Title: The Halloween Tree
Author: Ray Bradbury
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Narrator: Bronson Pinchot
Growing up, the one thing I looked forward to around Halloween besides the candy I would collect. It was a made for TV movie called The Halloween Tree. As an adult I was missing that movie and went looking for it only to find it had been a book. Of course, I had to read it to see if it was as good as the movie I loved as a child.
This book is just as good as the movie. For the most part they kept everything the same. The only difference I noticed is the number of kids that go on the journey to learn of the history of Halloween.
The story is somewhat educational, taking the reader through the past and around the world. On Halloween, a group of friends look forward to meeting their best friend and collecting all the candy. There is something wrong when they get to his house though. It’s not decorated for Halloween, and when their friend eventually manages to come outside to meet them, he doesn’t look good. He tells them to meet him at what must be the spooky house of the neighborhood no one goes near except as a dare from your friends. From there, they are taken on a journey following the ghost of their friend through time and around the world. You learn of mummies, and visit Notre Dame to learn about the Gargoyles, all in a fun story.
I definitely recommend you pick up The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury; and maybe you’ll create a new Halloween tradition to read this story each year. ?