Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers: AWARENESS TOUR: Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal by Ryan Cowan, Illustrated by Halo Rife

Friday, September 25, 2026

AWARENESS TOUR: Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal by Ryan Cowan, Illustrated by Halo Rife - BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY!

Welcome back to Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers!

Today, we're joining The Children's Book Review for a blog tour already in progress featuring a MAGICAL, MYSTERIOUS, and CURIOUS novel that is a perfect fit for the autumnal reading season! That's right. Time to get your SPOOKY 👻 on, and join Elliott, Mr Moonbeam, and a handful of others, as they take on the evil Noir 😈 in a fight for not only YOUR Halloween (and world), but that of Moonstone as well! Ladies and gents, don your most spectacular witchery as we dive between the epages of today's book of choice...

Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal

Written by Ryan Cowan

Illustrated by Halo Rife

Ages: 8-12 | 252 Pages

Publisher: For the Northern Star Publishing (2019) | ISBN-13: 979-8351181905 (Hardback) and 978-1097952779 (Paperback)

About the book...

Elliott attends his third-grade class like any other boy, except that Elliott isn't like any other boy. Endowed with magical powers, Elliott belongs to a secret world called Moonstone—and trouble is brewing. When the evil witch Noir steals The Halloween Crystal, it's up to Elliott and his third-grade teacher, Mr. Moonbeam, to stop Noir from invading the non-magical world on Halloween night. But can Elliott learn to master his powers in time? Designed with 31 chapters so that parents, teachers, and students can read one chapter a day throughout the month of October!

Amazon | Bookshop.org

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Elliott is a young boy just trying to discover his place in the world...all the more complicated by the fact that he's a magical person living in a non magical world. Yeah, he can't exactly tell people about it either.... the magic, Moonstone, others that have powers too. It's a big secret, but it's there to protect those that are non magic... just as his family is part of those tasked with protecting the non magic world. Easy peasy, right? Well... maybe given NORMAL circumstances, but it's heading towards Halloween, and there's this evil 😈 that's trying to pierce the veil between the worlds so they can rule them both, and there's only a handful of people that can stop ✋️ it, and he happens to be one of them. *deep breath* Yep, no pressure... or at least there would be less if he could figure out his powers, and how to control them. Don't worry, things will turn out how they are meant to... but whether it'll be in time it's another story.

From the title to the cover to the story within, when I first caught wind of this book, I knew I had to take a closer look 👀. It's got magic, mystery, friendship, trickery, and oh so much adventure, you may be pulled in by one aspect, but you'll be staying for the whole shebang! I loved watching Elliott gain strength in his powers, and courage in himself. It wasn't easy for him and, with the dangers encroaching, there wasn't any less pressure, but he had the support system he needed to grow. The evil lurking in the shadows was enough to provide that shiver of spookiness, but not enough to frighten or scare younger readers, and the ending was definitely worth the wait! So many pieces come together in just the right way, you'll be spellbound.

All in all, a tale that will strike a chord with the tall and the small for SO MANY REASONS that I've noted, and I'm certain even more that you will too! The writing style makes this approachable for those perhaps even younger than the target audience as the repetition keeps the concepts on target, the character voice clear, and serves as a memory device so you don't get lost in the magic. Oh, and did I mention the 31 chapters? The setup of the book is PERFECT to carry the fun throughout the month of October (a chapter a day, how can you go wrong?), and keep kiddos coming back for more without feeling inundated.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR...

Ryan Cowan grew up in a small town called Middleport, Ohio. He currently lives in Hawthorne, CA. A teacher with more than 20 years of experience, Ryan has taught all grades from K-6. He currently works as an educator in Los Angeles.

Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal is his first children's book. He wrote the accompanying novel study to help parents and teachers improve children's reading comprehension.

Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Amazon Author Page

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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Halo Rife is an illustrator from Middleport, Ohio. She was 15 years old when she illustrated Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal.

Instagram

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Readers who follow along on this virtual book tour will have the chance to win a signed Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal book set!

● Ten winners will each receive a signed hardcover copy of the novel paired with its companion Activity Book.

● One grand-prize winner will receive an exclusive Mr. Moonbeam and the Halloween Crystal T-shirt, plus a signed, out-of-print copy of the original edition featuring its original cover design.

➡️ ENTER HERE ⬅️

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Special thanks to Bianca of The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this title to you and for the ecopy for review! (THANKS!) This post is sponsored by Ryan Cowan. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views. For more information on this author, or the publisher, feel free to click through the links above. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more bookish fun!

TOUR SCHEDULE

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

@thechildrensbookreview

Instagram Reel

Thursday, September 3, 2026

The Starlit Path

Book Review of the Novel & Activity Book

Friday, September 4, 2026

Deliciously Savvy

Book Review of the Activity Book/Novel Study

Monday, September 7, 2026

Country Mamas With Kids