I LOVE finding great educational books that will capture interest and inspire curiosity. Since we're homeschooling this year, we will have more time for fun holiday books and activities with my oldest. I think I'm MOST excited for Halloween!
Halloween feels like the holiday most about play. There are spooky stories, lots of sweet treats and enjoyable traditions. We get turn things that scare us, like bugs, witches, monsters and mummies, into fun topics to explore. I saw this as a great opportunity to learn about why we celebrate the way we do and how these topics are viewed in other cultures.
Here are some of the Halloween books I found:
A World of Spooky Stories: 50 Tales to Make Your Spine Tingle - This book is a collection of "spooky" stories from different countries all over the world. We have been reading one a night together, while we drink tea. So far, they have not been excessively spooky(think Red Riding Hood, but where she gets eaten instead of saved).
Season of the Witch: A Spellbinding History of Witches and Other Magical Folk - I like that this book also features lore from all over the world. I will be learning a lot, right along with him. It talks about both magic in general and specific characters.
Atlas of Monsters and Ghosts - This book has the stories of different monsters and ghosts from different cultures around the world. Some I had heard of, some not. I have a feeling my mythical creatures loving son will very much enjoy pouring over this. For each continent there is a map, then on the following pages are descriptions. Some descriptions are short (as in the picture) and some are more in depth.
The Atlas of Monsters: Mythical Creatures from Around the World - Similar idea to the previous book in the list. It has an interesting format of letters, logs and cryptic codes. We don't own this yet, but it is on our wish list.
Why We Celebrate Halloween: A Short History: Seeking the hidden roots and symbols of a Celtic harvest festival in the modern day fun - I am still waiting for this book to arrive, but I liked the idea of looking at the evolution of the holiday.
Why Do We Celebrate Halloween? - Another look at why we celebrate the holiday. I opted for the previous book in the list, just because it seemed like this one might be better for a slightly younger student than mine. I don't know for sure, since I have not yet read either.
Monster Science Books
These graphic novels teach different science concepts with monsters. We have a few and others are on our wish list.
- Aliens and Energy
- Vampires and Light
- Bigfoot and Adaptations
- Mummies and Sound
- Zombies and Forces and Motion
- Werewolves and the States of Matter
- Vampires and Cells
- Zombies and Electricity
- Frankenstein's Monster and the Scientific Method
Books about the Salem Witches
Since witches are a staple of Halloween, this is the perfect time to break out books about the history around the Salem Witch Trials.
- You Wouldn't Want to be a Salem Witch
- The Salem Witch Trials: An Unsolved Mystery from History
- Salem Witch Trials (Graphic History)
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