Kids’ Craic: Happy Haunting!
By Dottie Wenger
Ireland’s Own Bram Stoker!
Abraham (“Bram”) Stoker was born in Dublin, Ireland. As a young child, he was very ill and was unable to walk or even stand until he was seven years old. He overcame his illness and eventually became a gifted football (soccer, to Americans) player as a college student at Dublin’s Trinity College, where he earned a degree in mathematics. Stoker later became an author and wrote many books, the most well-known being Dracula.
In Dublin, Ireland, they hold a festival in Stoker’s honor each year around Halloween. This year, the Bram Stoker Festival will be held Halloween weekend, between October 30th and November 2nd. The four-day event includes interactive and fun activities for all ages.
Kids in the Kitchen: Frankenstein Krispie Treats (photo)
Create this easy “Frankie” treat with just a few ingredients! Start by covering a Rice Krispie Treat with green-tinted frosting. Use candy eyes, and then black writing gel or black licorice for the other features. Chocolate sprinkles work great for Frankie’s “hair”!
Gab in Gaelic!
Orange = Oraiste (pron. oh-rah-shta)
Black = Dubh (pron. duv)
Literature Highlight:
Room on the Broom: A fun-to-read, rhyming story of a nice witch who gives some animals a ride on her broom…but is there enough room for all? Written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler. 
*Dottie taught kindergarten and second grade for thirty-two years. Today, she works in promotions for Yorktown Service Plaza in Parma Heights. Dottie has two grown sons and her hobbies include reading, baking, and participating in 5K events (in order to offset collateral damage from the aforementioned baking pastime).
