Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 64 pages, ages 4-8). Aggie is happy to be living on her own for the first time, and then the ghost arrives. Not only is this ghost annoying, stealing socks and eating cheese, but he refuses to follow any of Aggie’s rules. Finally, they agree on a game of tic-tac-toe to determine if the ghost has to stay or go. Although ghosts are very good at tic-tac-toe, and all the other ghosts come out to watch, it ends up being a tie. Finally, Aggie posts a very long list of rules, and the ghost breaks every one before moving out. At first, Aggie is relieved, but it’s pretty quiet living by herself, so she makes one final rule, “Don’t ever visit me from time to time.” She knows the ghost will break the rule, which he does, and they’re both happy with this arrangement. The book concludes: “And though it would be nice to say they became best friends, they did not,” accompanied by an illustration of half-eaten cheese.

Along about the time the man-faced owl showed up to declare the tic-tac-toe competition a draw, I started to feel like I was in the midst of a long, strange dream. But it was a funny, interesting dream with lots of good visuals and even a little lesson at the end in the art of compromise. Kids will be intrigued by it, and everyone can agree on the merits of a ghost story.

Bob the Vampire Snail by Andrea Zuill (Random House Studio, 40 pages, ages 4-8). Snails prefer a dull, uncomplicated life–they’re all named Bob, because it’s just easier. But one night, a snail named Bob has a mysterious, disturbing experience that turns him into a vampire. It takes him a while to get used to his new powers. Some are fun, like flying; some are difficult, like not being able to figure out what to eat (spoiler alert: tomatoes), and some are just weird, like sleeping upside down. The other snails stay away, but one day Bob discovers a worm who’s had a similar experience, and the two become fast friends and live happily ever after…literally, we can presume.

Sink your teeth into this satisfying–and hilarious–snail vampire story, perhaps the first in human history. Not only is Bob’s story fun, but a bug appears on many pages, offering humorous facts and commentary on vampires and snails. This would make a great read-aloud during the Halloween season: funny, creepy, but not at all scary.