The Challenge Continues . . . Buckeye Book Award Reading Challenge 1983

And the reading challenge continues!  As stated in a previous post, my librarian friend Ashley Lambacher of the Book Talker and I are hosting the Buckeye Book Award Reading Challenge.  Our goal is to read all the past winners from the children’s book category in chronological order from 1982 to the present.  I will read the K-2 picture book winners and Ashley will read the 4-8/3-5 chapter book winners.  Today I continue my challenge by reading the second winner of the K-2 Buckeye Book Award in 1983, Grandpa’s Ghost Stories by James Flora.

Grandpa’s Ghost Stories remains one of the best scary books of all times.  It’s about a young boy listening to ghost stories on his grandfather’s lap during a thunderstorm.  Grandpa describes his own adventures of finding a skeleton in a sack, being trapped in the Warty Witch’s cave, and held captive by a witch and her werewolf before wishing himself back to the safety of his own home.  Author and illustrator, James Flora’s haunting tale still gives me the shivers.  I find the part when the children are being turned into spiders particularly disturbing.  But the story truly comes to life with Flora’s eerie illustrations.  The pen and pencil sketches are enhanced with the monochromatic blue coloring.  The spooky images set the thunderstorm and midnight-hour feel beautifully.  I remember reading and loving this book as a child.  As a reread it as an adult, I appreciate the ghost stories and haunting images with more depth than I did as a child.  It remains a classic and noble winner of the K-2 Buckeye Book Award in 1983. And don’t forget . . . the ghost stories continue in a follow up titled, Grandpa’s Witched Up Christmas – also a memorable creepy tale with the same eerie imagery. 

Ashley, what Buckeye Book Award winner are your currently reading?  Can’t wait to hear your take on the 1983 chapter book winner.

Would you like to join Ashley and I as we read through Ohio’s award winning books?  We welcome any and all who are interested in participating in this fun reading challenge.  For more information, see my post on 4/27/15.