What We're Reading in October
- amiller8979
- Oct 10
- 6 min read
by Amber Miller
October 10, 2025
Candlewick 2023
Genres: Folklore, Horror Fiction, Picture Book
Readability: Age range 6-12 / Grades 1st-6th
The Skull is a weird and wonderful story about a girl and her new, spooky best friend.
Based on the cover, you might assume The Skull, which is based on an old Tyrolean folktale, will have a traditional opening, such as “Alas, poor Yorick!” But thankfully, no, it opens with a young girl on the run, and as Otilla runs through the snowy forest, readers are plunged along with her. It’s an unusual and thoroughly engaging story.
Klassen’s version is accompanied by his uniquely odd and beautifully dark illustrations, following a young girl named Otilla who, one snowy night, “finally” runs away from home. She becomes hopelessly lost in a deep, dark forest. Just before dawn, nearly dead from the cold, she stumbles upon a rambling old house inhabited by a gentle, retiring skull.
The skull gives Otilla shelter, and she returns his kindness by helping him do things a bodiless skull can’t manage alone, such as drinking tea by a fire and dancing (with a partner) in the ballroom. A touching, surprisingly uncreepy friendship begins to blossom. But the skull warns Otilla that a headless skeleton comes every night to try to steal him away. Instead of fleeing in terror, Otilla proves herself brave, loyal, and resourceful. Through various feats of ingenuity, she vanquishes the skeleton, saves her new friend, and stays on to live with him in the rambling old house — a happily-ever-after worthy of Tim Burton.
I enjoyed Klassen’s version of “The Skull” much more than the original. I am excited that it was selected as my daughter's October Book Club selection. I'm eager to hear what the young readers think about Otilla saving her friend by being heroic and not losing her composure in the process! After reading The Skull, challenge students to create their own book cover for the folktale. This can be a great way to assess their understanding of the story. Alternatively, have them create masks using simple art supplies, similar to the masks worn by Otilla and the skull in the story.
Random House Graphic
September 1, 2020
pp. 240
Genres: Graphic Novel, Middle-grade, Family, Friendship, Horror Fiction, Halloween, Witches, Magic, Series
Readability: Age range 8-12 / Grades 3rd-7th
There's a new witch in town! Life in Brooklyn takes a strange turn when Effie discovers MAGIC runs in the family.
The Witches of Brooklyn is a middle-grade graphic novel filled with adventure and fantasy. Effie is a sweet and relatable character who has a lot of changes to deal with when she has to move in with a pair of aunts she’s never met, start a new school, make new friends, and discover she’s a witch! Her aunts are also witches, so with their knowledge, guidance, and kindness, Effie is in good hands.
The story is heartwarming, and the artwork has tremendous energy and charm, much like Selimene, Carlotta, and Effie. We can't wait to read what new trials and adventures await Effie as she learns more about being a witch! If you loved the Witches of Brooklyn graphic novel, good news - it's a series, which continues to grow along with our favorite witch, Effie! Read them all:
Dial Books for Young Readers
July 30, 2024
Pp. 256
Genres: Graphic novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle-grade
Readability: Age range 8-12 / Grades 3rd-7th
While the National Archives may be the nation’s official library, the New York Public Library is often first in the hearts of book lovers. Christopher Lincoln’s engaging, gorgeously illustrated graphic novel The Night Librarian is a shining addition to books that celebrate this iconic library.
City kids Page and Turner have a flaky nanny and absentee, jet-setting parents. Allowed to go to the library on their own, they arrive one day with a bag containing their dad’s rare copy of Dracula, to research the story of an ancestor who may have met author Bram Stoker at a 1901 reading. The twins meet the stylish night librarian, Ms. Literati, who promises to research their copy of Dracula in more detail. When they return the next afternoon, the book bag’s thumping intensifies until something emerges from Dracula and takes the book with it. Soon, there’s a whole string of literary escapees, including a dragon and the beanstalk from “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Time is of the essence to keep the entire library safe from the ensuing damage.
So the adventure begins, as Ms. Literati clearly needs dedicated volunteer help. Full of humor, friendship, and just the right amount of danger and villainy, this beautifully designed novel has a clever time-travel plot twist and a satisfying emotional conclusion. Bonus: the many literary allusions are bound to delight adult readers as well, and may lead to further book adventures for curious readers!
Knopf
8/24
Pp. 40
Genres: Non-fiction picture book, Middle grade, Science-minded, Medical Mystery
Readability: Age range 8-12 / Grades 3rd-7th
During the Industrial Revolution, vast numbers of workers moved to cities that housed the new factories. These laborers lived in crowded and often squalid conditions, in areas where the air was thick with noxious odors. One such place was London’s Broad Street, overtaken by a cholera outbreak in 1854.
Although the accepted thinking of the time was that such illnesses were transmitted through “bad, smelly air,” Dr. John Snow (1813–1858) did not buy that explanation. He asks questions: why are some individuals sick and others free from disease? How could the air cause diarrhea and vomiting? He investigates by visiting homes of the victims, asking pertinent questions, and creating a map of the affected areas; he then theorizes that cholera must come from something ingested. But what? Here, readers see the scientific method at work as Snow determines that the water, notoriously contaminated by human waste, is the cause of cholera. Modern epidemiology was born.
Henderson’s mixed-media illustrations, in shades of brown, depict the thick, noxious air of Broad Street but lighten as Snow finds evidential proof for his theory. Besides highlighting a historical moment in time, Hopkinson deftly presents a non-didactic object lesson on evaluating information, demonstrating the value of making decisions based on facts rather than unverified opinions. The back matter includes information about the Broad Street pump (where cholera victims got their water) and Snow; a glossary of other infectious diseases; and resources for further inquiry.
During an interview with The Horn Book, author Deborah Hopkinson was asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” and my teacher's heart (and brain) absolutely loved the author's response:
"I’ve been asked this question by children countless times during author visits, but I still love answering it. 'The same place you do,' I respond. 'Where do your ideas come from?' Students and I share inspirations: pets, dreams, things we experience, and unexpected ideas that spring up from our imaginations. Talking about it together helps demystify the creative process. And I hope it encourages students to be creators."
Author Deborah Hopkins also shared her strongest motivation for revisiting Dr. Snow, which grew from her experiences sharing The Great Trouble with upper elementary and middle school students around the country. From the outset, instead of discussing the fictional characters in the novel, she focused on the actual events to encourage young readers to become history detectives.
As you read Evidence with your young readers, practice the historical thinking skills of sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, and close reading. Show students historical images, including Snow’s now-famous disease map, and ponder together questions such as:
What did he discover as he went door-to-door to interview families?
What can the map tell us about who died — and who didn’t?
What can the close examination of a single death certificate reveal about what caused the outbreak?
For more ways to implement Evidence! in your classroom, check out this Educator's Guide from author Deborah Hopkins.