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Hi.

Welcome to This Awful/Awesome Life! My name is Frances Joyce. I am the publisher and editor of this magazine. We'll be exploring different topics each month to inform, entertain and inspire you. Meet new authors, sharpen your brain and pick up a few tips on life, love, entertaining and business. Enjoy and please share!

October 2021 Reading Recommendations for Kids by Fran Joyce

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The leaves are turning colors and fall is here with apples, pumpkins, and hayrides.

Kids will be enjoying fall activities and trick or treating for Halloween.

The cooler weather is a perfect time to encourage your children to read.

We have wonderful suggestions for books about fall, Halloween, and National Hispanic Heritage Month.

Pop-Up Peekaboo Pumpkin by DK – Babies and toddlers will enjoy searching for the Black Cat and her friends hiding behind the flaps of this book. For Baby- age 3

The Witch’s Cat and the Cooking Catastrophe by Kirstie Watson – While the witch is out, her cat finds an old cookbook and decides to cook up a lunchtime surprise before she gets home. What could go wrong? For ages 3-6

Don’t Push the Button: a Halloween Treat by Bill Cotter – Kids will love this interactive Halloween book as they treat or treat with Larry and head toward the scary house. What will happen if they dare to press the button? For ages 3 and up

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman – The Witch has grown the biggest Halloween pumpkin ever, but it’s too heavy for her to pick. When her friends, Vampire and Mummy can’t budge it, she fears there will be no pumpkin pie for Halloween. Can tiny bat save the day? For ages 4-8

Pete the Cat Falling for Autumn by James Dean – Pete loves summer and he’s not sure he wants the seasons to change until he discovers the wonders of fall – hayrides, corm mazes, and apple-picking are just the start. For ages 4-8

Fearless Trailblazers: 11 Latinos Who Made U.S. History by Naibe Reynoso – This bilingual book celebrates the contributions to American history by Latinos such as Cesar Chavez (activist), Jose Hernandez (astronaut), Lin-Manuel Miranda (playwright), Jean-Michel Basquiat (artist), Julian Castro 9politician) and more. For ages 5-8

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendes and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh – When Sylvia Mendes and her family moved to Westminster, California, she was excited to enroll in her new neighborhood school, but because her parents were Mexican, Sylvia who was born in the United States and spoke perfect English was told she could only attend a school for Mexicans. In 1947, seven years before the landmark Brown V. Board of Education Supreme Court case that ended desegregation on the national level, The Mendes family sued and ended segregation in California schools. For ages 6-9

Weird but True Halloween: 300 Spooky Facts to Scare You Silly by Julie Beer – Learn fun facts about candy, costumes, pumpkin carving and more. Did you know the U.S. Department of Defense has a plan in case of a zombie apocalypse? Weird but True - For ages 8-12

Nuestra América: 30 Inspiring Latinas/Latinos Who Shaped the United States by Sabrina Vourvoulias – This book is a fully illustrated anthology from the Smithsonian Latino Center. The stories of these individuals include their cultural background, childhood, and the challenges and opportunities they faced while achieving their goals. For ages 8-12

Spooky Food: 80 Fun Halloween Recipes for Ghosts, Ghouls, Vampires, Jack-o-Lanterns, Witches, Zombies and More by Cayla Gallagher – 80 sweet and savory recipes for Halloween. Help your kids create Voodoo Doll Brownies, Glowing Ghost Cake, and Cauldron Hot Chocolate. For kids of all ages and adults

October 2021 in Pictures

October 2021 Reading Recommendations for Adults by Fran Joyce