Day 14: British #Bats...Who knew? #CountdowntoHalloween2026

As I snoop around the Halloween kingdom, I sometimes come across some bewildering things. As I mentioned on our Countdown to Halloween blog, I am currently visiting in the UK. 

I picked up a discarded book at the local town center. This book full of intriguing photos about the British Countryside. In it was the photo above entitled, "British Bats."  Now, I have seen bats in the wild before, in a cave, in the US, but never thought about the fact that maybe they exist somewhere else.

I learned from this page that actually there are 900 different species in the world and 14 of the variety live right here in the UK. The ones above are apparently the most common. Who knew? Certain not me!

So listed above is: The Lesser Horseshoe Bat, The Greater Horseshoe Bat, Natterer's Bat, Pipstrella Bat, Saubenton's Bat, Noctule Bat, Whiskered Bat, and the Long-eared Bat.

 Fascinating!

I particularly liked that a couple of them were named after people. How peculiar and simply quite batty. Now I want to know the other countries that might have bats exclusive to their country and what ours are in the U.S. 

Fly high.

~Crypt Keeper, Michelle

Day 13 Nanny Ogg's Cookbook by Terry Pritchett #countdowntoHalloween2026

I admittedly will tell you that this is a fictional book, but the character is so full of life! One local witch with a pen (possibly her broom) that does not quit, and you have Nanny Ogg. She is a whimsical character that fits right into everything Halloween and beyond. I would love Nanny Ogg as my grandmother.

About the book:

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach which just goes to show they're as confused about anatomy as they gen'rally are about everything else, unless they're talking about instructions on how to stab him, in which case a better way is up and under the ribcage. Anyway, we do not live in a perfect world, and it is foresighted and useful for a young woman to become proficient in those arts which will keep a weak-willed man from straying. Learning to cook is also useful.

FULL REVIEW HERE

Day 12: Beastopia by Chrissie Sains #review #middlegradebooks #CountdowntoHalloween2026

About the book:

The curse of the 10th birthday is about to strike when family pets disappear. But where do these animals go and why? Digby Griffin, his sister Mog, and best friend, Tai are about to find out and discover Beastopia.

My review:

When I began reading this book, it started out a bit slowly. It described the family and their pets and that they simply disappeared on the happenstance of a 10th birthday. Weird! As pages went on, a weird washer turned portal and kind of an underworld became apparent as to where these animals had disappeared to.

I enjoyed finding out about their alter status and how they remained it what was called Beastopedi The children had special roles and how those came about is the meat of the book. Of course I am not going to reveal that. Read the book!

A few illustrations in black and white are dispersed throughout the book. They do not really lend much to the book but are well placed. This book is meant for upper elementary. If you or your kids like fantasy creature and what they do, this book is for you!

I give this book 31/2 pumpkins.

~Michelle, Reading Authors Network 

Day 11: A Light In the Autumn Night by Frances Tosdevin & Sophia O'Connor #childrensbooks #CountdowntoHalloween2026

 

About the book: 

A gentle tale about overcoming fear, the comfort of friendship, and how even the smallest light can shine the brightest when it's shared.

My review:

This book is totally about facing your fears, in this case what goes bump in the night. The character of mole shuts himself in his cozy home in order to block out his fear of the dark. However, creatures arrive dressed in costumes not only asking for treats but for light to find their way. This shared experience prompts mole to go out and at the same time, face those fears.

What a beautiful book this is!  Even though the book is Autumn and Halloween centered, it gives such a greater message of being kind, sharing your wealth, and more importantly sharing yourself (the light) when possible. Children will certainly get the dual messages. It is a book to be shared by all.

Done in muted colors and Autumn colors this is a terrific book to add to your home and school collections. Such a winner of a book and great lessons!

5 big lighted pumpkins!

Disclosure: This book was obtained at a local library. The views here are 100% my own opinions and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Find the authors:

Amazon

Day 10: Ghostly Photo Shoot #mom #countdowntohalloween2026

A couple of years ago I took my mom up into the mountains of Sedona and told her we were going to have a ghost photo shoot.  I am not sure if I ever showed you the results of that but here, we are.

She had no clue as to what was going to happen, but we had a good time and a bit of laughs.

Crypt Keeper, Michelle

Day 9: How to Scare Blue Monster by Petr Hordoek #childrensbooks #CountdowntoHalloween2026

 

About the book:

When something HUGE comes clumping through the forest, all the animals are scared. But it's only their friend, Blue Monster. 

My review:

This has to be the most non-scary book about being scared that I ever read. The monster in the book goes around and scares all of his friends because, well, he is a monster. However, he has no idea what being scared means. So, his friends help him learn in a most unusual way.

Is it horrifying? Absolutely not. If anything, it is simply cute and that is what makes this book so adorable. As a soft Halloween kind of book, it can certainly fit the bill. I loved monster and all of his animal friends in the forest.

The illustrations for this book were large and in autumn kinds of colors which adds to the feel of the season. What makes them interesting and stand out is they are also done in a crayon resist and pencil drawing. The character colors do not necessarily stay in the lines as you would expect from children's books illustrations. It is different and I like it!

Go Blue for 4 pumpkins!

Disclusre: This book was obtained through a local library. The view here is 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

Day 8: It's All Fun and Games Until You Go Batty #bats #games #countdowntoHalloween

This post has completely gone batty and why not?! It is Halloween season after all and our friendly bats have come out of their homes to play. Of course we can play too with them in all these fun games I have found. Check them out.

Crypt keeper, Michelle

Bats Game 1

Bats Game 2

Bats Game 3