"It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more." - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Halloween Kindness: Turning Those Tricks Into Treats
"It’s that time of year again: Halloween. The sweetest holiday of candy goodwill–along with the occasional egging of a house. I find it crazy how strangers, doorsteps, and costumes can all come together in a magical way. If you are a member of my family, Halloween ranks up there as one, if not THE greatest holiday of the year.
So let’s take the spooky giving spirit of the 31st one step further. Here are 5 ideas to make your Halloween even more mysteriously kind:" [read more]
So let’s take the spooky giving spirit of the 31st one step further. Here are 5 ideas to make your Halloween even more mysteriously kind:" [read more]
Reading Corner
Title: Zen Ghosts
By: Jon J. Muth
Ages: 6+
Why? It's Halloween, and the three siblings introduced in Muth's Zen Shorts (2005) and Zen Ties (2008, Scholastic) are working on their costumes when Stillwater appears at their door. The panda invites Addy, Michael, and Karl to meet him after trick-or-treating to hear a ghost story. The walk through the forest is filled with mystery. Stillwater himself–who said he would be a ghost this Halloween–is at times almost transparent, and his round, white bamboo lantern mimics the full moon. Inside his house is another panda who looks exactly like Stillwater. His story, which is told in words and brush-and-ink drawings, is based on an old Zen koan, or puzzle, about a young woman who is with her husband in a faraway land and yet very ill and at home with her parents. It invites listeners to consider duality, or perception vs. reality, and is at the same time a wonderfully haunting tale that's perfect for Halloween. When the story ends and the illustrations return to the earlier complex, evocative watercolors, it isn't clear whether Stillwater and the storyteller are two entities or one. The children and readers are left to consider this and other mysteries as both tales come to a close. Muth's artistic gifts are so breathtaking that they will draw in even those whose attention spans are not at first up to the demands of the text. The book functions on many levels, from seasonal Halloween story to ghost yarn to deep philosophy, and succeeds spectacularly on all of them. - Publishers
By: Jon J. Muth
Ages: 6+
Why? It's Halloween, and the three siblings introduced in Muth's Zen Shorts (2005) and Zen Ties (2008, Scholastic) are working on their costumes when Stillwater appears at their door. The panda invites Addy, Michael, and Karl to meet him after trick-or-treating to hear a ghost story. The walk through the forest is filled with mystery. Stillwater himself–who said he would be a ghost this Halloween–is at times almost transparent, and his round, white bamboo lantern mimics the full moon. Inside his house is another panda who looks exactly like Stillwater. His story, which is told in words and brush-and-ink drawings, is based on an old Zen koan, or puzzle, about a young woman who is with her husband in a faraway land and yet very ill and at home with her parents. It invites listeners to consider duality, or perception vs. reality, and is at the same time a wonderfully haunting tale that's perfect for Halloween. When the story ends and the illustrations return to the earlier complex, evocative watercolors, it isn't clear whether Stillwater and the storyteller are two entities or one. The children and readers are left to consider this and other mysteries as both tales come to a close. Muth's artistic gifts are so breathtaking that they will draw in even those whose attention spans are not at first up to the demands of the text. The book functions on many levels, from seasonal Halloween story to ghost yarn to deep philosophy, and succeeds spectacularly on all of them. - Publishers
Recommended by Cubs Editors
Be the Change
Gather a few kids, which could include friends of your kids or children from the neighborhood this Halloween. You could have great fodder for conversations around topics such as:
What is courage?
Does everyone get scared?
What should you do when you are afraid?
Why is it fun to dress up as someone or something else?
How can we help others during this fun, creative holiday?
What is courage?
Does everyone get scared?
What should you do when you are afraid?
Why is it fun to dress up as someone or something else?
How can we help others during this fun, creative holiday?
