A tale of two sisters who fall under the spell of “a wicked band of goblins,” a graphic novel based on a bestselling series of middle-grade horror stories, and a ghostly visit to Montreal’s Mile End.
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Because goblins, ghouls, ghosts and other creepy apparitions are omnipresent at Halloween, the books below could serve as a timely treat — one that’s sugar-free and won’t rot your child’s teeth.
Into the Goblin Market
By Vikki VanSickle
Illustrated by Jensine Eckwall
Tundra Books
Ages 4 to 8
An homage of sorts to poet Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market, which was published in 1862. Toronto’s Vikki VanSickle has written her own tale of two sisters who fall under the spell of “a wicked band of goblins” travelling from town to town, and does so in a way that makes the story accessible to even the very young.
Beautifully illustrated in black and white, with occasional touches of red, by Jensine Eckwall of Queens, N.Y., Into the Goblin Market is written in rhyme and introduces us to Millie and Mina, who live on a farm and do endless chores. Millie is happy with her life, but Mina longs for excitement and sneaks out one night to visit the Goblin Market. Millie discovers her sister’s absence and sets off to bring her home (wearing a red hooded cape); when she encounters a wolf just inside the market gate, readers can be forgiven for thinking the story has turned into a well-known fairy tale. In truth, VanSickle’s text takes a more surprising turn.
Wicked goblins notwithstanding, the sisters triumph in the end and share a valuable lesson with the rest of us.
Haunted Canada: Graphic Novel, Volume 1
By Joel A. Sutherland
Illustrated by Hannah Barrett, David Bishop, Matt Salisbury and Jenn Woodall
Scholastic Canada
Ages 9 to 12
Subtitled Four Terrifying Tales, this glossy paperback is based on a bestselling Scholastic series of middle-grade horror stories. As a graphic novel, the texts are relatively short and not all that terrifying; the illustrations, however, are creepy and not something most of us would want to pore over just before going to bed.
Masterfully executed, the art was created by four Canadian illustrators: Hannah Barrett tackled Rotting in a Cage, a story about a vengeful corpse; Jenn Woodall illustrated Mandy Lives, about a haunted doll; Isle of Demons was illustrated by David Bishop; and Matt Salisbury illustrated Don’t Get Caught, about an encounter with a scary neighbour who turns out to be dead.
Taxi Ghost
Written and illustrated by Sophie Escabasse
RH Graphic
Ages 8 to 12
This book gives us the story of a young girl who discovers, when she first gets her period, that she has inherited her grandmother’s abilities as a medium — someone who sees and communicates with ghosts. But while Gran uses everything she can think of to keep ghosts at bay, young Adèle embraces her new talents and joins in the efforts of several ghosts to keep a street in Montreal’s Mile End neighbourhood free of a shady developer’s plans to build a massive condo tower. In the process, she endears herself to the ghosts, who use the cars on Montreal streets as personal taxis, having marked those that head to and from their neighbourhoods.
Author/illustrator Sophie Escabasse, formerly of Brooklyn, N.Y., does a great job of depicting Montreal and giving readers relatable, colourful characters — both ghostly and in the flesh.