This one was rough for Kaden to get through. I forget sometimes that just because he can read it doesn't mean developmentally he can handle it. For a typical child this would have been super cool to read especially this time of the year. I was the main reader and improvised when the spots seemed to scary. Through the whole book Kaden was latched on to me and if I came to a stopping place he begged for just one more chapter. :) Down bellow I have a fun little scarecrow craft with jars. We decided to make them a little less scary then the ones in the story. :)
Story Details:
After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.
Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.
Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."
This is a super simple project that you can do at any age. I have done this at a Harvest Party with a battery operated tealight down in the center of the jars.
- mason jar or any jar
- acrylic craft paint
- faux hay from a craft store or yarn
- burlap or gingham ribbon
- large googly eyes or buttons
- fake sunflower
- black permanent marker
- paint brushes
- glue gun
- scissors
After you paint the jar with either a tan or light yellow you can add googly eyes or buttons. Then add a little painted triangle and a squiggly line for a smile. I use a permanent marker to add the "stitching".
For the fun hair.... here you see some hay, but we have also used and almost prefer yarn glued to the rim of the jar. Finally you will need to measure and cut a piece of burlap or ribbon to fit around the top of the Mason jar and secure with hot glue. You may need to snip a few stray strands here and there, but a little unevenness adds to the charm. If you want to add a fake sunflower onto the top or a place card, name tag, dish tag or even a little sign with a greeting of some sort. Just have fun!!!
October 29 –
Always in the Middle – Review
October 30 –
Hapa Bookworm – Creative Instagram Picture + Inspired by the book: Playlist
October 31 –
Four Violet Reviews – Creative Craft Project
November 1 –
The Boy Reader – Classroom students re-enact book scenes
November 2 –
Fables & Wren – Creative Instagram Picture
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