Little Witches, a Special Bakery, and a Wombat in 2 Fun Reads for Halloween

Kara LaReau's charming chapter book Witchycakes-Sweet Magic is a fun read for Halloween that takes the scariness away from witches. Chowder pot pies, horseshoe buns, and special sweets are all part of the delicious treats that come from the witches. Blue must make all the deliveries for her mom. Blue has an adventure in the cafe where she delivered with her missing little furry friend and used her raspberry crumbles to locate him. Blue also helps with a sad event of Mr. Haddock's loss of his beloved pet and brings some magic to his day when she makes a delivery. Blue feels that all of her magic was not very important but her mom explains that magic is mysterious. She tells Blue that they cannot always control the way their magic turns out but they can control things that don't always turn out the way we plan. Blue learns a life lesson to try again when she needs a new way to use her magic.

Ariane Moreira contributed her talents as an illustrator for Witchycakes. The adorable illustrations tell the story along with the text.

The author includes a special recipe for Mama Moon's Beach Crumble Cake. Young chefs will want to prepare this special treat for a Halloween celebration.

Witchycakes is recommended for ages 6-9. It was published by Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-593-81226-6.

Ashley Belote's amusing picture book Witch & Wombat for Halloween is a fun read for young readers with a life lesson that not getting what you want could turn out better than getting what you did want.

Wilma is a little with who really wants a cat. All witches need a cat and Wilma is excited that the day is finally coming when she can get her very own cat. Wilma has a lot of exciting plans for adventures with her new cat. Wilma discovers that the pet store has run out of cats when she arrives to choose her cat for Halloween. What will Wilma do? She is very disappointed. The pet store owner offers a wombat for Wilma to take home. Wilma discovers that there are a lot of differences between a cat and a wombat. Wilma must teach her wombat to sit on the back of her broom and to perch on the edge of her caldron. Halloween arrives and Wilma discovers that there is a special benefit to having a wombat instead of a cat.

The illustrations are large and colorful that help with telling Wilma's story.

Witch and Wombat is recommended for ages 5-8. It was published by Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-593-56963-4.

Teachers who teach in early education classrooms will want to add these two delightful holiday stories to their classroom library. Creative teachers will find ways to add activities to enhance the reading experience after reading both. Witchycakes provides an opportunity to add a cooking activity to their curriculum. Young chefs will want to prepare the special recipe found at the end of the story. Witch & Wombat provides an opportunity for learning a life lesson to adapt when one cannot get what they want.

*Read Witchycakes as a chapter book. Call attention to the fact that Blue's mom loves to make special treats. Prepare a cooking activity for you students to make the special treat with the recipe found at the end of the story.

*Read Witch & Wombat in a story time session. Engage children in a discussion of the fact that Wilma cannot get a cat for Halloween. How would they feel if they were Wilma?

*Engage children in a discussion of the lesson that Wilma learns a life lesson that getting something different from what you wanted can be better. Encourage children to think about a time when they received something different from what they really wanted. How did it turn out for them?