Wizards, a ghostly horse, and a ghoulish violinist? Oh my! It’s the October issue of creepy Cricket.

You might not think of violinists as particularly bizarre and scary--well, except maybe your music teacher--but the myths, as well as facts, surrounding virtuoso Nicolo Paganini make him the true “Dark Fiddler.” But even the wild Paganini couldn’t fiddle without a bow, and the world’s greatest bow maker, Francois Xavier-Tourte, knew that the slender strip of wood and horsehair was as key to creating beautiful music as the violin itself. What’s it like to be lost in a pyramid? Dark! But if it ever happens to you, you’ll know how to get out if you read “Trapped in a Pyramid!” In part 2 of “A Temple Built by Philosophy,” Claudia attempts to escape the violence and ignorance of ancient Rome with the help of her nearly blind next-door neighbor, who just happens to be the famous philosopher Lucretius. There are lots of wonderful Wizs in “Wizard Trouble.” And if that’s not enough to keep you in goose bumps until Halloween, you’ll ride a ghost horse to glory in “Star.” Whoa!