DAY 4 OF 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN

13 HALLOWEEN JOKES

Why did the vampires cancel the baseball game? Because he couldn’t find their bats.

What do you call a witch at the beach? A sand witch.

How do monsters tell their future? They read their horrorscopes.

Why don’t mummies have hobbies? Because they’re too wrapped up in their work.

Why did the Cyclops give up teaching? He only had one pupil.

Why didn’t the skeleton go to the Halloween party? Because he had no body to go with.

How do you make a skeleton laugh? Tickle his funny bone.

What don’t mummies go on vacation? They’re afraid they’ll relax and unwind.

What kind of streets do zombies live on? Dead ends.

What do you call a skeleton who won’t work? Lazy bones.

What’s the first thing ghosts do when they get in the car? Buckle their sheet belts.

Which ghost is the best dancer? The Boogie Man.

Why don’t ghosts like rain? It dampens their spirits.

DAY 3 OF 13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN

DELICIOUS CARAMEL POPCORN

Apologies to you all, but my right hand is temporarily incapacitated, so my typing skills are limited today. I had a different post in mind, but this one will have to do.

I can’t think of Halloween fun without including caramel corn. In the past, I’ve always baked it in the oven for hours, stirring every twenty minutes or so. Now that free time is hard to come by, I look for recipes that are quick and easy, but still retain that homemade yumminess.

This one is available from AllRecipes.com. If it isn’t to your liking, there are quite a few others available.

3 pkg microwave popcorn, popped

2 ¼ cups packed brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Pop and set aside the popcorn. These need to be full-sized bags and not the single serve. Be sure to remove any unpopped kernels.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 270 – 290 degrees Fahrenheit, or until a small amount of the syrup dropped into cold water forms hard but pliable threads.

Remove mixture from the heat and carefully pour in the can of sweetened, condensed milk. Mix and stir mixture until it has a smooth consistency.

Pour ¼ of the caramel at a time over the popcorn, stirring until all of the popcorn is coated. Cool thoroughly before eating to avoid burns.

HAPPY EATING!

Cordelia Dinsmore

13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN

THE JACK-O’-LANTERN

Pumpkin carving has been around for decades, and has become an art unto itself in recent years. But I still love to see the creations of the younger generation that decorate porches on Halloween night. I decided it might be fun to look back and read some of the history of the Jack-o’-Lantern, and I found a few facts I didn’t know.

In my research, I discovered that there isn’t much definitive proof of how the use of carved vegetables became part of the Halloween celebration. Most of my sources indicate that they have been used for centuries, mostly in Europe, as part of the end of harvest celebrations. Some of these celebrations were of a Christian persuasion, but others were pagan.

I used Wikipedia for the following enlightenment regarding this subject.

Ignis fatuus, (foolish fire), or will-o’-the-wisp in English, folklore dates back to the 1660’s. A wisp was a bundle of paper or sticks used as a torch. The bundle was shoved into some kind of container and lit.

The origin of Jack-O-Lantern carving is uncertain. According to Wiki sources, gourds, turnips, beets and other vegetables have been used for carving. Gourds reportedly were the earliest plant species domesticated by humans around 10,000 years ago, mainly because they were easy to carve. Gourds were carved into lanterns by the Maori over 700 years ago.

Some believe that the tradition of carving Jack-o-Lanterns came to the US via Ireland sometime during the 19^th century. These carvings were often made from turnips or squashes and were used as lanterns to light the way for guisers during Samhain celebrations. Others claim that the carvings originated with All Saints Day and represented souls in purgatory. The carvings were often left on window sills to protect the home from evil spirits during a time when fairies and other mischief makers were most prone to roam during the night.

According to Wiki, there is no historical evidence that turnips were ever carved into lanterns in Ireland for use on Halloween. But by the 1880’s, American children were certainly carving pumpkins into grotesque faces to use in their own version of fall revelry.

Do you enjoy pumpkin carving? Do you save the seeds for roasting and the 'guts' for creating pumpkin pie? Describe the coolest pumpkin carving you've ever seen.

Happy Carving!

Cordelia Dinsmore

13 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN

My 13 Favorite Halloween Movies

I decided for October to dedicate my blog to Halloween observances and minutia. This is a very busy time for me, so some of these posts will be rather short. But hopefully they are still sweet enough to remind us all of the upcoming festivities with all the candy they involve.

To begin with, I am going to share my top favorite movies for the season. Not all of these are Halloween themed, but they all have a bit of a fright factor. Keep in mind, since this is a kid-friendly blog, the movies are all family appropriate. Horror is a fine genre, but Psycho scarred me for life, so I won't be including any recommendations for something I couldn't handle.

I have placed these in alphabetical order, not in the particular order of my personal preferences. They are all a lot of fun.

1. Casper - starring Christina Ricci and featuring the voice of Malachi Pearson as Casper the ghost. The villains were all over-the-top failures and that helps take some of the scary factor out of them.

2. E.T. - this one is a bit more intense, but still a safe bet for most of the youngest audience members. My favorite scene is when Gerty takes the little alien trick-or-treating.

3. Halloweentown - I think this series is only available on television, but it's well worth the watch. 

4. Hocus Pocus - okay, I absolutely love this one. The make-up is deliciously hideous and the three witches are evil enough to make me shiver.

5. Hotel Transylvania - I like everything about this film. Just all-around fun.

6. Labyrinth - David Bowie is pretty scary in this one, but I loved the Muppets and the story itself.

7. Nightmare Before Christmas - some may argue that this is a Christmas story, and it is. But it's also a great Halloween story. I love Tim Burton's work, and this is one of my favorites of his.

8. Pooh's Heffelump Halloween Movie - This is a fun watch for even the youngest audience member. Poor Pooh is always thinking of his rumbly tummy, so of course he's going to eat all the Halloween candy. The Heffelumps and Woozles have always been some of my favorite Milne characters.

9. Something Wicked This Way Comes - a little intense for the youngest viewers, but a good thriller-type movie for those a bit older. Some really creepy scenes that sent chills down my spine.

10. The Addams Family movies - I'm old enough to remember when The Addams Family made their television review, so I was happy to see them make a come-back in these silly movies. 

11. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow - This 1949 Disney production is a lot of fun. 

12. The Witches - Another incident of great make-up! These are some fairly frightening witches, and the hotel is rampant with them, so you might want to be near in case it's too intense for the younger ages. 

13. Twitches - I love watching this story of magical twins. More of a chick flick for the younger set, but still a worthwhile watch.

That's my list of favorites. I'd love to know if I've missed any that you particularly enjoy.

I'll be back tomorrow with a post about Jack-O-Lanterns. Hope to see you then.

Happy Reading!

Cordelia Dinsmore

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp

A short while back I decided to try an audio book for the first time. The book I chose was Kathi Appelt's newest novel, the True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp. Unfortunately, the experiment was a bust. The failure had nothing to do with Lyle Lovett's amazing narration of the story, and it certainly wasn't due to Ms. Appelt's phenomenal writing skills. The problem arose from the noise levels I'm surrounded with while driving my minivan filled with kids. I simply could not concentrate.

I did glean enough from the tale, however, to become intrigued. So I ran back to the library and filled out an inter-library loan slip for the actual hard copy. Fortunately, the book arrived in a timely manner and I began to devour it.

The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp is a tale of what can be accomplished when even an unlikely group of creatures share a common goal. In this case, the swamp, which is the home to everyone involved, is being threatened by one of their own, Sonny Boy Beaucoup. He has teamed up with a female alligator wrestler with the intent to destroy the swamp for their own greedy good, with no thought to the lives that will be destroyed along with it.

The fact that most of the characters are non-human detracts not one whit from the logic and emotion they exude as they unwittingly work together to outwit the nefarious Beaucoup. I loved how Ms. Appelt brought all of these characters together to work on a common goal without them realizing the fact that they were being used for such purposes.

The tale is a tall one, and filled with humor and the unbelievable. But the love she invests in her characters is reflected in the heartwarming feeling they evoke in the readers. Underneath (no pun intended) all the fun are lessons we can all take to heart for the preservation of the gifts we have been given. From the Ivory-billed woodpecker (or Lord God Bird, as it is often referred to), to the honoring of traditions and memories of those passed, there is a touch of nostalgia for many of us in this beautifully rendered work of art.

I highly recommend this book as a read-aloud in classrooms, as a bedtime treat, or as a read alone for the slightly older reader.

TTW - Audio Books

I frequent several writing forums, and often find great recommendations for MG and tween books. The other day I visited my local library, armed with a list of several books that sounded promising. Unfortunately, they were either checked out or unavailable. Except for one, but it was available only as an audio book.

I've never listened to an audio book, so I thought I'd give it a try. The title of the particular book I checked out is The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp by Kathi Appelt, and narrated by Lyle Lovett. The combination of author and narrator sounds intriguing, does it not? I can't wait to get started.

Lately I have been thinking about possibly having Michaela's Gift made into an audio book. I know of other indie authors who have done this. I've listened to a few samples, and I've enjoyed what I've heard so far. I don't know a lot of the details of how it all works, but I think through Librivox, several options are available.

Apparently some fairly well-known celebrities are willing to invest their time to reading and recording books, but I don't know if it's the luck of the draw, or if the author selects from a variety of possible readers. I know some readers are willing to take on a job on a royalty-share, while others want paid up front. It's all quite intriguing to me.

I originally had the idea that I would offer this book to my daughter to listen to first. She's not a strong reader, and we struggle finding books that fit her comprehension level and still offer a read that is mature enough for her tastes. She isn't a child. She's an adult with special needs. I think this book might be a great fit for her. So I'm going to let her start it, and see how it goes. Then I'll start each CD as she finishes it. I think it's going to be a fun experience.

So, I'd love to know how many of you listen to audio books. A friend of mine listens to them at work. I never had a job that allowed for such a thing, but I'm glad it's available for those who can manage it. When is your favorite time to listen? Before bed? While driving? Or during history class? Ouch! I hope not.

HAPPY READING (or listening)

CORDELIA DINSMORE

AWESOME OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT!

Attention teachers and librarians! The Emblazoner's New Catalog - filled with great middle grade and tween titles your students and patrons will love - is coming soon! To celebrate, we're holding a giveaway of stuff you can use: gift cards to add books to your collection and swag to hand out to your students and patrons. Grand Prizes (2): $15 Amazon Gift cards(to add a book to your library) + SWAG Bags

Less Grand But Still Auspicious Prizes (8): SWAG Bags (bookmarks, collector's cards, etc. to give away to your students/patrons) Note: Signing up for the catalog is required for entry. Winners must reside in the United States or Canada. You must be a teacher or librarian to win. a Rafflecopter giveaway