Books scare up Halloween fun

'Monster Madness" is "a Halloween story with a pop-up surprise" that's recommended for children ages 4 and up.

A certain 1-year-old was so entranced by this book that he listened to it countless times and then tore off the witch's head as a little souvenir. I call that a genuine product endorsement.

The cover of this board book has a button to push that activates a moving window complete with lights flashing and a witch cackling. All the characters -- witch, vampire, ghost, spider, skeleton -- look happy and friendly and totally nonscary. This is perfect for even the youngest wannabe goblins.

"Halloween," a board book by DK Publishing, also is gentle fun for little ones. The book is designed so that each page reveals more color photographs of various lanterns, costumes, jack-o'-lanterns, trick-or-treat bags and candy.

"And Then Comes Halloween" by Tom Brenner is a picture book for children ages 3-6. The text links the seasonal activities of autumn to Halloween activities. The descriptions remind me of idyllic Halloweens of yesteryear: "Dart past bushes casting spooky shadows, sweep past clumps of moaning monsters, and lug your bursting bag to the next house, and the next."

"J is for Jack-O'-Lantern: A Halloween Alphabet" by Denise Brennan-Nelson answers questions we might never have thought to ask. What is the origin of saying, "Trick-or-treat"? From where did we get the tradition of wearing costumes? This book is appropriate for children ages 4-10.

"Horrid Henry and the Scary Sitter," an easy chapter book by Francesca Simon, follows the pattern of all the hilarious Henry books. It's a compendium of every sort of trouble a kid could devise, presented in four short stories. The first story, "Horrid Henry Tricks and Treats," would be the perfect instructional read-aloud for what not to do.

Another easy and funny chapter book to read aloud is "Junie B., First Grader: Boo ... and I Mean It!" by Barbara Park.

Don't forget Halloween poetry. "Skeleton Bones and Goblin Groans: Poems for Halloween" by Amy E. Sklansky is a good place to start. "The Bat" is printed upside down: "Upside down hangs the bat. There's really nothing wrong with that."

Each poem is illustrated with artwork made from beads.

As a child, Halloween was my favorite day of the year. My parents stayed home to hand out candy while my brothers and I spent hours roaming the neighborhood long after dark. Now Halloween is safer and saner, but let's keep it at least slightly scary.

Reach Fran Hawk at fran books@yahoo.com.