Tag: Sleepy Hollow

The Legend continues…The Horseman

I know I’ve mentioned in the past, I love Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” As a child in NY, my mom would take me to Sleepy Hollow and tell me the story of the legend. I have found memories of visiting the old Dutch Church and wandering the cemetery. Years ago, I went to a reading of the Legend in the old Dutch Church. It was lit only by candlelight with a fire burning in the wood burning stove.

Being in the Church listening to the story felt like I found this magical vortex where reality and story overlap. I dove into the story as it happened around me. I crossed the bridge the horseman couldn’t cross. I stood safely in the old Dutch Church listening. I was a real human and yet I was so far into the legend, I sort of expected to see the headless horseman ride by outside the window. Crossing that secret barrier from reality into the book and the story crossing from pages into the world around me, made me feel a unique connection to the story. In a weird way, I lived it. I’ve been inside those pages.

Embracing the spooky season, I revisit the legend. I rewatch the old Disney cartoon (it’s available on Disney+). I dive into one of my copies of the legend and some years, like this year, I revisit those grounds. I walk the steps of Ichabod, Katrina, and Broms. I stand inside the story and look around.

This year, I was looking for another legend related book. You can visit past reads of the Legend and Legend related books. The incredible librarians at the Ridgefield Library tracked down a copy of Christina Henry’s “Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow” for me. In “Horseman” we meet Ben, grandchild of Katrina and Broms over 30 years after Ichabod disappeared. Broms insists the Legend is just a made-up story to scare off Ichabod. Young Ben doesn’t think much of it, until a child goes missing and is found headless and handless in the woods. Ben has always been told to stay out of the woods and everyone in Sleepy Hollow believes bad things happen when you step off the trail into the woods. Ben is curious and wonders if the horseman might be real and tied to this discovery.

The story is divided into 3 parts. I really enjoyed the first two parts. The third is sadder and while I respect the writing, I wanted a different ending. Just simply personal preference. Others go missing in the story and face a similar horrific demise as the first missing character. We do find out who is stealing the heads and hands of their victims. The horseman does make an appearance of sorts in the story and another surprise character from the original legend appears. The book would be ideal for older teens, not younger readers. It’s gruesome at times but not scary but the gruesome level should definitely be taken into consideration when determining appropriateness (and again why I think older teens and up).

While many books based on popular tales struggle to capture the essence of the initial story, Henry does a good job. It does feel believable as a continuation of the story. If you are looking for a good Halloween spooky read, this is a good one.

Visiting Bookish Locations

Last week, I shared my visit to the Boston Public Garden to see the “Make Way for Ducklings” statue https://onthechildrensshelf.com/make-way-for-ducklings/. Seeing the world inside the pages overlap with the world around you, makes reading so exciting for young readers (and honestly, readers of any age). So I thought I’d share some other books that take place in real places that readers could visit.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving takes place in the small town of Sleepy Hollow in New York. The town embraces their ties to the legend and readers can visit the Headless Horseman’s bridge and the Old Dutch Church. Aside from being one of my favorite stories, Sleepy Hollow is a favorite bookish spot to visit. There are less scary, younger reader versions of the legend.

“Eloise at the Plaza” by Kay Thompson – I read this book when I was little and desperately wanted to live in the Plaza. Eloise is a young girl who lives in the Plaza. She shares her adventures through the hotel, visiting all her friends who work there, and the mischief she gets into. Standing in front of that building, imagining Eloise and her adventures inside, brings the book to life.

“From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E.L. Konigsburg follows Claudia and Jamie who run away from home and stay at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While I’m not condoning running away or sneaking into a Museum and staying there after it closes, definitely take your reader to visit the Museum after they finish the book. There’s so much to see and so easy for readers to see the book come alive all around them.

“A Bear Called Paddington” by Michael Bond follows the adventures of Paddington Bear after he arrives in London from Peru. Visit Paddington Station and see the bronze statue commemorating the book.

While in London, head over to King’s Cross Station to visit Platform 9 3/4 from J. K. Rowlings’ “Harry Potter” series. Young wizards can jump into the book as they attempt to pass through the wall to the most famous train platform in the wizarding world.

“Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery introduces readers to Anne Shirley who has been living in foster care and is mistakenly sent to live at Green Gables with Matthew and Marilla Chutbert. Anne is not the strong boy they wanted, but they realize she is special, and Anne desperately wants to stay with them at Green Gables. I haven’t visited the Green Gables house but a trip to Prince Edward Island to visit Green Gables after reading the book would be incredible for any reader who loves this book.

So many children’s books have direct references to so many wonderful places. When we introduce a young reader to a great book and then (when possible) take them to visit a location from that book, we are strengthening that bond to the story. The reader has then experienced the book both through the words they read, the story they visualized while they read, and the real world location they were able to stand in and look around. Visiting a location from a book gives readers an opportunity to step into that character’s shoes and see at least a small part of the book through their eyes. While we can’t literally climb inside the pages of a book we love, we can visit the places in a few favorite books.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” continues through “The Hollow Trilogy”

Last year, at the Ridgefield Library book sale, I picked up a YA book that takes place in Sleepy Hollow and the author weaves “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” through the story. The book was part of “The Hollow Trilogy” by Jessica Verday (and actually was book 2 but I’m ok with starting in the middle and going back to book 1 later).

The trilogy takes place in the town of Sleepy Hollow. Abbey’s best friend, Kristen, disappears the Headless Horseman Bridge near the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. While everyone believes Kristen is dead, Abbey believes there is something they don’t know about what happened to Kristen. A mysterious young man, Caspian, shows up at Kristen’s funeral. Caspian has secrets but despite those secrets, he makes Abbey feel somewhat normal, until she finds out all that he is hiding. Caspian, along with other characters we meet, has ties to “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”…close ties, really close ties.

The book has a bit of a “Twilight” meets “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” feel to it (minus vampires). What I loved about this YA series is how well Verday incorporated Sleepy Hollow into the book. Having visited the cemetery and the Old Dutch Church, I wanted accuracy in the setting and she achieved that. Abbey would often visit Washington Irving’s grave. I appreciated how well those scenes were written.

I love books that have local landmarks in them. I love seeing the story take place someplace I can literally picture in my mind, and I really love when the author does a great job using those actual locations. This trilogy is a great October read for YA readers. Read the book and visit Sleepy Hollow. Walk the paths behind the Old Dutch Church through Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and feel the book come alive around you. Any time we can experience books in multiple ways, it makes the readers more excited about reading. Check back in next week and I’ll discuss more ways we can have a multi-sensory approach to experiencing great books!