By the Light of the Halloween Moon

Hawkes, S. & Stutson, C. (1993). By the light of the halloween moon. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

Age Range: This book is suitable for readers in grades P-3. It could even be suitable for the upper grades when used with a literary concepts.

Summary: This book has a Halloween setting with a twist. There are no trick-or-treaters, simply a girl and for the majority of the book, her toe. The majority of kid friendly Halloween creatures appear, such as a witch, fairy, bat, and ghost. There are some slightly scary parts, but most are amusing. Illustrations are used throughout the book to show the actions of the creepy characters throughout the text and the girl's struggle with the consist conflict of creepy characters interrupting her music. The plot is progressive throughout the story with a clear resolution.

Reflection: I would recommend this book to others. Elementary teachers could use it to teach sequence and conflict easily since the plot is in sequential order and the main character is struggling with multiple conflicts throughout the story. Teachers of grades 4-8 could use it to teach alliteration and repetition. For example, alliteration is used when the author says, "That taps the tune in the dead of night, By the light, by the light, By the silvery light of the Halloween Moon!" The author also continues to repeat these lines throughout the book, "By the light of the Halloween moon!"

Big Questions: Why did the main character wait to stop the creatures that disturbed her? How do the creatures interact with each other? How do these interactions stop them from achieving their goal?