HAVE SCARY FUN WITH HALLOWEEN THIS YEAR.

I'll be bringing you a list of the best Halloween fun this week and next (and let me tell you, there is a LOT going on this year!), so shake your bones and let's party!

• Houston Zoo - "Zoo Boo!", Saturday, 10/25 and Sunday, 10/26, 9am-4pm
  
  
• Houston Museum of Natural Science - "Tricks, Treats & T-Rex", Saturday, 10/25, 10am-2pm
  
  
• The Health Museum - Haunted House 4D Halloween film, Saturday, 10/25, 11:30am
  
  
• Discovery Green - Halloween Mask-Making Workshop, Saturday, 10/25, noon
  
  
• Casa Ramirez - "2008 Day of the Dead Exhibit" reception, Saturday, 10/25, 6-9pm
  
  
• Armand Bayou Nature Center - "Creepy Crawlers", Saturday, 10/25, 6-9pm
  
  
• Children's Museum of Houston - "Tricks and Spells WonderWeek", 10/23–10/30

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! “INPRINT READINGS ON THE GREEN” HOSTS FIRST LADY ANDREA WHITE READING ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 AT 7PM.

Next Wednesday, Houston First Lady Andrea White will be reading from her new children’s novel Window Boy with gifted young writer Jemma Leech. The reading takes place at Houston’s Discovery Green, in downtown Houston at 1500 McKinney, near the main stage of the park. The reading is free and open to the public and is followed by a book sale and signing.

Andrea White’s thoughtful new children’s novel follows 12-year-old Sam Davis as he moves from his home, where he has spent his life watching the world through his window, to Stirling Junior High. This is where Sam - a boy with cerebral palsy who is only able to move his right hand and tongue - experiences the joys and pain of that world first hand. His constant companion, through it all, is none other than Winston Churchill.

White’s first children’s book, Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083, received rave reviews and won the Golden Spur Award from the Texas State Reading Association for the best book by a Texas author. White is also an active community volunteer: among other things, she and husband Mayor Bill White partnered with HISD to start the program “Expectation Graduation”, which encourages kids to stay in school.

White will be joined on Wednesday with 11-year-old Jemma Leech, who was born in London and is now a 6th grader at Pershing Middle School. Jemma -- who has cerebral palsy and little control of her body -- was the first place winner (out of more than 1,600 entries) of the 16 and under “Write Up Your Street” competition while she was a 5th grader at Mark Twain Elementary. Her winning entry stunned everyone with its imagery, craft and finesse. The prolific Jemma has had a passion for reading and writing most of her life, and her intellectual gifts are evident in the sophisticated body of poetry and prose she has already completed. To communicate, she uses a special keyboard on which she types using a xylophone stick, facilitated by her mother and her assistant at school.

For more information, visit www.inprinthouston.org or call 713.521.2026.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS! HITS THEATRE PRESENTS AN “AMERICAN GIRL FASHION SHOW®”.

On Saturday, November 15 and Sunday, November 16, the “American Girl Fashion Show®” comes to Houston. Hosted by HITS Theatre at the Junior League of Houston ballroom at 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, this is your opportunity to celebrate with our 70 models the experience of being a girl, whether yesterday or today, through a colorful presentation of historical and contemporary fashions.

This is the event not to be missed by any American Girl fan! For as little as $40 per person, you can be a part of this fun-filled show for girls and their families, friends and favorite dolls. Come and learn how clothing has changed over the years to reflect history, culture and girls’ individual styles. Enjoy a sit-down meal at tables for 10 in an elegant yet casual atmosphere and watch your favorite dolls be escorted down the runway. Choose among four possible sittings: breakfast from 10am-noon or lunch from 1-3pm on Saturday, November 15; or lunch from 1-3pm or tea from 4-6pm on Sunday, November 16.

Guests can purchase VIP Party Tables for 10 ensuring runway seating for the best possible view, special Mother Daughter Memories for Two package, raffle tickets, or even the opportunity for your little girl to become a VIP model during the event. For the ultimate American Girl experience, become an exclusive sponsor for one of the four seatings, which will give you the best table in the house, a backstage tour and a special gift. You can arrive 30 minutes before or linger after the show to enjoy shopping in the American Girl Marketplace for souvenirs, books and merchandise or have your photograph taken with one of our models by a professional photographer. Proceeds from the show benefit HITS Theatre.

For more information, call 713.861.7408 or log onto www.hitsfashionshow.com.

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My goal is to serve as an information resource for Houston parents through my various endeavors, including:

• GISH PICKS, which is online (www.thesummerbook.com/gishpicks_archive.html) and in print through the Houston Community Newspaper group (www.hcnonline.com);
  
  
• THE SUMMER BOOK®: A GUIDE TO HOUSTON DAY CAMPS AND CLASSES FOR KIDS AND TEENS (www.thesummerbook.com) which comes out annually on March 1 and is sold at bookstores all over Houston, including Barnes and Noble and Borders; and
  
  
• SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS, AND ART PROGRAMS that cover topics such as summertime fun, passion-finding (for adults, children, and parents helping their children), marketing, historic preservation, art classes, and activism. All of these services can be tailored for any audience and budget.

The purpose of GISH PICKS is to help parents become aware of all the fun things they can do with their children in Houston and the surrounding area, so HAPPY TRAVELS! Please do give me feedback and ideas, as you are out there in the trenches also looking for interesting things for your family and I want to hear what you find. If you are having trouble getting to a website listed here, try hitting the “Ctrl” button and left-clicking on the web address, which should make it “live”.