The Bookies Newsletter
The Bookies Monthly Newsletter
October 2015
Fall into Halloween
As the leaves crumple and fall from the trees and the nights grow dark and cold, something cackles out on the streets... Yes, it's fall and that means hot chocolate, snuggling under blankets, and, of course, Halloween! In this newsletter we tell you which books scared us most as a child (or as an adult) and about some great new spooky reads. And, with the mountains so close, fall and winter can be the best seasons in Colorado, so this month we're also celebrating our own wonderful state. Plus, of course, our selection of brand new reads coming out this month! So snuggle under your blankie and let's find out what's going on...


Spooky Stories For That Midnight Chill...

 
 
Shona 
Charlotte Sometimes I'm terrified of horror movies, but I've always had a soft spot for good ghost stories. My favorites as a child were The Amazing Mr Blunden by Antonia Barber (originally published as The Ghosts and now, sadly, out of print) and Charlotte Sometimes by Penelope Farmer, which has been reissued many times. When Charlotte goes to boarding school, she finds herself changing places with a girl called Clare, who went to the same school - but forty years earlier. Perhaps it's strictly more mystery and time-travel, but it spooked me as a child!


Kerry 
Baba Yaga's Assistant The pictures in Bony-Legs by Joanna Cole, based on the Russian legend of Baba Yaga, really stuck with me. I could picture the book before I could recall the title. It has been a while since I read it, but I remember being scared by the witch, and always impressed that the girl was able to trick her.
That particular version seems to be out of print now, but Baba Yaga can be found in many interpretations, including, for younger kids, Babushka Baba Yaga by Patricia Polacco - a gentler version in which the traditional child-eating witch is a lonely older lady, longing for a grandchild. Older spook-loving kids (ten and up) might like to enter the world of Masha, a lonely teen in need of a home, in the brand new graphic novel, Baba Yaga's Assistant, by Marika McCoola and acclaimed graphic artist Emily Carroll.

Jeanne 
Took When I taught, I used to read Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn to my fourth and fifth graders, who loved it! It was just the right level of scary for that age. Hahn's latest has just come out and even the cover, with its tiny hand, is creepy. Took is about a witch who steals little girls and keeps them for fifty years - and then takes another one.




Dona 
From Doon With Death I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers, but the only time I remember being really scared was reading Ruth Rendell's mystery, From Doon with Death. I sat up late to finish it and got so frightened I moved to the upstairs hallway by the bedroom doors where my husband and young children were sleeping. This is the first in Rendell's famous Inspector Wexford series. The other super-scary adult read is non-fiction: Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Perhaps because it is true, it left me with a terrified, helpless feeling.


And we can't forget Stephen King. Literally, some of us can't forget him and what he's done to our brains....

Rivian: Pet Sematary and The Shining by Stephen King. One of his short stories, entitled Trucks, made me think twice if I had to put my hand down my garbage disposal! 

Shona: I read Christine by Stephen King far too young and had nightmares.

Jeanne: The Tommyknockers was scary. Even the book King wrote for children, Eyes of the Dragon, is scary!

Siobhan: Salem's Lot and The Shining come to mind. And his short story, The Mangler, was particularly scary for me when I was working at a dry cleaner.  
 
 Stephen King  
The Master of Horror speaks...do you dare defy him?
 
Thought not! Quick, to The Bookies! Most of the books mentioned above should be available in the store, or by special order. Out-of-print books are harder to obtain, and we've tried to indicate those above. But this might be a good time to mention that we can do out-of-print searches for a book that you really just can't live without!



Halloween Reads for Your Young Ones 
Ryan put on his witch's hat and pointy teeth to scare up some great Halloween picture books for you!

by Aaron Reynolds, illustrated by Peter Brown
Whenever Jasper Rabbit gets hungry, he grabs a carrot from Crackenhooper field. But what happens when the carrots get fed up with being eaten? Jasper starts being followed by his tasty treats! Can he trap the carrots in the field or will his hunger catch up with him literally?!?!?! Somewhat spooky and seriously silly!

by Tara Lazar
Max's sister will NOT leave him alone, so he resorts to drastic measures. He visits the Monstore and purchases a monster!!! There's just one hitch, the monster doesn't scare her, and the Monstore doesn't allow returns or exchanges. So Max keeps buying more and more scary creatures. Full of frights and delights!

The Story Starts Here!by Caroline Merola
You're in for a rare treat when you follow Little Wolf's instructions and begin this book on the last page. With everything in reverse, something that seems scary at first, might just be something lovable by the end...or the beginning...I mean the end on the first page, not the beginning on the last page...oh no...

by Mo Willems
It's not your usual fairy tale whenever Mo Willems is involved, and this dino-story is no different! You'll laugh out loud at any age with each hilarious turn, but don't get too comfy, it might be a trap!!!




Fright Clubby Ethan Long
Vlad the Vampire and his ghastly group are too busy getting ready for "Operation: Kiddie Scare" to entertain the possibility that a fuzzy bunny might have the skills to help them out.  These monstrous meanies have only one problem: they are hopelessly NOT scary! Luckily for all of them, the cuddly critters of the forest don't give up easily and prove their worth to the fright club. 

The Darkby Lemony Snicket
The master of the macabre lends his signature style to this truly original story our relationship with the dark. Usually, the dark stays in the basement where it belongs, but not when the bulb in Laszlo's nightlight goes out. Personifying the lack of light as its own character shows how un-spooky the dark can be. Shadows seem so scary, but really, they just want to be friends. Perfect for older kids (five and over) and anyone who is afraid of the dark. 
 
Need a Break from Spooky Reading? Try a Halloween
Game!
 
Halloween games Clockwise, from left to right:
Monster Cafe card game - it's terribly tasty! Cauldron Quest - work your magic with this new cooperative game. Spot It Halloween - a classic in spooky guise. And in the middle, limited edition Ectoplasm Crazy Aarons Thinking Putty and a seasonal No Slippy Hair Clippy!




Beautiful Colorado
The mountains come into their own in fall, with the aspens changing color and early snowfall frosting the tips of the peaks. But, of course, Colorado is beautiful in any season, as many of the wonderful books in our Colorado collection demonstrate. One of our newest is Colorado: A Historical Atlas, a fully revised edition of the classic by Thomas J Noel. This new edition is completely updated and adds thirty new chapters, more than 100 color maps and 100 color photos.

Our Colorado collection includes history, geography and activities, with titles as diverse as Tomboy Bride: A Woman's Personal Account of Life in Mining Camps of the West, Rocky Mountain National Park: The First 100 Years and Best Dog Hikes Colorado. We also have a whole bookcase featuring Colorado books for children.

Dana  Crawford Our state would be a lot less beautiful without the efforts of some far-seeing developers and conservationists. One of these is Dana Crawford, who saved one of Denver's greatest jewels, Larimer Square, from destruction, and revitalized it into the stunning place it is today. She also had a hand in the redevelopment of Union Station and the Crawford Hotel in the station is named for her. Find out more about this amazing Denver woman in the recently published Dana Crawford by Mike McPhee. And see if you can spot the brief reference to Crawford in this short film celebrating Larimer Square
 

  Also beautiful... Molly and Jeanne color-coordinating with our new Colorado kids clothing section! These high-quality toddler clothes all feature a small Colorado logo, so your little buddy can be smart and Colorado proud at the same time - just like our model, Pete the Cat!



 
What We Were Up To in September...
The store was rocking when Matilda star, Danny Tieger, came in to do a musical Preschool Storytime. It was so much fun to see the kids dancing and singing along to stories in music! Later, Danny did a songwriting workshop with older children and parents tell us that his students have already been writing songs at home.



 
We had five authors in action at our first new author showcase on 12 September. Thank you to Edward Loffredo, Todd Fahnestock, David Sage, Linda Siegel Carney and William Seward Bonnie. Look out for details of our next new author event, which we are planning for early next year. 


Jambanz What's that on your wrist, Steve? Steve is modeling one of our newest products - the Jambanz speaker. This clever little device uses Bluetooth to connect with your phone so you can listen to music wherever you go! You can also take calls and hear alerts when emails and text messages arrive. A great gift for kids, but it works for adults too! Ideal for cycling, hiking, coffee breaks with friends, and, apparently, working in a bookstore. We test-drove Jambanz in the store for a few days and were impressed with its ability to take calls at the press of a single button. Our testers felt that was an excellent feature, particularly at the price of only $35.95. Comes in a variety of colors and patterns and currently on display on our front counter. 

Hearts melted behind the counter when this beautiful baby tried out our Munchkin Mozart Magic cube. This colorful toddler toy lights up and plays eight tunes written by Mozart. Each button plays a different instrument, with one playing a full orchestra. Our impromptu tester loved it! We can testify to the robustness of this toy - our test one has been knocked off the counter several times and it's still as tuneful as ever!



We had a wonderfully vibrant storytime with Penny Parker Klostermann, author of There Was an Old Dragon who Swallowed a Knight. Penny read her own book, and several other picture books, and really engaged our young listeners. Our photo shows how involved Penny gets in reading stories!



 
If any of the books mentioned in this newsletter are not on our shelves when you are looking for them, please let us know and we will be happy to order them for you. 
 
 
 
Sue Lubeck
Storytime!

Join us each Tuesday morning at 10:30 a.m. for Preschool Storytime. We choose awesome picture books to share with our young readers!


Coming Out This Month - Our October Outstandings!


Daughters Unto Devils
Daughters Unto Devils
By Amy Lukavics
$17.99, Harlequin
YA (14 and up), horror

We can't say goodbye to horror just yet... This little book has been doing the rounds behind the counter and it's one of the best horror stories we've read in years! In the late 1800s, 16-year-old Amanda's family leaves their mountain cabin to start again on the prairie. Amanda's hold on sanity is precarious, after a long snowed-in winter when she watched her family suffer and her mother give birth to a severely disabled baby. But it quickly becomes clear that life on the prairie has its own horrors. A blood-soaked house and increasingly vivid nightmares are only the start. But is the prairie really cursed, or is it Amanda herself? This horrible little tale is genuinely spooky - and the setting is fascinating. Technically YA, but adult horror fans will enjoy this too.
On our shelves now. 
Review by Shona
The Sword of Summer
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, Book 1 The Sword of Summer
By Rick Riordan
$19.99, Disney-Hyperion
Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure, Ages 10-14

This is one that Percy Jackson fans have been waiting for! Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother's mysterious death, he's lived alone on the streets of Boston. One day, he's tracked down by an uncle he barely knows - a man his mother claimed was dangerous. Uncle Randolph tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war and Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years. When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision. Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . . Just arrived on our shelves!
By Michael Morpurgo 
$16.99, Felwel and Friends 
Ages 10-14, Juvenile Fiction / Historical / Military & Wars
 
Morpurgo is one of my favorite historical fiction writers for readers of young adult books. He is a thorough researcher and has a way of grasping the largest of events through small stories. This is the story of a girl who survived the WWI German torpedoing of the Lusitania. Rescued by another German sub - against the rules of the German Navy - Merry is abandoned on an Irish island where she is found by villagers, and thought to be an enemy German. What happen to Merry after her rescue is as gripping and difficult as as her fight for life upon the open sea. I cannot recommend this book enough for 11 and up, but there are tense spots including loss and death that may be too much for some young readers. Available end October.    
Review by Larry 
by Mac Barnett, Christian Robinson 
$16.99, Chronicle
Ages 3-5, Juvenile Fiction / Social Issues / Friendship

You would like being friends with Leo. He likes to draw, he makes delicious snacks, and most people can't even see him. Because Leo is a ghost. When a new family moves into his home and Leo's efforts to welcome them are misunderstood, Leo decides it is time to leave and see the world. That is how he meets Jane, a kid with a tremendous imagination and an open position for a worthy knight. That is how Leo and Jane become friends. And that is when their adventures begin. This charming tale of friendship from two of the best young minds in picture books: the author of the Caldecott Honor-winning Extra Yarn and the illustrator of the award-winning Josephine, is destined to become a modern classic that will delight readers for years to come. On our shelves now.
God's Kingdom
$25.99, St Martins Press   
Fiction / Literary
 
Mosher writes a beautiful tale of a boy growing to manhood and discovering himself, his family and his heritage. Raised in the idyllic Vermont Northeast Kingdom, James appreciates the nature surrounding him, and all the peoples of his area, including his Native American and black ancestors. But there are also secrets in his family - secrets that James is determined to reveal, and that could change his life forever.The book paints a picture of American tensions from the Civil War to the late 50s, as even this peaceful Kingdom feels their threats. This is a warm story that pulls at both heart and mind. While a book for individual reading, the book is also a wonderful lyrical read for use by teachers of literature, American history and social studies. A small, powerful gem and a great holiday gift for older teens and adults. Available early October. 
Review by Larry 
By David Carter 
$14.95, Abrams Appleseed
Ages 3-5, Juvenile Fiction \ Concepts \ Seasons

As day turns to night, bright red cardinals flit from branch to branch, deer paw through the snow, and weasels in their white winter coats frolic among the berry-laden holly. Soon all the animals settle down to sleep. Simple verse and scenes bring to life the countryside as snow begins to fall. Each spread's pop-up and lift-up flap reveals the wonders of the season and all the animals as they settle down for the night. A charming holiday book from a New York Times bestselling pop up book creator.
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4315 E. Mississippi Ave. | Denver, CO 80246
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