It’s a BOO-tiful Day in the Neighborhood!
Scare Up Some Halloween Fun at Your Yorktown Public Library!
What happens to our brains when we feel fear? According to an October 2022 post by the Cleveland Clinic, our brains are hardwired to be scared and many people enjoy being frightened, provided they are not in any real danger. The article highlights the following about your brain and body’s reaction to fright:
- Your adrenal glands get a signal from the amygdala (the part of our brain that signals our fight or flight response. Adrenaline and cortisol (both stress hormones) are produced.
- Your heart rate increases along with our blood pressure-cue the goose bumps!
- Your pupils dilate so you can see more clearly the impending threat.
- Digestion and any other physical process that will not assist you in your survival mode temporarily ceases
So, with all of this turmoil going on with the brain and body when frightened, you have to wonder why so many of us choose to feel this way. When we choose to participate in frightening activities, we’re manipulating our brains into a series of chemical reactions that make us feel good momentarily.
The above mentioned article pointed out that the mechanism that distinguishes good fear from bad fear is the perception of safety. Scary movies, true crime stories and haunted houses tap into that “good fear”. We understand that there’s an end to those experiences. The creature in the movie is not going to catch us and the monsters in the haunted house are just people in costumes, but it still rings those bells for increased adrenaline, endorphins and dopamine. You experience the euphoria because you know you’re safe.
Please note: The primary difference between good and bad fear is the feeling of danger. Small children are not able to distinguish between real danger and make-believe danger, which is why children should be shielded from certain scary content.
Now that we know why we get scared and why we like it (to varying degrees, thank you very much!), what will you choose to watch or read for a frightfully fun Friday night? Your Yorktown Public Library can help you scare up some good material.
IN THE DVD COLLECTION:
Of course, when discussing scary movies, the top of the list must include the quintessential movie of the season:
In 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally killed his older sister. The silent child was incarcerated in the Smith's Grove Sanitarium under the care of psychiatrist Sam Loomis. Michael's hometown of Haddonfield was slowly beginning to forget the tragic crime. That is until Loomis returns to the town to warn them of Myers' escape from Smith's Grove. With Michael set on killing a group of high school students, Loomis gets the hesitant town sheriff to help him stop Michael before it's too late. Rated R
Life is very pleasant for a California family until a host of other-worldly forces invades their peaceful suburban home. Their house is turned into a supernatural sideshow, and if the family doesn't clear out, they will be swept off into nightmarish chaos. Rated PG13
The Haunted History of Halloween
Join Harry Smith of CBS's The Early Show as he leads this 3,000-year expedition through the history of the characteristically pagan holiday of Halloween. Discover how the "trick-or-treat" custom originated during the harvest festivals in ancient Ireland when food and sweets were used to coax the dead into remaining in the spirit world. Learn how Christianity tried to co-opt the celebration by turning it into All Saints Day, but how the underlying-- and sometimes controversial-- dark elements of the holiday have survived. This DVD is not rated.
A Nightmare on Elm Street (A Nightmare on Elm Street #1)
When her best friend Tina is brutally murdered, teenager Nancy suspects the killer isn't Tina's boyfriend but rather a much more horrifying figure from her dreams. Convinced that this vicious murderer is stalking her friends and killing them as they sleep, Nancy enters a desperate race against time to bring him out of her dream world and stop the bloodbath ... before she falls asleep and becomes his next victim. Rated R
After moving to Salem, Mass., teenager Max Dennison explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani and their new friend, Allison. After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy) who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches' book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal. Rated PG
What's a couple of stay-at-home ghosts to do when their beloved home is taken over by trendy yuppies? They call on Beetlejuice, the afterlife's freelance bio-exorcist. Special features include Beetlejuice cartoon episodes and theatrical trailers. A Tim Burton film. Rated PG
It's Halloween, and leave it Angelica to stir up trouble! She has managed to convince the babies that whatever they are dressed as on Halloween, they will turn into the next day. Chuckie's not too happy to think he will be a werewolf forever. Of course, if the babies give Angelica all their candy, they will return back into "regular babies" again. Rated G
Curious George: A Halloween Boofest
Hang on to your hats and get ready for a spook-tacular good time, with Curious George! Autumn is here, bringing colorful leaves, hay rides, pumpkin patches and the annual Boo Festival. After hearing about a legendary scarecrow who steals hats, the inquisitive monkey and his friends set out to find him. It's a bewitching treat for the whole family. Rated G
The wry, comic romantic tale follows the Owens sisters as they struggle to use their hereditary gift for practical magic to overcome the obstacles in discovering true love. Rated PG13
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
This 30-minute program was first telecast October 27, 1966. It's Halloween in Peanuts land. Charlie Brown is thrilled that at last he's been invited to a costume party. Linus makes preparations for the arrival of The Great Pumpkin, whom he believes will rise from the pumpkin patch and deliver presents to all the good little boys and girls. At episode's end, Charlie Brown finds himself with a trick-or-treat bag full of rocks and Linus spends the entire night in the pumpkin patch, waiting in vain for the arrival of the Great Pumpkin. Rated G
IN THE ADULT COLLECTION:
A Winter Haunting (Summer of Night #2) by Dan Simmons
Dale Stewart's life has become a shadow of what it once was. A respected college professor and successful novelist, he sabotaged his career and his marriage with an obsessive love affair that ended badly. With darkness closing in on him, Dale decides to return to his boyhood home in Illinois. Drawn by a recurring nightmare that has plagued him since his youth -- and a troubling certainty that something is waiting for him there -- he hopes to exorcise his demons. In the last hours of Halloween, he reaches the outskirts of the dying town of Elm Haven. There, he moves into the abandoned farmhouse that was once the home of his closest boyhood friend, the strange and brilliant Duane McBride, who lost his young life in a grisly "accident" back in the terrible summer of 1960. Dale settles in for the long, harsh winter. But he is not alone. Soon after he arrives, cryptic messages begin appearing mysteriously on his computer screen while he struggles to work on his novel.
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
Imogene is young, beautiful . . . and dead, waiting in the Rosebud Theater one afternoon in 1945. Francis was human once, but now he's an eight-foot-tall locust, and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing. John is locked in a basement stained with the blood of half a dozen murdered children, and an antique telephone, long since disconnected, rings at night with calls from the dead. Enjoy this award winning collection of short fiction.
Agatha Raison and the Haunted House (Agatha Raison Mysteries # 14) by M.C. Beaton
Just back from an extended stay in London, Agatha Raisin finds herself greeted by torrential rains and an old, familiar feeling of boredom. When her handsome new neighbor shows up on her doorstep, she tries her best to ignore his obvious charms, but his sparkling black eyes and the promise of adventure soon lure her into another investigation. Paul has heard rumors about Agatha's reputation as the Cotswold village sleuth and wastes no time offering their services to the crotchety owner of a haunted house. Whispers, footsteps, and a cold white mist are plaguing Mrs. Witherspoon, but the police have failed to come up with any leads, supernatural or otherwise. The neighbors think it's all a desperate ploy for attention, but Paul and Agatha are sure something more devious is going on. Someone's playing tricks on Mrs. Witherspoon, and when she turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Agatha finds herself caught up in another baffling murder mystery.
IN THE YOUNG ADULT COLLECTION:
The Black Witch (The Black Witch #1) by Laurie Forest
Elloren Gardner is the granddaughter of the last prophesied Black Witch, Carnissa Gardner, who drove back the enemy forces and saved the Gardnerian people during the Realm War. Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above all else. When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren joins her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University to embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother's legacy.
Akata Witch (Akata Witch #1) by Nnedi Okorafor
Twelve-year-old Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born American. Her features are African, but she's albino. She's a terrific athlete, but can't go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing--she is a "free agent" with latent magical power. Soon she's part of a quartet of magic students, studying the visible and invisible, learning to change reality. But will it be enough to help them when they are asked to catch a career criminal who knows magic too?
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
After fifteen-year-old Chloe starts seeing ghosts and is sent to Lyle House, a mysterious group home for mentally disturbed teenagers, she soon discovers that neither Lyle House nor its inhabitants are exactly what they seem, and that she and her new friends are in danger.
IN THE ADULT AND TEEN GRAPHIC NOVEL COLLECTION:
Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb
Batman races against time as he tries to uncover who the mysterious murderer who kills only on holidays is… before the next victim is taken.
IN THE MUSIC CD COLLECTION:
An array of screams, howls and spooky sound effects to greet trick-or-treaters and to put chills down party goers' spines!
Monster Mash and other Songs of Horror
The Orlando Pops Orchesta bring you Monster Mash, In the Midnight Hour, Purple People Eater and many more Halloween themed songs. Perfect for your Halloween party!
IN THE CHILDREN'S COLLECTION:
The Haunted Library (Haunted Library #1) by Dori Hillestad Butler
When ghost boy Kaz's haunt is torn down and he is separated from his ghost family, he meets a real girl named Claire, who lives above the town library with her parents and her grandmother. Claire has a special ability to see ghosts when other humans cannot and she and Kaz quickly form a friendship. The two join forces to solve the mystery of the ghost that's haunting the library. Could it be one of Kaz's lost family members?
The Boxcar Children Halloween Special by Gertrude Chandler Warner
A set of three mysteries--The Mystery of the Singing Ghost, The Mystery at Skeleton Point, and The Mystery of the Mummy's Curse.
Halloween by Jerry Seinfeld
This nostalgic view of Halloweens past will ring true with everyone who remembers the trials and tribulations of trick-or-treating—from the stupid masks with thin gray rubber straps and cheap little staples to the humiliation of having to wear a winter coat over your store-bought Superman costume. Like Jerry's standup routines, Halloween focuses on the minutiae and will make you laugh even if you try to resist.
John Pig’s Halloween by Jan L. Waldron
John Pig is too shy and scared to go trick-or-treating with his pals? Halloween makes him nervous. But then, with an odd crash landing, a small, pie-baking witch arrives. Her culinary delights soon attract a houseful of creepy characters who fortify John Pig with their friendly, well-meaning foolishness. After partying with this crowd, trick-or-treating seems like a piece of cake! Fans of the popular Angel Pig and the Hidden Christmas will not be disappointed by Jan Waldron's rhythmic romp. It's perfect for children who are a bit afraid of Halloween and want to stay at home, as well as for those who love to go out and say Boo!
Moonlight: The Halloween Cat by Cynthia Rylant
Softly padding through the darkness, Moonlight explores the world on her favorite night, Halloween. The town and countryside glow with shining stars. The wide yellow moon lights pumpkins, raccoons, and children out having fun. Told in eloquently simple, lyrical words, with dazzling, luminous paintings, Moonlight evokes not just the excitement of Halloween, but something more -- the reassuring warmth and friendliness that is a special part of this special night.
The Case of the Haunted Ghost ( Hank the Cowdog #9) by John R. Erickson (audiobook)
Hank the cowdog has one of the scariest adventures of his life when he and his cowardly companion, Drover, find themselves in a strange and spooky place on Halloween night.
ON THE LIBBY APP:
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (Audiobook)
Make story time a little spookier with fantasy master Ray Bradbury as he takes readers on a riveting trip through space and time to discover the true origins of Halloween. This junior fiction story takes you on a journey with the shadowy Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud as he takes eight trick-or-treaters on an unforgettable journey to find their missing friend, Pip. Travel through space and time, from the tombs of ancient Egypt to the gargoyles of Notre-Dame Cathedral, all the way to the cemeteries of Mexico on el Día de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Is Pip still alive? And if so, can his friends save him from a ghastly fate before it's too late?
Halloween Is by Gail Gibbons (Audiobook)
Discover the origins and history of Halloween traditions and festivities from ancient times to the present day. Pumpkins, candy, costumes and decorations, Halloween is a celebration that provides all kinds of spooky fun.
Hello Halloween! Halloween Crafts: DIY Halloween Costumes in One Hour! DIY Halloween Home Decorations and DIY Halloween Gift Ideas (eBook) by Lisa Bowman
Do not get left behind even if you do not have costume ideas or you did not get enough time to get gifts for friends and family. If you are on a budget and you really want to decorate your house for Halloween and even wear a costume, then this book is for you. You will not even spend more than $100. You can make your own costume at home and you do not need to waste money buying a ready-made one.
With so many spine chilling choices to sink your fangs into, visit your Yorktown Public Library soon and browse the collection for bewitching material sure to cast a spell on you.
Make no bones about it. Visiting your Yorktown Public Library is a real treat!
Looking for more Halloween fun? Be sure to join us for Halloween at the Library on October 31!