You might be surprised.Great story to introduce the concept of empathy -- don't make assumptions about others, ask and observe. Perfect for girls and boys, ages 4-8.

    Nicholas". No one claimed authorship until 13 years later. Clement Clarke Moore, a professor and poet, said that he wrote the piece for his children. Unbeknownst to him, his housekeeper had sent it to the newspaper to be published. However, the family of Henry Livingston Jr. contended that their father had been reciting “A Visit from St. Nicholas” for 15 years prior to publication. Regardless of the true author, the poem is now a Christmas classic.

    But be warned, they're looking for the 1000th! Legendary ghouls like Madame Leota, the Hatbox ghost, Constance the Bride and the Hitchhiking Ghosts lie in wait and could appear at any moment. But poor Danny is trapped inside and just wants to escape the foreboding abode - is there anyone he can trust to help him? Marvel brings the chilling fan-favorite Haunted Mansion attraction to (after) life in the latest spine-tingling Disney Kingdoms adventure! COLLECTING: The Haunted Mansion 1-5

    Medallion Honoree * From the Midwest Book Review: "The Pajama Elves" is a delightful, creatively presented holiday tale that shares a family tradition of giving children magic pajamas secretly tailored by Santa's sewing elves, so they can sleep snug in their beds on Christmas Eve. Hayden Edwards is a special pseudonym for author/illustrator Julie Szabo, combining the names of her two sons and husband. Told in verse narrative and creatively illustrated with combination photos/prints in color, "The Pajama Elves" is all about keeping the magic of Christmas alive for young children. The author describes it as follows: "'The Pajama Elves' allows people to adopt and personalize the tradition in many ways, and it can be shared with family members who live far apart from one another." Sensitively done, "The Pajama Elves" is an ideal contemporary response to unique challenges faced by parents of young children today.

    Iron Man's nemesis, the Mandarin, has risen again, his ten rings of power more awesome than before! But the power in his hands hasn't kept him from being a puppet in someone else's, and war with his ironclad enemy may have to take a backseat against ten awakened dragons - one for each ring!

    Ivankovic, H.P. Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu (for beginning readers) from Chaosium.com.108 pages, hardback - and in full color!

    She catches them and creates wonderful creatures to play with until she falls asleep, and in the morning brings them back to life in the whimsical drawings. When a mysterious new girl appears at school, Sandy's drawings are noticed for the first time... but Morfie's fascination with Sandy's talent soon turns into something far more sinister.

    Written by the author sometimes called "the Lincoln of literature," The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was surprisingly neither a critical nor a financial success when it was first published in 1876. It was Mark Twain's first novel. However, since then Tom Sawyer has become his most popular work, enjoying dramatic, film, and even Broadway musical interpretations.

    In “Broom with a View,” a girl's broom for her witch costume mistakenly gets switched with a broom belonging to a real witch. Featured in “10 000 Tentacles under the Tub” are two rambunctious boys who fight sea monsters while trick-or-treating as aqua-heroes, only to discover that their biggest challenge still awaits --- in the bathtub. In “The Fang Gang,” everything gets turned around for four wannabe vampire girls when they meet up with the real thing. Naturally, all the parents are clueless about what's going on (though in one, the pet dog is in on things!). The stories are just spooky enough and tempered with a touch of silly humor. They're an easy read with minimal text; some panels are even completely wordless or contain only sound effects along with the art. The engaging comic illustrations by David Huyck are darkly toned with lots of softly focused scenes, adding to the mysterious allure. Sharp-eyed readers will notice characters from one story making an appearance in the artwork of another. This book is a perfect classroom choice around Halloween, either as a fun read-aloud or as a great reference for discussing why we celebrate this holiday and the cultural origins of legends about witches, vampires and the like. But it would also be enjoyed year-round by children who like scary plots with not-quite-human characters.

    But when Prince Charnel hosts his famous Halloween Ball, Cindy finally gets her chance to shine. With the help of a good witch, Cinderella Skeleton is transformed into the belle of the ball and steals the prince's heart. Then just as the sun peeks over the horizon, she must dash away! Will Prince Charnel ever find his true love again?Master storyteller Robert D. San Souci and award-winning illustrator David Catrow have dreamed up a hilarious fractured fairy tale about the most dreadful darling you've ever seen.

     With gorgeous watercolor illustrations and a fun, sing-song rhythm, your children are sure to love this journey of a little red balloon. Recommended for children aged 2 - 5

    Gorey tells the tale of 26 children (each representing a letter of the alphabet) and their untimely deaths in rhyming dactylic couplets, accompanied by the author's distinctive black and white illustrations. It is one of Edward Gorey's best-known books, and is the most notorious amongst his roughly half-dozen mock alphabets.[2] It has been described as a "sarcastic rebellion against a view of childhood that is sunny, idyllic, and instructive". The morbid humor of the book comes in part from the mundane ways in which children die, such as falling down the stairs or choking on a peach. Far from illustrating the dramatic and fantastical childhood nightmares, these scenarios instead poke fun at the banal paranoias that come as a part of parenting.

    The remarkable reality of this wondrous character is not what you might expect: it is a perilous adventure full of the kinds of frightful and extraordinary things you read about in farfetched novels authored by dusty old professors with extremely vivid imaginations. The difference here is that this is not fantasy. Through an extensive, quite dangerous and very expensive venture I have catalogued all the details; thus it is in the following pages that I am able to present, quite faithfully, an accurate narrative of the birth and marvelous triumph of that indomitable spirit who has, through the ages, been the bearer of gifts and magic for young and old and who will always be the greatest champion of that most miraculous of holidays which happily never fails to fall on the 25th of December. Before I continue, however, I must provide a clear warning: the true story of Santa Claus is perilous, indeed. There are no frolicking reindeer, no jingling elves, no tidy ribbons or bows... Santa was a hero, and as such his tale is epic. So if you want to avoid being frightened nearly out of your wits then do not proceed. But if it is your wish, I respectfully give you the true story of Santa Claus.From internationally bestselling author B.C.CHASE comes an imaginatively fantastical take on the man in red featuring fiery dragons, swashbuckling swords, and of course elves. This not-to-be-missed tale of courage, determination, and selfless love has been critically acclaimed as an instant classic destined to be passed down for generations to come.This tale is allegorical in the spirit of The Chronicles of Narnia.

    Everything changes when Charity's social worker mother brings home a sweet teen runaway named Aidan to foster for the holidays. Matched in every way, Charity and Aidan quickly fall in love. But it seems he's not the only new arrival: Charity soon finds the brutally slain corpse of her worst bully and she gets hard, haunting evidence that the killer is stalking Oak County. As she and her Skeptics Club investigate this death and others, they find at every turn the mystery only grows darker and more deadly. One thing's for certain: there's a bloody battle coming this holiday season that will change their lives -- and human history -- forever. Will they be ready?

    Be swept away in an unforgettable Christmas Eve, from Scrooge's first "Bah, humbug " to the arrival of the Ghost of Christmas Past; from the courage of Tiny Tim to the glory of Christmas morning. Brett Helquist's art bursts with spirit, humor, and an irresistible attention to detail. Here is a treasure for the whole family to share, year after year. A merry Christmas, everyone