Why Halloween is a Librarian's Dream Come True

Halloween, a holiday filled with creative characters and storylines that will haunt readers of all ages. The books were flying of the shelves this week. Creepy character discussions were rich and diverse, topics included different characteristics of vampires, how witches can be good and evil and how to do skeletons talk.

Students love the suspense found in Halloween tales and there's many great books at appropriate levels to introduce the concept of the horror genre. It's also the time of year when I practice my oral story telling by sharing my personal ghost story, it is suitable only for upper elementary and leaves them guessing as to whether I'm telling them the truth. The wonder if they should be believers, which I think is a sign of a good ghost story!

Many sneer at this American tradition but I'm thankful to be back in a place where you're allowed to embrace this fun occasion. School spirits were high and the library was definitely a participant. Students found books to match their costume and this was a great assessment to see who knew how to use library signage or the catalogue, in fact it was a great assessment for every grade level. Teachers supported by participating in a door decorating contest featuring a favorite class title, although this particular event didn't have to be connected to the Halloween theme.




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