Halloween in July! A Guest Post by Jen Anyong

My sister may be the one obsessed with Halloween, but I’m not above enjoying the occasional ghost and ghoul in the summertime months. With that in mind, today we host author Jennifer Anyong and her guest post on classroom connections:

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When I approached Betsy with some talking points on my debut picture book, The Ghost Who Saved Halloween, she generously offered me a guest spot on the Fuse #8 Blog. I was instantly elated—something I said resonated with her? Sheesh!

But, that elation quickly pivoted to the gravity of this opportunity: here is my chance to show the School and Library folks there’s more to Ghost than it appears.

This otherwise “commercial” picture book is actually packed with a secret power —one perhaps no one expects…  The Ghost Who Saved Halloween could actually help lay a rich foundation for future learning.

Thanks to the many wonderful teachers I had across my educational journey, I’m deeply inspired by classic literature. You might say The Ghost Who Saved Halloween is a fractured fairytale classic wherein I’ve taken the spirit (and more, Bwah ha ha) of Edgar Allan Poe’s renowned narrative poem, The Raven, but created an entirely new story.

When you read Ghost, you’re not only entertaining listeners with clever humor or showing how Ghost uses persistence and determination to ultimately save Halloween for his community… You’re also introducing lines—sometimes verbatim—from The Raven, which students typically encounter in their middle school curriculum. And that was on purpose.

My theory: Infusing a picture book with the vocabulary and themes of a classic provides a critical introduction for young readers and listeners, making the classic’s text more accessible upon their next encounter on their academic journey.

Now, let’s get technical…

I discovered a commentary authored by Robert Pondiscio, a senior visiting fellow at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute. He’s an education policy expert, journalist, author, a former inner-city public school teacher, and a close study of E.D. Hirsch, Jr., a veritable genius on cultural literacy.

I knew Pondiscio was good people when he stated the importance of: 

“exposing children to the widest possible range of stories, subjects, and language as possible. Picture books aren’t just charming artifacts of early childhood…They are the foundation of literacy, cultural knowledge, and cognitive growth.”  

My takeaway: exposure is the foundation of literacy. Early exposure to a classic like The Raven through a picture book like The Ghost Who Saved Halloween could make a real impact in terms of literacy, cultural knowledge, and cognitive growth.

Pondiscio goes on to say:

 “The stories, vocabulary, and archetypes embedded in picture books provide the background knowledge children need to make sense of more complex texts later on. In this way, picture books are not just an entry point to literacy—they’re a child’s first curriculum.”

Families reading The Ghost Who Saved Halloween year after year may actually be providing vital background knowledge, building a bridge from holiday fun to future comprehension of the more complex text.

Teachers and librarians who use Ghost and its Classroom Companion may be empowering their students to better-receive and decode the complexities of Poe when they get to middle school.

I ran across even more support from Sara Marye of The Stellar Teacher Company. She said:

“Research shows that prior knowledge acts like Velcro in the brain. The more students know about a topic, the more new information sticks.”

Is it too bold to suggest that prior knowledge gained from The Ghost Who Saved Halloween could be that Velcro!? Methinks not!

And then Pondiscio brings it home:

“E.D. Hirsch, Jr…has long argued that reading comprehension…depends heavily on what the reader already knows…[and] is impossible without background knowledge. Picture books…build familiarity with cultural references, settings, and concepts that will reappear in literature, history, and science classes for years to come.”

It’s possible that familiarity will build from Ghost’s cultural references, spooky setting, and verbatim lines and language, easing readers into The Raven’s more complex text.

Now, imagine these students are reluctant readers… When they inevitably encounter Poe, at the very least, Ghost could serve as a happy wink from their childhood.

I asked middle school ELA teacher Ali Richardson about my happy wink idea, just to see if it had legs. She said:

“I love it when kids see a connection to something they’ve read before. It’s always fun, like they’re ‘in’ on something that’s special.”

But what if that happy wink could actually be cultivated into something greater?

Students who are familiar with Ghost could actually come to the desk with their own superpower: resilience. That happy wink could be the very tool that turns the complex text into something manageable, leading to a natural curiosity and even open-mindedness toward the classic. With these powers combined, reluctant readers might even approach the text from a place of genuine interest!

This passion to share the classics with younger audiences stems from my own reluctance toward them as a student. Reading works from a different time always gave me pause. And, if I’m being honest, I think that came from a place of fear.

‘What if I mispronounce a word during a read-aloud?’ ‘What if I interpret it all wrong?’ I often did. Picture me alone in my room reading A Modest Proposal and the rage that permeated the air as I didn’t yet understand the concept of satire.

Now I wonder… Might some of my fears and insecurities been eased by a childhood wink? It’s possible a joyful memory of The Ghost Who Saved Halloween could inspire a student to approach the more challenging text with a spark of delight. Their familiarity could result in more willingness to dive deep into the text, examining it on a level by which it’s worthy.

Despite my fear and pause, my incredible teachers’ passion and resolve helped weave the classics into my heart and mind. They left a lasting impact, and I acknowledge that is some of the most challenging work of all.

Now, I find myself in a position to contribute to this educational process: to help children build a foundation, develop comprehension, cultivate resilience, and engage interest in more advanced text. And I’m above and beyond grateful to be of help!

Educators, this mischievous yet sweet ghost might be a vital piece of a student’s foundation for literacy and literary appreciation. Please join me in introducing a classic to young readers and use The Ghost Who Saved Halloween in your libraries and classrooms.

Work Cited

Picture books lay the groundwork for reading success and cultural literacy. (2025). The Thomas B. Fordham Institute. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/picture-books-lay-groundwork-reading-success-and-cultural-literacy

Marye, Sara. “How to Build Background Knowledge for Reading Success.” Stellarteacher.com, Sara Marye, 4 June 2026, www.instagram.com/p/DZKcd0SEUGt/?img_index=1. Accessed 4 June 2026.

Filed under: Guest Posts