Layout by Niki S.
- TAG You’re it!
Halloween Edition
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Top 10 scary things
Top 10 haunted places in Canada
Quirky Halloween costume ideas
How did Halloween come to be?
Visit us @ mpl.markham.ca/teens
Top 5 Horror Movies for a Halloween
night-in! By: Niki s.
Thinking of a movie night with friends or family? Well look no further, here’s a list of 10 top
rated Halloween movies that definitely set the tone for your Halloween night.
Halloween Movie 1 – The Ring(2003)
This movie is based on Kôji Suzuki's novel Ring and focus on a mysterious cursed videotape
which contains a seemingly random series of disturbing images. After watching the tape, the
viewer receives a phone call in which a girl's voice announces that the viewer will die in seven
days. It has all the chills and creepers to make even the hard nuts crack. It is traditionally and
morally certified horror and is definitely a must-watch on Halloween.
Halloween Movie 2 – The Exorcist (1973)
The Exorcist is a movie based on the exorcism case of Robbin Mannheim, dealing with the
demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her
daughter through an exorcism conducted by two priests. It is undoubtedly one of the first and
truly scary horror movies by director William Friedkin.
Halloween Movie 3 – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
A very grim movie where a bunch of teens take a wrong turn in Texas and come across a
weirdly dysfunctional family which soon becomes a threat to their survival. They are stalked
and hunted down by a deformed killer with a chainsaw in order to sustain his poor family who
can only afford to eat what they kill. This well-acted film with a suspenseful plot is definitely on
the top 5 list of must-see Halloween movies.
Halloween Movie 4 – Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)
A Nightmare on Elm Street is an American slasher film based around the storyline that
revolves around several teenagers who, if they fall asleep, will be murdered by Freddy Krueger
in their dreams, and will not wake up to reality. The movie is counted among the masterpieces
of the horror genre, which had always paralyzed the audience with fear.
Halloween Movie 5– Psycho (1960)
Psycho is an American psychological thriller film depicting a story that took place in a small
motel. A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters
a young motel proprietor who is psychologically under the domination of his mother.
This film is a true masterpiece as Hitchcock plays beautifully with the script and the
screenplay to portray the monsters within. No reviews or introductions are needed. This movie
just has to be experienced.
How did Halloween come to be?
By: Niki S.
Ghosts, witches, monsters, evils, elves. Are these stories a myth or there is a
blend of some reality? Come and plunge into the Halloween history to unfold
yourself the age-old veil of mysticism draped around it.
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31; it has its
origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain.
The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in
Gaelic culture. Samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock
of supplies and prepare for winter. The ancient Gaels believed that on October
31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped
and the deceased would come back to life and cause sicknesses and harmful
incidents.
It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of
costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful
spirit and thus avoid harm. In Scotland the spirits were impersonated by
young men dressed in white with masked, veiled or blackened faces.
Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and slaughter
livestock for winter stores. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. All
other fires were doused and each home lit their hearth from the bonfire. The
bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames. Sometimes two
bonfires would be built side-by-side, and people and their livestock would
walk between them as a cleansing ritual.
This festival was brought to North America by the Irish, and later on became
one of our annual celebrations – Halloween.
Top 10 Haunted Places in Canada
By STEVE ENGLISH FOR WWW.CAAMAGAZINE.CA/CAADVICE_ARTICLEDETAIL.ASPX?CONTENTID=366
Just about every neighbourhood has an old, spooky house that the local kids steer clear of on
Halloween night. But for some places in Canada, the creep factor is off the charts and
otherworldly presences are a year-round occurance. Ghostly voices, strange visions and objects
that move on their own are just some of the symptoms afflicting our country’s most ghost-friendly
haunts. If you’re looking for an authentic encounter with the supernatural this All-Hallows, we’ve
got you covered. Travel advisory: Don’t go alone.
Billy Bishop Legion Hall (Vancouver, B.C.)
Considered one of the most haunted places in the world by the editors of Ghostvillage.com, Royal
Canadian Legion Branch #176 is allegedly haunted by the ghost of a painter and former
legionnaire, Ted Hoskinson. His unfinished portrait of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery still
hangs in the lounge’s northeast corner.
Empress Theatre (Fort MacLeod, Alta.)
A rare scratch-and-sniff haunting, the playful hijinks of the Empress Theatre phantom—
nicknamed ―Ed‖ by actors and employees who claim to have encountered him—are frequently
accompanied by the distinct aromas of alcohol, tobacco and… manure. Believed to be the ghost of
a former caretaker who enjoyed a tipple, Ed is harmless, but does like to make a bit of a mess.
Government House (Regina, Sask.)
Rumoured to be inhabited by several ghosts—including crying infants and laughing children—
the most famous and notorious phantasmal occupant of Government House is Howie, said to be
the spirit of Lieutenant-Governor Archibald McNab’s former cook. More fussy than frightening,
Howie busies himself by moving objects in the kitchen, padding around the back stairs and even
critiquing the dining room furniture.
Fort Garry Hotel (Winnipeg, Man.)
This luxury downtown hotel has been a fixture of the Winnipeg skyline since 1913 and is the scene
of several alleged hauntings. Dark apparitions appear in rooms on the second floor, and the ghost
of a murdered woman is said to haunt the sealed-up underground tunnels that connect the hotel
to the nearby train station.
The Olde Angel Inn (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.)
This charming inn and tavern near the shores of the Niagara River is best known for its oldestserving ―resident,‖ the ghost of British Army captain Colin Swayze, who died accidentally in the
cellar during the War of 1812. The pub still flies the British flag over the front door to keep the
notoriously patriotic Swayze from acting up.
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE...
Plains of Abraham (Quebec City, Que.)
They say the lush lawns of the Battlefields Park grow vividly green thanks to the
gallons of blood spilled here during the titanic battle between English and French
troops in 1759. A turning point in the Seven Years’ War, the Battle of the Plains of
Abraham took hundreds of lives, including those of opposing generals James Wolfe
and Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. On cold nights in September, watch for shifting
shadows and the faint aroma of sulphur.
Central New Brunswick Woodsmen’s Museum (Boiestown, N.B.)
The woods near this 15-acre museum are said to be the home of the mysterious
Dungarvon Whooper, believed to be the ghost of a murdered logging-camp cook.
Hunters and loggers have claimed to hear inexplicable blood-curdling howls here
on cold, dark nights, allegedly the cries of the spirit angrily hunting for his killer.
West Point Lighthouse (O’Leary, P.E.I.)
For more than 200 years, witnesses have reported sighting a flaming ship off the
coast of O’Leary. According to local legend, in 1786, the doomed crew of a burning
pirate schooner made a pact with the devil here and were thus doomed to sail the
seas in their cursed vessel for all eternity. On a lighter note, the jolly ghost of Willie,
the lighthouse’s first keeper, is claimed to haunt the West Point Lighthouse Inn.
Mount St. Bernard College at St. Francis Xavier University (Antigonish, N.S.)
An encounter with the Blue Nun is a rite of passage for St. Francis Xavier University
freshmen living in Mount St. Bernard’s Gilmora Hall residence. The apparition of a
nun who jumped off the fourth-floor balcony is said to wander the halls and watch
students sleep, while the ghost of the disgraced priest who drove her to her death
can sometimes be spotted on the hall’s spiral staircase.
Queen’s Road (St. John’s, Nfld.)
One of the most paranormally active streets in all of Canada, Queen’s Road in St.
John’s is allegedly home to at least two ghostly presences. A spectre dubbed ―the
headless captain‖ is said to haunt the overgrown entranceway to an old house,
while the screams of a young girl hanged from the bell ropes at St. Andrew’s Church
can still be heard on stormy nights.
Top 10 Scary Things...
By: Nicolas C.
1. Aren't You Glad You Didn't Turn on the Light?
Strange things happen in the dark, and as this
terrifying story shows, sometimes it's just
better not to know. . .
2. Bloody Mary
They stood in candlelight in front of the
bathroom mirror, chanting "Bloody Mary, Bloody
Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary." The thirteenth
time they said it, something very strange and
frightening happened. . .
7. The Hook
A teenage boy drove his date to a dark and
deserted Lovers' Lane for a make-out
session. After turning on the radio for mood
music, he leaned over and began kissing the
girl. A short while later, the music suddenly
stopped and an announcer's voice came on,
warning in an urgent tone that a convicted
murderer had just escaped from the state
insane asylum. . .
3. The Boyfriend's Death
8. The Fear of Having to Wake Up For School
Parked late at night on an isolated country road,
a teenage girl waits for her boyfriend to return
after going outside to relieve himself. After what
seems like an eternity, she is startled to hear
something scraping across the roof of the
vehicle.
This is probably the scariest thing ever.
4. Devil's Hour
Even if you’re not religious, Jesus died at 3PM;
the reverse hour of that is 3AM ; you better
have a rosary under your bed and pray to not
wake up during this hour!
5. The Clown Statue
A babysitter calls the parents who hired her to
ask if she can cover up the "clown statue" in
the room where she's watching TV because it
disturbs her. The parents tell her to call 911,
grab the children, and get out of the house
immediately!
6. Anteidephobia
The fear that somewhere, somehow, a duck is
watching you.
9. The Kidney Thieves
The crime begins when a business traveler
goes to a lounge for a drink at the end of the
work day. A person in the bar walks up and
offers to buy him a drink. The last thing the
traveler remembers until he wakes up in a
hotel room bathtub, his body submerged up
to his neck in ice, is sipping that drink. There
is a note taped to the wall instructing him
not to move and to call 911. . .
10. The Killer in the Backseat
One night a woman went out for drinks with
her girlfriends. She left the bar fairly late at
night, got in her car and onto the deserted
highway. She noticed a lone pair of headlights
in her rear-view mirror, approaching at a pace
just slightly quicker than hers. .
Quirky Costume Ideas with How-to!
Never too old for free candy and
Halloween!
ONE: BRAIN DONOR
DIFFICULTY: 3/5
PREP TIME: 40 minutes
A scary, messy costume. Perfect.
You'll need:
A regular glass or see-through plastic jar
with lid (must fit ½ of a cauliflower head)
Cauliflower, ½ head
Gauze rolls (approximately 1m) (or toilet
paper)
Red acrylic paint
Victim white shirt
Instructions:
Fill the jar with one cup of water and stir in
red paint. Next, cut the head of a
cauliflower into halves. Make sure it is in
the shape of a half sphere. Put this in the
jar. Using the red paint, dribble some
paint onto the white shirt and smear it
onto the gauze rolls. Let all of this dry.
Finally, wear your blood-spattered shirt
and wrap your forehead with the gauze
rolls until neither your forehead nor hair is
visible. Carry the jar with your ‘brain’ with
you.
TWO: PAPER BAG PRINCESS
Difficulty: 2.5/5
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
Remember The Paper Bag Princess by
Robert Munsch? Same Idea!
You’ll need:
A durable 1mx 0.5mx1m brown bag (I
recommend the brown bags used to throw
away weed clippings and grass)
1 sheet of brown construction paper
1 sheet of yellow construction paper
1 small paper lunch bag
30 cm of brown rope/thick string
By: Ruina Bao
Instructions:
Paper bag dress:
Cut three holes in the big bag along the sides and the
bottom for arms and head. Be creative with how you
cut! Then, make 10 cm cuts around the bottom of
the bag for an added detail to the dress. It should
come out looking like a cool, breezy fringe. Next, use
a sheet of brown construction paper for
embellishments like a belt or a pretty collar. When
wearing this costume, depending on your height,
make sure to wear black or brown tank top and
tights/shorts underneath.
Paper bag crown:
Cut 5 triangles using the yellow paper and depending
on the circumference of your head, a long strip of
yellow paper. Staple each triangle onto the strip and
tape the ends. Voila! The crown!
Paper bag purse:
Hole punch 4 holes into the small paper bag for
handles. Attach 15cm of brown rope to each side
and tightly secure by tying a knot.
THREE: Chick Magnet
DIFFICULTY: 1/5
PREP TIME: 25 minutes
The title says it all!
You’ll need:
Victim black clothing
Yellow or white feathers
A dozen cut out pictures of baby chicks
A sheet of yellow felt
A hot glue gun
This simple costume is quick and funny.
Instructions:
Use the template I’ve given you above and trace 12
chickens onto yellow felt and cut them out. You can
also use the internet to find pictures of baby
chickens and print a dozen of them if you do not
have access to felt. Glue all of the chicks onto the
black clothing, using a hot glue gun. Next, use some
feathers to further embellish your costume.
Top 5 Halloween T.V. Specials/Episodes
Halloweentown
Channel: Family
Description: Halloweentown my favourite Halloween movie. It is about three siblings who discover their
grandmother is a witch and lives in a place called Halloweentown. In Halloweentown, it is Halloween all
year round and everyone is a different Halloween character (zombie, skeleton, ghost, witch etc…). Marnie,
the oldest granddaughter, decides to take her younger brother and sister, without her mo’s permission, to
visit her grandmother in Halloweentown.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Channel: ABC
Description: This holiday classic which first aired in 1966 stars Charlie Brown and his friends. Linus
believes that at midnight on Halloween, a Great Pumpkin appears in the pumpkin patch in their
neighborhood. Linus decides to wait all night to for the Great Pumpkin to visit him, while Charlie goes to a
Halloween party.
Friends ―The One with the Halloween Party‖
Channel: CityTV
Description: This is one of my favourite episodes of Friends in all ten seasons of the show. In this episode,
Monica and Chandler throw a Halloween party at their apartment. Among the guests are Ross dressed as
Sputnik, Joey dressed as Chandler, Phoebe dressed as Superwoman, and Phoebe’s date (guest star Sean
Penn) as the solar system. My favourite scene is when Ross and Chandler (dressed as the Easter Bunny)
have an arm wrestling match to prove who is stronger.
Franklin’s Halloween
Channel: Treehouse
Description: Despite being a senior student, Franklin’s Halloween is still a classic for me. In the episode,
Franklin’s school is having a Halloween party. All of his friends are there and they bob for apples, go trickor-treating, and finally, brave the spooky haunted house.
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble
Channel: Family
Description: This is one of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s first movies. In the movie discover that their
grandmother is secretly an evil witch. She has a moon stone which gives her all of her powers; however
she is using it for bad instead of good. The girls make a plan to steal the moon stone away from their
grandmother.
Have a ―terrifyingly good time‖ watching the above shows!!!
Credits to our talented, amazing
MPL Teen Advisory Group
Members :]
By: Nancy D.
By: Emily S.
By: Lillian L.
Got Question
s…about:
Library progr
ams for teens
?
Volunteer op
portunities?
Teen Advisor
y Group oppo
rtunities?
Reading sugg
estions?
Suggestions
for the teen li
brary collecti
on?
Contact your
local branch
Teen Service
s Librarian!
M
illiken Mills Li
brary
Amy Dolmer
adolmer@ma
rkham.library
.on.ca
Markham Villa
ge Library
Andrea Dunn
adunn@mark
ham.library.o
n.ca
Angus Glen Li
brary
Dante Tang
dtang@mark
ham.library.o
n.ca
OR VISIT US @
mpl.library.ca
/teens