Xepherus Reads

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!   For the spooky Halloween season, nothing gets me in the mood for ghosts and goblins quite like Goosebumps. R.L. Stine's fun and scary stories transcend age and have captivated millions of readers. Last year I read the Scarecrow Walks at Midnight and absolutely loved it. This year I am reading a few Goosebumps for the season and Spookathon.   The Haunted Mask is written by R.L. Stine and is published by Scholastic Books. Released for the first time in 1993, this eerie tale of Halloween hijinx introduces us to Carly Beth Caldwell. She is small of stature and the brunt of many jokes from her peers. After eating a worm at school after she is pranked, Carly is fed up. Even at home, her annoying little brother is constantly a thorn in her side. She feels that things need to change. Her best friend, Sabrina, does her best to help Carly Beth out with bullies Chuck and Steve. But the situation is not letting up, esp...

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons!   The Goosebumps Series has been a staple in many a kid's growing up. It has spawned several series, a televiso n show, and recently two films. A worldwide phenomenon , Goosebu mps remains a literary favorite of children and adults alike. For Halloween I decided to pick up a few Goosebumps books. The first one I read was actually the first R.L. Stine book I picked up decades ago. "Reader beware, " Stine warns, "you are in for a scare."   The Sc arecrow Walks at Midnight is the twelfth book in the Goosebumps Series by R. L. Stine. It is published by Scholastic Books . In it we are introduced to Jodi a nd Mark, two kids on their way to visiting their grandparents . They are excite d for the spooky ghost stories and their grandmother's famous chocolate chip pancakes. Arriving at the station they are greeted by Stanley. He is the superstitious and somewhat befuddled grounds keeper of their grandparents...

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,   I am on a Star Wars high lately. Star Wars Celebration has shattered my expectations as to what they would reveal thus far. Trailers, tributes, and new books and comics have had me so excited for what is to come. With that being said,  I wanted to sit down and reflect on the first time I ever saw a Star Wars film.      It was 1980, and I was eight years old. I had been a fan of Star Wars prior to that, but I had never had the chance to see A New Hope on the big screen. My love of Star Wars came from the toys, coloring books, read-along-books, and other merchandising. Finally Empire Strikes Back was released, and I was about to see this amazing new movie that all my friends and the world had been raving about. But we got to the theater late. We came in on the Battle of Hoth just as the AT-AT Walkers began to descend onto Echo Base.   I was very sad that I had missed the beginning. I had no idea what w...