6 – 9 years, and up)
  • I got this book for a friend’s son and we all enjoyed as he shared the jokes from this LOL book.
• The Mystery of Eatum Hall
  • Check out my thoughts on this book here.
• Scaredy Bat and the Holiday Mysteries: A Mystery Short Stories Collection for Kids by Marina J. Bowman  (6 – 12 years, and up)
  • A totally fun mystery book! Read it to find out why I enjoyed this one.
• Día de los Muertos by Hannah Eliot and illustrated by Jorge Gutierrez (2 – 6 years, and up)
  • Another excellent book in the Celebrate the World series with gorgeously detailed and vibrant illustrations and a great narrative that teaches about the celebration for all ages. I would get this book twice over, once for Eliot’s text, and again for Gutierrez’s artwork!

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, have you read any of the listed books? If you have, I welcome your thoughts on them. If not, do share your favorite reads that could be either tricks or treats! Maybe some joke books, or spooky reads? I love to get reading recommendations always.