This book has great sensory imagery and use of onomatopoeias. I think students will like this book because they can feel how scared the little boy is and they can relate to being scared in a storm at night. ( )

One night a boy and his dog are awaken by a noise. The boy tries the lights, but the lights would not come on. As they walk down the hall, they listen to the thunder, and the trees crack. They tried the parents room, but his parents were not in there. So, they attempt to walk down stairs seeing a ghost like shadow. He thinks to himself, it is Ghost hour! Screaming as he approaches the shadow, he realizes its him and the dogs shadow. His parents were sleeping in the living room, because of noise. Then, they all laid down together in the living room for the rest of the night. ( )

“Ghost’s Hour, Spook’s Hour” describes to children that sometimes they can make things seem scarier then they actually are. When it is dark out, children tend to be more frightened and often times let their imaginations run wild. The small boy left his room and the door let out a loud creek, however it probably always made a noise anyway and at night he just thought it was louder because it was dark and he was alone. Also, children tend to see things that aren’t really there when it is dark. The boy thought that his reflection was a ghost. In the end there were reasonable explanations of all the scary things he saw and why his parents were not in their beds. He was able to sleep safe and sound with his parents and realized the house was neither scary nor frightening. Children too need to learn that the dark should not cause them fear. ( )

This novel explores how valuable friendship is. As any other child could relate, the dark is a common fear. Even in the darkest times, both literally and metaphorically, friendship helps us through the hard and scary times. ( )

A young boy awakens to a strange midnight world in this eerie picture-book from veteran children's author Eve Bunting, discovering that the lights don't work and that his parents are not in their bedroom. Accompanied by his dog Biff, he sets out to discover what is going on, tentatively making his way downstairs, where he encounters a frightening white apparition. Is it a ghost? And where are the boy's parents...?

All is happily resolved of course, as the story moves effortlessly from spooky to reassuring. Combining a well-paced text with expressive artwork that captures the frightening aspects of the boy's nighttime experiences, Ghost's Hour, Spook's Hour is a great shivery read for younger children who enjoy ghost stories. Although not specifically related to the holiday, I did find this one on my public library's Halloween display, and I think it would make an excellent selection for this time of year! ( )