Wakefield library holds story time

By TOM STANKARD

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Wakefield - To escape the rain outside Saturday morning, children gathered at the Wakefield Public Library for story time.

With Halloween coming up, volunteer Bella Schroeder read several Halloween-themed children's books to four children sitting on a colorful rug.

First, Schroeder read "Room on the Broom," written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

While reading, Schroeder told a tale of a witch and her cat riding a broom when the wind blows her hat, her bow and her wand away.

Luckily, three animals find her belongings and return them. All they asked for in return is a ride on her broom.

"Is there room on the broom for me?" Schroeder asked the children while reading.

When Schroeder finished, she opened the cover of "Teeny, Tiny Ghost" and started to read.

Authored by Kay Winters and illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, the book is about a small ghost who gets scared easily.

On Halloween night, strange lights and loud knocks on his door set his felines mewing, and then he has to muster up thecourage and howl and yowl whoever it is away. Despite his best efforts, the visitors cheer and clap. They're his friends from school and then they go trick-or-treating together.

After she was done, Schroeder put a spin on Halloween and read "Jungle Halloween" by Maryann Cocca-Leffler.

WPL director Denise Engel said the children liked the rhyming and colorful illustrations that take jungle characters along as they parade their way to a party.

"It's nothing like you've ever seen, it's a jungle Halloween," Schroeder said while reading.

Lastly, Schoeder read to the children "Halloween Queen," by Joan Holub and illustrated by Theresa Smythe.

In her book, Holub tells a tale about a little girl who's trick-or- treating and too scared to go to a scary house on her route that has the best candy. She gathers the courage to enter the house and finds her friends are having a party.

When story time was over, the children played arts and crafts. Using paper plates and pieces of paper, kids made "monsters."

Engel said the kids had fun.

"Halloween is a fun holiday for kids," she said. "They like to be scared, but not all stories have to be scary."