| Witches,
Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The
Story of the Halloween Symbols
by Edna Barth, Ursula Arndt (Illustrator)
Witches,
Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols
remains one of the clearest, most accessible explanations of the
history of Halloween around. Edna Barth--author of many nonfiction
holiday books for children--sets her story 2,000 years in the past,
when October 31 marked a joyous harvest festival for the Celts and,
more frighteningly, when potentially evil spirits were unleashed from
the Celtic underworld. Her fascinating account of the events that led
up to modern-day Halloween explore the cringe-worthy history of
witches; where the word jack-o'-lantern comes from (the story involves
someone named Stingy Jack, diabolical deals, turnips, and glowing
coals); the lore of bats, toads, and owls; why orange and black are
the traditional Halloween colors; and how and where people celebrate
Halloween today.
Barth's approach is straightforward and simple, and she doesn't gloss
over (or dramatize) the darker aspects of Halloween's antecedents,
such as the Celts' animal sacrifices and the Salem witch hunts. This
rich study of a once-dreaded and now-lighthearted holiday--laden with
lively, whimsical illustrations by Ursula Arndt--is sure to prompt
children to ask questions about the history of holiday traditions in
general. Perhaps Witches, Pumpkins, and Grinning Ghosts will make them
take a second look at grinning jack-o'-lanterns, trick-or-treating
witches, and other Halloween symbols and customs. A great book for
kids who want to dig a little deeper into our mysterious, spooky past!
(Ages 9 to 12)
Blessings
from the Other Side:
Wisdom
and Comfort from the Afterlife for This Life
by Sylvia Browne, Lindsay Harrison (Contributor)
In Blessings
from the Other Side, bestselling author and renowned psychic Sylvia
Browne offers down-to-earth advice on living in the here and now.
Using her warm, "tell-it-like-it-is" voice, Browne addresses
her favorite lecture-tour topics, such as taking care of unfinished
business with a deceased loved one, finding forgiveness, raising
children, and even coping with the holidays (or
"hell-idays," as she playfully calls them). Each chapter
includes stories of past life encounters as well as anecdotes from
this life. Presumably her cowriter Lindsay Harrison deserves credit
for the well-crafted writing. Browne, however, deserves credit for the
extremely comforting advice in this book. Clearly she wants readers to
forge a stronger relationship with God as they mend broken
relationships, push through their grief, or simply make it through
another overwhelming day. Every chapter offers a nurturing and highly
visual guided meditation exercise as well as a closing affirmation.
--Gail Hudson
About the Author
Sylvia Browne has been working
as a psychic for forty-eight years, and has appeared on Montel, Sally
Jessy Raphael, Unsolved Mysteries, CNN, and Entertainment Tonight. She
is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Adventures of a
Psychic and The Other Side and Back.
Embracing
the Moon:
A
Witch's Guide to Rituals, Spellcrafts and Shadow Work
by Yasmine Galenorn
From
traditional notions such as the idea that a mirror facing a door is a
magical portal, to contemporary ideas like the construction of a
magical collage from magazine clippings, Galenorn successfully
combines the old with the new in this accessible guide to witchcraft.
Emphasis on witchcraft, because from the start, Galenorn firmly states
that she is a witch, not Wiccan, and while she has nothing against
Wicca, she strongly feels the two are not the same. While this
viewpoint may consternate some readers, she has a point. Compared to
the methods of most covens, her work is much less formal, which many
beginners or solitary practitioners will find attractive and which
also makes this a good book to read if you find yourself in a magical
rut. --Brian Patterson
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