The Hungry Ghosts

Julius Lester
New York: Dial, 2009
40 p. (Grades Pre K-2)

Living next to a cemetery can be frightening business. In this charming and magical tale, however, young Malcolm David braves the "Darkness and Fear" of "Brother and Sister Night" to discover why ghosts makes such appalling noises. With the help of his "ringring bird" and a host of food-ghosts left behind in his no-longer-messy room, he helps his new supernatural friends and beholds the beauty of what ghosts really look like. The colorfully detailed illustrations by Geraldo Valerio add splendor and an element of magical realism to what might otherwise be just another ghost story with a twist. Perfect for Halloween, but enjoyable any time of year, children will delight in this light tale of ghosts who can be admired rather than feared.

Erika-San

Allen Say
New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2009
32 p. (Grades K-2)

As a child, Erika fell in love with a picture of a Japanese teahouse and decided that she would live there one day. With the turn of a page, Erika is grown and on her way to realizing that dream. Readers follow her wandering journey as she reconciles her childhood imaginings with the realities of modern-day Japan, eventually finding her home there. Say's luminous, detailed illustrations capture the beauty of Erika's "old Japan," while the text introduces readers to the traditional Japanese culture that she embraces with gusto. Whether it is read aloud or independently, children will be delightfully transported by this light but satisfying tale of discovery.