Halloween is coming, and do you know what is scarier than a pumpkin head floating all by itself? Seeing how much my book budget has been slashed for next year! AHHHHHHHHH! Perhaps you, too, have limited funds but an unlimited desire for good children’s books.  In the next few weeks, I’m sharing some of my favorite classic books that should be easy to get at your local library, in case you’re finding it tricky to get your hands on all the new books you’d love to have.

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything written by Linda Williams and illustrated by Megan Lloyd is one of those books I can’t resist using every year. Even when she’s followed home by scary things, like two shoes going CLOMP, CLOMP and one shirt going SHAKE, SHAKE, this little old lady is not afraid. In fact, she takes all those scary things and puts them to good use, making a scarecrow to keep crows away from her garden.

This cumulative story is perfect for a feltboard or magnetic board retelling. Cut pieces of felt into the shapes of the shoes, shirt, etc., or draw those objects on paper and glue them to magnets (I always grab extra free magnets from pizza parlors and drugstores just to make magnet stories). Kids can use the pieces to retell the story. Keep the book handy with the pieces so kids can refer back to the book as they retell. I know some teachers who aren’t afraid of anything (though I would never refer to them as little old ladies) who brought in real shoes, shirt, pants, etc. to build a life-size version of this story in their classrooms. Enjoy sharing The Little Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything with your students, but beware: after one reading, you may find your classroom full of shoes that go STOMP, STOMP and many voices saying “More, more!”