Something’s spooky at the library
Halloween is coming up and it is the perfect time of year to curl up with a scary book.
Whether you are looking for a classic tale of the supernatural from Edgar Allan Poe or something a bit more recent from the “King of Horror,” Stephen King, the public library has something just to suit your mood. Of course, King and Poe may be a bit much for the younger crowd so the library also has lots of Halloweenthemed picture books for children, such as Bad Kitty: Scaredy Cat by Nick Bruel and Click, Clack, Boo: A Tricky Treat by Doreen Cronin, to name two examples.
What better way to get into the Halloween mood than to explore stories featuring ghostly spirits and haunted places right in your own backyard? A classic of Nova Scotia literature is Bluenose Ghosts by Helen Creighton, considered by many to be Canada’s First Lady of Folklore. Bluenose Ghosts will set your spine tingling with true accounts of phantom ships, haunted houses, and more.
Further tales of terror await you in The Lunenburg Werewolf and Other Stories of the Supernatural by Steve Vernon and children might be interested in reading about creepy beasties in Vernon’s children’s book Maritime Monsters: A Field Guide. Maritime Monsters features creatures like the Hidey-Hinder, said to inhabit Dagger Woods, Antigonish County. Closer to home are the stories recounted by Bill McTague.
Ghosts and Spirits Around Us is one example of McTague’s books that feature spooks that haunt Pictou County.
If you feel like getting up close and personal with some local spirits, the Pictou Library will host a Cemetery Walk on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. St. Clair Prest will lead participants on a historic walk through Laurel Hill Cemetery, locally known as the ‘old burial ground’ to visit the resting place of the most notable residents of the Town of Pictou. Be sure to bring a flashlight and wear comfortable shoes. Space is limited so phone ahead to preregister.
Drop-in family fun programs include, the “Pumpkin Walk” at the Stellarton Library on Thursday, Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m., The Great Pumpkin Hunt at the Trenton Library on Fridays and Saturdays in October. Also, there is a Halloween scavenger hunt at the Pictou Library on Saturday, Oct 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Add in the Halloween Fun! event with Westville Recreation at Westville Library, also on Oct. 27, from noon to 2 p.m. And it doesn’t stop there; ‘Stranger Things’ fans might want to test their knowledge at a trivia night at the New Glasgow Library on Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
On Oct. 31, young trick-ortreaters are invited to stop by their local library branch to pick up a free book courtesy of the Adopt-a-Library Literacy Program. Books will be available while supplies last. Make sure you stop by before our branches close at 5 p.m.
For more information on upcoming library programs, special events and services, drop by your local library branch, follow us on Twitter, find us on Facebook, or visit us online at www. parl.ns.ca.
Happy Halloween!