Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Picture Books

I love to read a spooky read at Halloween with my little guys and sometimes it's just fun to read a monster themed read to switch it up a bit. Here's some of the latest Halloween and monster themed books that we have been enjoying. I couldn't pick just ten--sorry!  These books are perfect for the spooky month of October!

 

Harriet's Halloween Candy by Nancy Carlson

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda White

Skelly & Femur by Jimmy Pickering

The Scariet Monster in the Whole Wide World by Pamela Mayer

 

Maddie's Monster Dad by Scott Gibala-Broxholm

The Berenstain Bears and the Ghost of the Forest by Stan and Jan Berenstain

  

Bedtime for Monsters by Ed Vere

10 Step Guide to Living with Your Monster by Laura Numeroff

 

Nibbles: The Book Monster by Emma Yarlett

There's a Nightmare in My Closet by Mercer Mayer

 

The Berenstain Bears Go on a Ghost Walk by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Halloween ABC by Sarah Albee

Check out some of my favorite Halloween picture books that I featured last year. 

Here are some Halloween picture books that are on our TBR list. There wasn't enough time to get to them this Halloween.  Have you read any of them?

 

Ghosts in the House! by Kazuno Kohara

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds

Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting

Pumpkin Jack by Will Hubbell

Shake Dem Halloween Bones by W. Nikola-Lisa

What are some of your favorite Halloween picture books? Let me know in the comments below.  This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

Book Review: The Secret by Julie Garwood

Pages: 379

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction/Romance

Pub. Date: May 1, 1992

Publisher: Pocket

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Judith Hampton was as beautiful as she was proud, as purposeful as she was loyal. The dear Scottish friend of her childhood was about to give birth, and Judith had promised to be at her side. But there was another, private reason for the journey from her bleak English home to the Highlands: to meet the father she had never known, the Laird Maclean...Nothing prepared her for the sight of the Scottish barbarian who was to escort her into his land...Iain Maitland, Laird of his clan, a man more powerfully compelling than any she had ever encountered. In a clash of spirited wills and customs, Judith reveled in the melting bliss of Iain's searching kisses, his passionate caresses. Perplexed by her sprightly defiance, bemused by her tender nature, Iain felt his soul growing into the light and warmth of her love. Surely nothing would wrench her from the affection and trust of Iain and his clan...not even the truth about her father, a devastating secret that could shatter the boldest alliance, and the most glorious of loves!"

Judith Hampton first met Frances Catherine Kirkaldy at a summer festival at the border of England and Scotland when they were children. Judith is from England and Frances Catherine is from Scotland, but that didn't stop them from becoming fast friends.  Fast forward to adulthood and Judith has promised Frances that she would attend the birth of her first child. This is the 12th century and having babies is very dangerous.  But Judith is also going, because she is intrigued by her heritage as her father is the Laird Maclean, but this is a secret she has kept for years. She has never even met her father! While traveling to Scotland, Frances Catherine has a group escort her to the Highlands. Enter Laird Iain Maitland, who is one of her travel companions and also happens to be Frances Catherine's brother in law. The two definitely have sparks between them, but are both extremely willful and very different. Once Judith arrives at Frances Catherine's house, she finds out more about her situation. Frances Catherine still feels like an outsider amongst clan members and this is confusing to Judith. To make matters worse, the midwife in the town is the absolute worst. Nonetheless, Judith promises to help Frances Catherine with the birth of her child as she has studied up with another midwife prior to her trip to the Highlands.  Julie Garwood's historical romance, The Secret, is a nice escape for those who enjoy this genre as well as a Scottish setting.

One of the main things that I liked about The Secret was the strong friendship between Judith and Frances Catherine.  It was from childhood and spanned many years. I love a loyal female friendship and one that isn't toxic in anyway.  Even though Judith is well-off in England and France Catherine is, well, the opposite, it didn't deter their friendship in the least.  Once France Catherine is pregnant, she has her husband, Patrick, approach the council to ask permission to allow Judith to come from England. Frances Catherine's mother and her grandmother both died in childbirth and she wants support during the process and not the vile midwife from the village.  Friendship goals for sure. Plus, they know each other's deepest secrets (some that are truly life-altering if revealed), hence, the title of the book, but they never break each other's trust.

The setting of The Secret was great. Who doesn't love Scotland? While I am not sure it was entirely historically accurate, I could still appreciate it.  Garwood's descriptions of childbirth during this time period were eye-opening, especially with how the church got involved. Craziness!

The romance in The Secret was decent, although I was expecting a more swoon worthy love interest in Iain. I found him to be annoying at times with telling her what to do and how to think. I get this is part of the time period, but it got frustrating.  One thing I did appreciate is the fact that Judith never really listened to him.  Thank God. I didn't think the romance was too much like a "bodice ripper" romance novel (which I admit at first I was expecting), so I was pleasantly surprised by this as the traditional romance genre really isn't usually my favorite.

I'm glad I finally gave Julie Garwood's The Secret a try as I know she is a favorite of many historical romance readers. I definitely want to check out the other books in the Highlands' Lairds series, especially when I am looking to escape and read something light. 

Let me know if you have a favorite Garwood novel and which one I should read next!

*** The Kindle e-book version of The Secret is on sale for $1.99, which is a total steal! If you are like me and have been wanting to read Garwood for years, now is your chance to get it at a sale price!

Stacking the Shelves and Giveaway Winners (50)

Children's Book Roundup (4)

Waiting on Wednesday: Folded Notes from High School

Book Review: I Found You by Lisa Jewell 

I'll be sharing my thoughts on Julie Garwood's The Secret. I finally read it! That book has been collecting dust for ages on my bookshelf, so I am glad that I finally got to it.  Also, I'll be sharing my favorite Halloween Picture Books and wrapping up October....I can't believe this month is coming to an end!

Polly and her Duck Costume by Leanne Lauricella- Thanks to Quarto

Haven by Mary Lindsey - Thanks to Entangled Teen

 

Random Illustrated Facts by Mike Lowery - Thanks to Workman

The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis - Thanks to Harlequin Teen

Island of Sweet Pies and Soldiers by Sara Ackerman - Thanks to Mira

What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Gifted)

It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton (Gifted)

Congrats to the following winners:

Winner of YA book of choice - Carly

Winner of A Lit Lover's Activity Book - Eileen

I hope you both enjoy your books! 

Have you read any of these books? Are they on your TBR list? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks for visiting. This meme is hosted by Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Children's Book Round-up (4)

I've been really enjoying my sons' current ages when it comes to reading. My oldest son still enjoys picture books, but also is branching out to chapter books that I read aloud to him. So that has been a lot of fun and is the best of both worlds. My youngest son is loving books and "reading" them on his own.  We've been having a blast! Here's what we are currently enjoying:

Picture Books: 

It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton - I've been a huge fan of Hillary Clinton for years and it was a delight to read her children's book. My son appreciated the beautiful illustrations and of course, I loved the message of working together to make the world a better place.

Polly and her Duck Costume by Leanne Lauricella - This book was sent to me for review and my son and I loved reading it. The author is the owner of the Instagram account Goats of Anarchy, which we also enjoyed checking out and is extremely popular! We were so happy to see the pictures of the real Polly, which are included in the book; she is so cute, especially in her duck costume. It's definitely an adorable tale for young ones who love animals and appreciate the concept of rescuing animals.

Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins - This is not only a beautifully photographed book, it's truly informative too. My son and I had fun trying to identify the leaves in our backyard using this book as a guide. This book makes it so easy to appreciate fall's beauty. The book highlights thirteen different trees and we learned so much!

Berenstain Bears Go to School by Stan and Jan Berenstain - We have slowly been making our way through this series of books and it has been so fun for me, because they were a favorite when I was a child.  This was the perfect "Back to School" book to read as Sister Bear is a little hesitant, but before she knows it, she loves school.

Above and Below by Patricia Hegarty - What a beautiful book! This is an Usborne book and my son and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Non-fiction lovers will truly appreciate learning more about the eight habitats features and what lives/grows above and below. The pages were cut in half to expose the various parts of the scene and my son loved "exploring" it all and learning about the ecosystems.

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White - This is such a fun book, especially for the fall season. Rebecca Estelle, the main character, hates pumpkins, but they start growing on her farm and she didn't plant them! There are tons of them! What she does next is pretty cool. This book also lends it self to a good discussion of bumper crops. 

Baby's First Bus Book by Fiona Watt - This is another Usborne book that my youngest has been loving lately. The wheels spin on the bus, which is great for busy hands.   The illustrations are really bright and eye-catching; plus, if you have a transportation loving toddler, they will get a kick out of the lion who picks up new animals at the bus stop so they can all head to the fair.

Mini Machines Box Set by James Croft - This is another Usborne title that my youngest son is enjoying. It includes four different stories, each about a construction machine. There's the the crane, digger, dump truck, and bulldozer.  I love that the books are small enough for him to hold them in his hands and read them during a diaper change. My son is just starting to get into construction trucks, so this has been a current favorite.

Chapter Books:

We've also been making our way through the Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne. While not all of the books are engaging as some of my favorites from this series, there's always a lot of adventure, a cool setting, and so much to learn! We've learned about different animals, various places in the world (Ireland, India, Australia, etc) and about important moments in history, such as the sinking of the Titanic or Native Americans.  I also love that this series has non-fiction books that are companions to each title, so inquiring minds can learn more!

 

• Dingoes at Dinnertime
• Tigers at Twilight
• Buffalo Before Breakfast
• Viking Ships at Sunrise
• Tonight on the Titanic

Do you have any recommendations for me? What are some of your favorite picture books or early readers? Let me know!