Top 10 Ways To Definitely Make Kids HATE Books and Reading

Last week I was reminded how impressionable young kids are. So impressionable that one opinion can forever change their outlook on something. 

This can apply to many topics but I am specifically speaking about writing. 

One Good Night 'Til Halloween by Frank J Berrios and Debby Rahmalia
The day is almost here! It's only "one more good night" until Halloween. As a child goes to sleep, they can't wait for all the fun that comes with celebrating their favorite holiday with their loved ones. They know the next day will be filled with the best Halloween decorations, treats, and costumes! Experience familial traditions in this sweet holiday primer.

Behind the Mask by Yangsook Choi
Halloween is coming. “What are you going to be?” the children ask one another. Kimin says he will be his grandfather. “Going as an old man is not very scary,” they tease. What the children don’t know is that Kimin’s grandfather was a Korean mask dancer. And Kimin doesn’t know that the mask holds a secret for him.
With vibrant illustrations, Yangsook Choi joins Korean and American folk traditions in her story about a boy who finds a link to his grandfather, behind the mask. Behind the Mask is a 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by   Flavia Z. Drago
Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. And he loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye scream or making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves? With fancifully detailed artwork and visual humor, debut picture-book creator Flavia Z.Drago’s vivid illustrations tella sweet and gently offbeat story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship that is sure to be a treat for little ghouls and goblins everywhere.

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The Rumble Hunters by Courtney B. Dunlap
We set off quick to search the place.
We'll hunt this sound - we're on the case!
The Rumble Hunters is an unforgettable bedtime adventure your kids will want to read again and again! In fact, you will, too! When five-year-old James, a small boy with a big imagination, is awakened by a mysterious rumble in the middle of the night, he sets out on a curious journey to hunt the sound. Along the way, he enlists some help from his heroic siblings, and their wet, scaly and furry pets. Together, they become known as, "The Rumble Hunters".

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon
I went up the hill, the hill was muddy, stomped my toe and made it bloody, should I wash it?Justin knows that something is wrong with his best friend.Zee went missing for a year. And when he came back, he was . . . different. Nobody knows what happened to him. At Zee's welcome home party, Justin and the neighborhood crew play Hide and Seek. But it goes wrong. Very wrong.One by one, everyone who plays the game disappears, pulled into a world of nightmares come to life. Justin and his friends realize this horrible place is where Zee had been trapped. All they can do now is hide from the Seeker.

Our Family Halloween Party by Jayla Josep
This book is a cute story about a family Halloween party.
My children have been quite upset because there will be no trick or treating this year. 
So I decided to make them a book about all the things we will be doing instead.

Closet Ghosts by Uma Krishnaswami
When a young girl named Anu has trouble adjusting to her new home and school, she calls upon Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, for help vanquishing the ghosts in her closet.
Moving to a new place is hard enough without finding a bunch of mean, nasty ghosts in your closet. This looks like a job for Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god, who can change shape in the blink of an eye and chase goblins and demons away with his thundering voice. When Hanuman answers Anu's plea for help, Anu rejoices--until she realizes that those pesky ghosts don't seem to be going anywhere.

Jade Braves the Dark by Valdene Mark
An imaginative story that encourages children to overcome their fear of the dark. Suitable as both a nighttime read-aloud for younger kids and an engaging self-read story for older readers.

Los Gatos Black on Halloweenby Marisa Montes and Yuyi Morales
Under October's luna, full and bright, the monsters are throwing a ball in the Haunted Hall. Las brujas come on their broomsticks. Los muertos rise from their coffins to join in the fun. Los esqueletos rattle their bones as they dance through the door. And the scariest creatures of all aren't even there yet!
This lively bilingual Halloween poem introduces young readers to a spooky array of Spanish words that will open their ojos to the chilling delights of the season.

Just a Minute: A Trickster Tale and Counting Book by Yuyi Morales
This original trickster tale, with its vivacious illustrations and dynamic read-aloud text, is at once a spirited tribute to the rich traditions of Mexican culture and a perfect introduction to counting in both English and Spanish.

The Ghoul by Taghreed Najjar
The villagers are afraid of the “Ghoul.” For years, they’ve tiptoed around the village for fear of disturbing it. The monster doesn’t look like them, and it is believed to eat humans.
One day, the brave Hassan embarks on a dangerous mission to face the long-feared Ghoul. When Hassan finally meets the Ghoul living on top of the mountain, he discovers that the Ghoul is just as terrified of people as they are of him. Hassan and the Ghoul realize that they can still be friends, despite their differences.

Ghaddar the Ghoul and Other Palestinian Stories  by Sonia Nimr