Baltimore's Child Baltimore's Child
This time of year lends itself well to the telling of a tale or two. While we tend to go for the obvious ghost story, here are some titles that welcome fall in other ways.
Board/Toddler
‘Touch and Feel Fall’
This book’s lively illustrations and vivid photographs will catch a toddler’s attention — they will love reaching out to feel various textures as they learn about the fall season.
‘Autumn Babies’
by Kathryn Galbraith
A diverse group of energetic babies have a fun-filled day at the park. Rhyming text and jewel-tone art highlight early concepts such as repetition and shapes as the babies swing, slide, run, wiggle and giggle.
Picture Books
‘The Squirrels Who Squabbled’
by Rachel Bright
Cyril and Bruce are fighting for the last pine cone of autumn. They both are racing to get it when it falls, lands on the edge of a cliff and then into the water below. Cyril and Bruce fall in after it and end up helping one another out of the water. In the end, they decide to become friends and share what they have with one another.
‘A Fall Ball for All’
by Jamie Swenson
As the weather grows colder, the animals in the woods prepare for the coming winter and the annual Windfall Ball. “Come one, come all to the annual Windfall Ball!” All the animals of the woods gather for song and dance before they make their way to their winter dens.
Young Readers
‘From Seed to Pumpkin’
by Crystal Sikkens
Early elementary school readers will appreciate this latest entry in the “Full Steam Ahead: Science Starters” series. Vivid photographs depict how a seed becomes a pumpkin thanks to water, sunlight, air and soil. Simple language accompanies the engaging photographs and makes this concept understandable for the newest readers while providing enough information for a school assignment.
‘Mouse Loves Fall’
by Lauren Thompson
Mouse, a favorite character among the beginning reader set, returns for more fun in this seasonal offering. Mouse and Minka celebrate autumn by jumping through the multicolored leaves. Thompson’s energetic text pairs perfectly with the exuberant illustrations and helps new readers recognize words and start to read on their own!
Middle Readers
‘The Big Game’
by Tim Green
Another winner from bestselling author and former NFL defensive end Tim Green. Seventh-grade football player Danny Owens is dedicating his football season to his recently deceased father, a former NFL star. Danny promises everyone that he will win the big game at the end of the season and earn a spot on the high school varsity team, but then he is caught cheating on an exam. Danny soon finds himself being tested in all kinds of ways.
‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’
retold by Alvin Schwartz
A timeless classic of chilling tales with more than seven million copies sold. Recently adapted for film and ready to reach a new generation of readers, Schwartz mined folktales and urban legends for this collection.
Young Adult
‘Cracking the Bell’
by Geoff Herbach
Geoff Herbach, best known for his comedic novels, tackles a much more serious topic in his latest work. Isaiah is a star football player for his high school’s team in small-town Wisconsin. A potential scholarship to Cornell is looming, but Isaiah has already suffered from multiple concussions. The sport means everything to him, and he can’t imagine life without it. Told over the course of a week, this is a timely story of a complex teen character trying to make a life-altering decision.
‘The Bone Houses’
by Emily Lloyd-Jones
In this chilling tale perfect for the season, the dead have suddenly sprung back to life. This presents a problem for Ryn, a now-unemployed gravedigger. When she encounters Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker, things only go from weird to worse. The town comes under nightly attack by the rattling, skeletal undead, or “bone houses.” Set in the Welsh countryside, this spooky fantasy adventure features a fae curse, a spot of romance and, perhaps most unlikely of all, a plucky undead goat.
