First-chapter Friday, Halloween edition

Each Friday that school is in session, I share the link to a read-aloud preview of a book from SRCSA library. For Oct. 31, 2025, I shared previews for Pet, by Akwaeke Emezi; Serafina and the Black Cloak, by Robert Beatty; and Hoodoo, by Ronald L. Smith.

Pet, by Akwaeke Emezi
Jam and her best friend, Redemption, have grown up being taught that there are no more monsters anymore. But when Jam meets Pet, a creature made of horns and colors and claws who emerges from one of her mother’s paintings, she must reconsider what she’s been told. Pet has come to hunt a monster — and the shadow of something grim lurks in Redemption’s house.
https://youtu.be/SN0twflNBB0

Serafina and the Black Cloak, by Robert Beatty
One night while prowling through Biltmore Estate’s vast basement, Serafina witnesses a terrifying occurrence involving a mysterious man in a black cloak. Now Serafina and her best friend Braeden Vanderbilt must work together to solve a dark and dangerous mystery.
https://youtu.be/O5n75AQFD-Q

Hoodoo, by Ronald L. Smith
Twelve-year-old Hoodoo Hatcher was born into a family with a rich tradition of practicing folk magic. But even though his name is Hoodoo, he can’t seem to cast a simple spell. Then a mysterious man called the Stranger comes to town, looking for a boy named Hoodoo. The entire town is at risk from the Stranger’s black magic, and only Hoodoo can defeat him.
https://youtu.be/0RomCaUGWp4

First-chapter Friday playlist on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6F1x26TGVFF4Clbqq18kcKCxfxnuDx4w