Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
A Halloween Scare in St. Louis
Werewolves are howling, the moon is shining bright, and monsters are creeping into the streets of St. Louis in the new picture book A Halloween Scare in St. Louis, written by Eric James and illustrated by Marina Le Ray. Vampires, ghosts, and mummies take over the city, and when they decide to hold their Halloween Ball in one boy’s living room, he is (understandably) horrified. But once the boy musters up enough courage to join the party, he finds that even the creepiest of monsters get scared, too. The illustrations give a nod to all of St. Louis’ favorite landmarks, from a baseball game against witches at Busch Stadium to a jack-o’-lantern sipping coffee inside the White Knight Diner.
Wanderville 3: Escape to the World’s Fair
The latest installment of Wendy McClure’s popular Wanderville series for readers 8 to 12 years old, Wanderville 3: Escape to the World’s Fair transports readers to the 1904 World’s Fair. The citizens of Wanderville—all children who live on an orphan train—are on a mission to deliver a mysterious artifact to the fairgrounds. The story, which is part adventure and part history lesson, includes many real exhibits and places from the World’s Fair. “I think historical fiction shows kids that every old thing has a story,” McClure says. “It also helps us appreciate how much modern life has changed, but how we still value the same things—after all, we still like having fun, eating good food, and going to fairs!”
The St. Louis Twelve Days of Christmas
Count down to Christmas St. Louis–style with The St. Louis Twelve Days of Christmas, a new children’s book from local author and illustrator Ryan Nusbickel. Though the Georgia native has lived in St. Louis for 15 years, he’s still captivated by our city’s personality. “I decided to put St. Louis’ quirks together with the cartoons I’ve always loved to draw,” he says. While kids will love the author’s doodle-style illustrations and the story’s quick rhyme scheme, adults will enjoy the countless St. Louis references, including pork steak, frozen custard, and gooey butter cake. Don’t miss the back page of illustrated holiday gift tags with St. Louis jokes.
On the Shelf: As the Gateway Arch turns 50, check out these two books.
- To the Top! A Gateway Arch Story, written by Amanda E. Doyle and illustrated by Tony Waters (Reedy Press), for ages 4 and up
- The Gateway Arch, written by Lisa Bullard (Lightning Bolt Books), for ages 6 and up
