Halloween is sneaking close. Following are a few favorite books to celebrate the ghosts, goblins and ghoulish:
"ZEN GHOSTS," by Jon J. Muth, Scholastic, $17.99 (ages 4-8)
Stillwater, the observant panda, appears with Addy, Michael and Karl in a third picture book, this time set around Halloween costumes and eerie haunts. A ghost story based on a Zen koan is told and, as in previous stories, a question is the pivotal plot where the "answer becomes your own." Muth's delicious watercolors and gentle black-and-white sketches leave a thoughtful story for the whole family to enjoy. — M.S.
A vampire is coming to dinner, and it's time to get ready. There are some very practical rules for dealing with a vampire, but they're really more of a guideline. … Perhaps feeding the vampire all that garlic wasn't such a great idea after all. Ten full-page gatefolds and a pop up at the end of the book are hilariously detailed and give this "guide" an interactive feel. — J.H.
The alphabet letters simply will not behave as they begin their Halloween performance. Even though the ABC's try to march in orderly fashion at the bottom of the page, they tumble out in disarray and appear in silly combinations to represent Halloween-type words. — M.S.
From autumn to zombies, children learn about Halloween in a fun a harmless way — there's nothing too scary in these cartoon-like illustrations. Rhyming couplets flow through the alphabet hitting on bats, ghosts, owls and witches. Bright colors and friendly characters help make this a gentle introduction to Halloween. — J.H.
Old Armadillo (remembered from "Merry Christmas, Old Armadillo") waits for all his animal friends without knowing they are assembled in costumes outside. Eerie noises and creaky thumps scare Old Armadillo and not until the end do the festivities come together. Brimmer has included a few Spanish words (with a glossary) to accent the desert atmosphere. — M.S.
Three generations of Emberleys have used festive collages to introduce a Halloween sing-along: "If you're a monster and you know, snort and growl" with alternate verses. By the end readers will "know it — and do it all! snort, growl, smack, stomp, twitch, wiggle and roar." This will probably become a year-round favorite for young readers. —M.S.
"ZOMBIES! EVACUATE THE SCHOOL!" by Sara Holbrook, Wordsong, $16.95 (ages 9 and up)
Big Yellow Pain is about sitting in the back of the school bus and Getting Graded has the trauma of term report cards. Evacuate the School tells about the werewolf principal and the piranha in the fish tank. Holbrook's "writing prompts" scattered throughout the collection will encourage young writers to compose their own school and zombie poems. — M.S.
"FEAR: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror," by R.L. Stine, Dutton, $16.99 (ages 12 and up)
This collection of suspenseful stories comes from the chilling minds of R.L. Stine, Meg Cabot, Heather Graham, Suzanne Weyn, Jennifer Allison, Heather Brewer, Peg Kehret, Alane Ferguson, Ryan Brown, F. Paul Wilson, Walter Sorrells, James Rollins and Tim Maleeny. From an unwitting date with a vampire, to a crush on a boy who just might be a werewolf, there's no topic left uncovered. These stories are creepy, quirky and perfect for getting into the Halloween mood. — J.H.
"BONES," by Steve Jenkins, Scholastic, $16.99 (all ages)
Halloween seems an appropriate time to study bones and skeletons. This is the ultimate introduction to this part of the anatomy. X-ray-like illustrations show human and animal skeletons, many in actual size and always with comparison to each other. All 206 human bones are shown followed by and double fold-out pages of the complete skeleton. Facts and trivia contribute to the information and interest of bones. — M.S.