By Robyn Moore, Reference Librarian
Autumn creeps into Texas slowly. First, just a breath of cool air to break the baking heat of the sun, then colorful pumpkins, gourds, and squash sprout up in gardens and farms signaling the harvest season. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) has plenty of books to accompany the spirit of fall and currently has select titles on display. Follow Hummingbird as he grows his own garden in Hummingbird’s Squash, or check out titles such as Easy Gardening, Squash at TSLAC to start planning your own harvest for next year.
Squash and gardening aside, there are also eerie themes to explore. You can read the story of one of the most feared ghosts in Texas in Maya’s Children: The Story of La Llorona. Or, if you dare, peer inside Ghost Lore: A Collection of Ghost, Phantom and Legendary Mysteries, Chiefly of Texas and of Old Mexico for a tale that will send a shiver down your spine. Immerse yourself in Texas’ unique scary legends and learn about the Goatman’s Bridge up in Denton, but if you don’t want to go cryptid hunting and risk an encounter with the vengeful spirit, you can visit from the comfort of the library by looking at Geography of Denton County to find the bridge yourself.
Another spooky Texas legend is that of the ghost town; towns that were once booming but are now completely abandoned. If you stand on Main Street, will you hear the whispers of days past? How do these dead places come to be born? Check out one such place in The Birth of a Texas Ghost Town: Thurber, 1886-1933.
Not all Texas ghosts are scary, though. The Mexican celebration of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is widely celebrated across Texas, too. Families honor those who have already passed on and celebrate their memories. Read more about this tradition in Corridos & Calaveras, a celebration of the music of Día de los Muertos. Or try Mexican American Holidays and Festivities, published by the Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin for a full picture of the celebrations.
Finally, these are some of the last days to observe the famous Congress Avenue Bridge bats in Austin before they fly away to Mexico for the winter. Though many people are spooked by bats, these little creatures are actually our best friends, especially during a buggy summer. Try the Resource Book on Texas Bats: with Special Emphasis on Mexican Free-tailed Bats, Tadarida Brasiliensis to learn more about our seasonal neighbors.
Search the TSLAC catalog for more publications about these and other spooky subjects! more information about access to the titles on display, please contact TSLAC reference services at ref@tsl.texas.gov or call 512-436-5455.
| Title | call number | section | available digitally |
| Maya’s Children: The Story of La Llorona | 398.2 An18m YALL | Ref RR | |
| The Ghost of Sifty-Sifty Sam | 813.54 M467g YALL | Ref RR | |
| Ghosts Along the Texas Coast | 133.1 W671G | MAIN | |
| Haunted Texas: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends | 133.1 W675h 2017 | MAIN | |
| Witchcraft in the Southwest; Spanish and Indian Supernaturalism on the Rio Grande | 133.409789 SI47 | MAIN | |
| Ghost Stories of Old Texas, III | 398.25 F829G 1995 | MAIN | |
| Phantoms of the Plains: Tales of West Texas Ghosts | 398.25 W671p | MAIN | |
| Spirits of San Antonio and South Texas | 398.25 W671S | MAIN | |
| Ghost Lore: A Collection of Ghost, Phantom and Legendary Mysteries, Chiefly of Texas and of Old Mexico | 398.4 Y38g | MAIN | |
| The Haunted Hacienda | 813 C7862h | MAIN | |
| Famous Modern Ghost Stories | 813.5 F211m | MAIN | |
| Humorous Ghost Stories | 813.5 H883g | MAIN | |
| Corridos & Calaveras | 784.4972 T494 OVER-T | MAIN | |
Bat-watching sites of Texas. | P400.8 B31WA 2007 | TXD | |
Resource book on Texas bats : with special [sic] emphasis on Mexican free-tailed bats, Tadarida brasiliensis | P400.8 R312BO | TXD | |
Easy gardening, squash | Z TA245.7 L47 NO.1582 | TXD | |
Bats of Texas | Z TA475.8 B321 2012 | TXD | |
The birth of a Texas ghost town : Thurber, 1886-1933 | Z TA475.8 G289BI | TXD | |
| Brujerías: Stories of Witchcraft and the Supernatural in the American Southwest and Beyond | Z TT422.8 G165BU | TXD | |
| More Spooky Texas Tales | Z TT422.8 T493MO | TXD | |
| Texas ghost stories : fifty favorites for the telling | Z TT422.8 T493TE 2004 | TXD | |
| Mexican American holidays and festivities | Z UA273.7 B471 NO.35 1990 | TXD | |
America’s neighborhood bats : [understanding and learning to live in harmony with them] | Z UA380.8 T887AM | TXD | |
| The Supernatural: Haunted Houses and Legendary Ghosts | C 47.12/2:10 | USD | |
| Recipe cards | HE 20.3202:R 24/3 | USD | |
| Hummingbird’s squash | HE 20.7002:H 88/4 | USD | Yes |
| Garnet Ghost Town | I 53.2:G 18/2 | USD | |
| Halloween Safety | Y 3.C 76/3:11-3 H 15/2 | USD |