THE NIGHT GARDENER by Jonathan Auxier The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier is fantastic! Brother and sister, Molly and Kip, are in need of a place to work and live since their parents are lost at sea. Hired on as servants at a crumbling estate in the middle of a "sour" woods, they soon find out that a strange tree and a mysterious visitor are slowly stealing the lives of the family that live there, and it's not the first time it's happened. This book is not what I would call horror, because it is not bloody or gory. However, the mysterious visitor is definitely scary. He does slowly take the lives of people by their decisions to pursue their wants in life. He does have graves predug for his victims. Wrapped in the middle of this story is Auxier's strong messages that he gives to his readers - choosing things over people and the consequences of that, and the difference between stories and lies. My age recommendation is going to be 6th grade and above on this one. ALONGSIDE ACTIVITY-Be sure and check out the author's notes at the end where he shares all of the classic books that influenced the writing of this one. Some as far back as from his childhood.

BETWEEN TWO KINGDOMS by Suleika Jaquad Autobiography Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad is not an easy book to read. Jaouad recounts her journey of dealing with a diagnosis of leukemia at around 23 years of age. Being a non-stop go getter in her pre-cancer life, she shares the hardships of having to put life on hold for four years to begin the process of becoming healthy again. What she mistakenly believes is that her life will return to its former way after she receives the cured word. When it doesn't, she loads up and sets out on a 15,000 mile trip across the U.S. to continue her healing and meet several of the people who wrote to her during her cancer journey. Very heart-wrenching, but very moving. HEADS UP- There is a decent amount of language including a few F-bombs. Her journey begins in college, and she is a partier (drug and alcohol usage). She also lives with her boyfriend and while there is no details, sex does come up.

SPINE TINGLING READS Looking for a little spine tingling zing without the horror for Halloween? I've got you covered! 1- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Will Moses- If you missed the post about Johnny Appleseed I shared some info on Will Moses. Beautiful folk art adorns the pages of this slightly ghoulish New England tale. 2- Nobody Likes a Goblin by Ben Hatke- when Goblin's dungeon is plundered and his friend skeleton taken, he is off on a journey to get him back with a few bumps in the road. 3- The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry - When headmistress Mrs. Placket and her brother, Mr. Godding of St. Etheldreda's School for Young Ladies have been poisoned, the girls face a dilemma. If they don't figure out a way to hide the murders and act natural, their school will most certainly be closed all while trying to figure out WHO committed the crime. Recommend - upper Jr.High-High School. 4- The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier - I am only a fourth of the way through this one, so I can't completely recommend it yet. All I can say is so far it's been good, and I have really enjoyed Auxier's Sweep and Peter Nimble and the Fantastic Eyes. I will have a true review soon!

A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO by Richard Peck Newberry Honor winner A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck tells the story of seven summer visits of Joey and Mary Alice Dowdel to their grandmother's house somewhere between Chicago and St. Louis. It doesn't take long for them to realize that Grandma Dowdel isn't your stereo typical cookie baking grandmother. There are very few people in town that she can stand. She just wants to be left alone. Don't even think about taking advantage of her, because she'll get you every time. If grandma is on your side, there is no stopping her. When the dust settles, the real question is is Grandma Dowdel a good influence on her grandkids? Full of humor and lots of "She didn't really do that did she?" moments, A Long Way From Chicago may bring to mind remembrances of childhood memories of your own relatives! HEADS UP- Grandma Dowdel is not above lying to get the job done.

THE FARMHOUSE by Sophie Blackall Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall is an absolute treasure of a picture book! Blackall tells the story of a family with 12 children that lived and loved in a farmhouse. As the pages turn, we get glimpses of life within those four walls- children growing up, taking care of the farm, chores, and their thoughts and dreams. Over time, the farmhouse is abandoned as the kids grow up and leave home. This brings us to our author, Sophie Blackall, who buys the property this abandoned farmhouse is on. Yes, this is a true story, and she pens a book in honor of this home. Beautifully written and beautifully illustrated, this picture book truly deserves a place of honor in the picture book world. Blackall has already won two Caldecott Medals for Hello Lighthouse and Finding Winnie. I personally think she has sealed the deal for a third. About the pictures below- Our home/property is sandwiched in between 2 multi-generational farms. On one farm this abandoned home is located. I pass by this house often, and I find myself wondering about the life that happened inside its walls.

THE HOUSE ON EAST 88TH STREET by Bernard Waber With Lyle, Lyle Crocodile hitting theaters in the next week, I thought it would be timely to share a blast from my past, the first book in the Lyle series, The House on East 88th Street. I loved (and still do) this story! When the Primms move into their home on East 88th Street, the last thing they expected to find was a crocodile in the bathtub. At first they think they are in trouble, but after a mystery man delivers a note introducing them to Lyle, he quickly becomes a cherished family member. Time passes until one day the mystery man shows up to claim his crocodile. Can the Primms go back to life without Lyle and vice versa? This sweet book stretches the imagination to include crocodiles. After reading it you'll wish for a Lyle as well! Here's hoping Hollywood doesn't mess up the movie!

THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER by C.S. Lewis Callie and I finished The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. This is book 3 in the Chronicles of Narnia if you follow the original series numbering. King Caspian has embarked on a mission to find the seven Lords who served his father faithfully that his evil uncle, King Miraz, banished. Joining him are Edmund, Lucy, and their fussy cousin, Eustace. This voyage leads them to places that will cause their very mortality and sanity to be questioned but will fulfill their desire for ultimate adventures. Lives will be changed for the better as they are tried and tested in areas of weakness.

SLEEP TIGHT FARM by Eugenie Doyle. Illustrated by Becca Stadtlander Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle is a beautiful picture book depicting preparing a farm for its winter rest. As we go through harvest time and shoring up buildings to withstand the winter coming, this book is an endearing reminder that everything needs rest (even us!). In the author's note at the end, Doyle shares how she corresponds with her local school's 3rd and 4th graders. In May she invites them out to experience her farm and have a picnic lunch. How awesome is that? Becca Stadtlander's illustrations are so well done. They make the reader want to step right in and be a part of the happenings.

LOYALTY by AVI Loyalty by Avi is a different take on the struggle for independence in Colonial America. Noah Cope is the son of a Loyalist minister in the province of Massachusetts Bay. When his father dies from being dragged to the town square by the Sons of Liberty and tarred and feathered for his unwavering faithfulness to the English King, Noah commits himself to the British cause. He finds a position as a spy for the British army. In doing so, he finds out that the rebels/patriots are not the only ones harming innocent people. He is quickly caught in a whirlwind of trying to decide where his loyalties lie. His closest friend is a black teenager, Jolla, who also is struggling to find which side will offer freedom for his people. Jolla continues to challenge Noah to think for himself and not choose a side because of his father's commitment. I'm going to end my review part here and put a spoiler alert on down the page. I will leave it by saying there is a tremendous amount of back and forth confusion in Noah's life. This is not your typical patriotic read. SPOILER ALERT On the last page of the book Noah decides to leave America and become a sailor on his own terms joining neither side. While this book is thought provoking reading about a Loyalist viewpoint when the majority of our history is from a patriot's viewpoint, the book highlights what had to have been a very small part of the population during the Revolutionary time period. Two major powers were fighting for control of the colonies. Obviously, there were a lot of strong feelings of dedication on each side. I, personally, am very thankful for the outcome that happened. I find myself wondering what happened to Noah? Did he find perfect happiness by becoming a sailor? Was he able to move about freely the way he hoped? There is a reason that so many people are trying to immigrate into the US and it is because of freedom.

AGATHA CHRISTIE MARPLE: TWELVE NEW MYSTERIES by Misc. Authors October is around the corner! I am not one to get into horror, but a good murder mystery (or in this case 12 mini mysteries) is right up my alley! When I saw twelve current authors got together to write twelve new Miss Marple mysteries, it was time for a trip to the bookstore! Agatha Christie's elderly spinster that no one seems to notice( yet she notices everything) is one of the greatest crime solvers in literary history. Always comparing people to folks she knows in her quaint, little English village of St. Mary Mead, she notes patterns of behavior that are often overlooked. This book is fun to read if you are an Agatha Christie fan. It is not quite to her level of writing (I don't know if it is humanly possible to write a Miss Marple at A.C.'s level.), but I still enjoyed it! HEADS UP- There is a sprinkling of language. One of the stories has a couple of crass remarks about a carrot. ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES- BBC has several different Miss Marple serieses. My favorite is the series where Joan Hickson plays Miss Marple. The other ones have an air of silliness that makes it difficult to take them seriously.

JOHNNY APPLESEED: THE STORY OF A LEGEND by Will Moses We can't have a fall series without mentioning Johnny Appleseed! As we drive around and I notice apple trees in strange places I find myself wondering if they are descendants of Johnny Appleseed's blessings to the Ohio area. Johnny Appleseed:The Story of a Legend by Will Moses is my favorite Johnny Appleseed book. Great- grandson of Grandma Moses, Will's art continues in a folk art style which is a perfect fit for this early American tale. Moses pays tribute to Appleseed's life and does include references to the many legends surrounding this late 1700s hero. (Isn't it interesting to think that while Johnny was toddling around his parents' cabin the Revolutionary War was going on?) This book is one that I have read multiple times to my kids.

APPLE FRACTIONS by Jerry Pallotta. Illustrated by Rob Bolster Do you need a fun way to introduce fractions to your kids? How about with some apples? Apple Fractions uses different types of apples when demonstrating different types of fractions. The little elves dividing the apples add an element of whimsy to a challenging topic. This book could help you score a math win in your day! ALONGSIDE ACTIVITY/HOMESCHOOL HELP - purchase some or all of the apples used. Follow along with the book dividing them and then eat them! You might want to sneak in a little caramel dip to sweeten the lesson up even more!