Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Bra
Genres
Collection
Publication
Bantam Books (1974), 181 pages
Description
A group of children and a "spirit" go back through time to discover the beginnings of Halloween.
Subjects
Original publication date
1972
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member fooslay
This story is about eight boys who decide to meet their friend Pipkin at an old beat up house for Halloween. The man at the house answers the door and tells them something. They are whisked away on a creepy adventure and Pipkin is lost. I very much enjoyed this book and the way it showed all the
Show More
types of Halloween related holidays. The way Ray Bradbury disguised Pipkin as a miscellaneous person or object and how they figured him out was interesting and clever. I do not think this book could have been better in any way. I would recommend it to any one that knows how to read a book. Show Less
LibraryThing member elenchus
Some books I kill by analysis. With The Halloween Tree I applied a tourniquet.
The Undiscovered Country. Out there. Look long, look deep, make a feast. The Past, boys, the Past. Oh, it's dark, yes, and full of nightmare. Everything that Halloween ever was lies buried there. Will you dig for bones,
Bradbury's voice is singular, stilted and yet perfectly realised. It's recognisably his but modulated for this story, so not identical to The Martian Chronicles. At times almost as though it were blocking for an Elizabethan play, or recitative. But that tone conflicted with the gee-whiz Americana dialogue and un-ironic Our Town setting. The initial reading experience didn't work for me.
Suddenly the day was gone. Night came out from under each tree and spread. [3]
There's great material here, and a convenient summing up of our Hallowe'en mythology, in recent years mostly gobbled up for marketing and costume parties. The idea is inspired: to parallel our myths of death (of the sun: cyclical seasonal death; of people: left with memory ghosts), with the search for the boy Pip, his return after illness, his friends giving up a year of their life against Pip's return. But there were too many instances where Bradbury undermines that mythopeia, bursting the bubble with his knowing skepticism ("witches can't do anything, but they thought they could!"), even as ghosts and spirits propel the story forward. The prose by turns is elegant and evocative, then clunky and juvenile.
Yet for all that, I didn't stop thinking about the story after I finished. I'm taken by the idea of using story to capture cultural history, despite the story Bradbury settled upon not living up to his premise. Just so many Frankenstein parts and the stitches altogether too apparent.
In the end, a book I appreciate better for its parts than the whole. I'll take The Halloween Tree's incantatory history, leave the rest.
//
Mugnaini's stylised illustrations paint their own vision of the story yet fit Bradbury's prose perfectly.
//
I picked up Zelazny's A Night In The Lonesome October at the same time as Bradbury's The Halloween Tree, wondering which of these two books would best fit my impulse for a Hallowe'en read. Intriguingly, I'd not heard of either title before and then they were mentioned almost together. Though clearly different novels, each was warmly recommended in its own way. I was somewhat surprised Zelazny's impressed me more. An oddly poignant reminder that a text will offer an individual experience to each new reader, no matter how similar or sympathetic the interests or backgrounds those readers may share.
The Undiscovered Country. Out there. Look long, look deep, make a feast. The Past, boys, the Past. Oh, it's dark, yes, and full of nightmare. Everything that Halloween ever was lies buried there. Will you dig for bones,
Show More
boys? Do you have the stuff? [32]Bradbury's voice is singular, stilted and yet perfectly realised. It's recognisably his but modulated for this story, so not identical to The Martian Chronicles. At times almost as though it were blocking for an Elizabethan play, or recitative. But that tone conflicted with the gee-whiz Americana dialogue and un-ironic Our Town setting. The initial reading experience didn't work for me.
Suddenly the day was gone. Night came out from under each tree and spread. [3]
There's great material here, and a convenient summing up of our Hallowe'en mythology, in recent years mostly gobbled up for marketing and costume parties. The idea is inspired: to parallel our myths of death (of the sun: cyclical seasonal death; of people: left with memory ghosts), with the search for the boy Pip, his return after illness, his friends giving up a year of their life against Pip's return. But there were too many instances where Bradbury undermines that mythopeia, bursting the bubble with his knowing skepticism ("witches can't do anything, but they thought they could!"), even as ghosts and spirits propel the story forward. The prose by turns is elegant and evocative, then clunky and juvenile.
Yet for all that, I didn't stop thinking about the story after I finished. I'm taken by the idea of using story to capture cultural history, despite the story Bradbury settled upon not living up to his premise. Just so many Frankenstein parts and the stitches altogether too apparent.
In the end, a book I appreciate better for its parts than the whole. I'll take The Halloween Tree's incantatory history, leave the rest.
//
Mugnaini's stylised illustrations paint their own vision of the story yet fit Bradbury's prose perfectly.
//
I picked up Zelazny's A Night In The Lonesome October at the same time as Bradbury's The Halloween Tree, wondering which of these two books would best fit my impulse for a Hallowe'en read. Intriguingly, I'd not heard of either title before and then they were mentioned almost together. Though clearly different novels, each was warmly recommended in its own way. I was somewhat surprised Zelazny's impressed me more. An oddly poignant reminder that a text will offer an individual experience to each new reader, no matter how similar or sympathetic the interests or backgrounds those readers may share.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mstrust
Eight boys go to Pipkin's house to pick him up. It's Halloween and they're dressed in costumes and ready to go, but Pipkin doesn't feel well, so tells them to go to the big scary house in town and he'll catch up. The boys go to the house and find an enormous tree with jack o' lanterns hanging from
I don't know how much interest this story would hold for a kid, either now or when it was first published in 1972. It's meant to explain all the different cultural aspects that make up an American Halloween, but it's written by Bradbury, who I really like, so you have a lot of sorta explanations mixed in with florid language that would likely confuse a child. And he's still using all the 'golly's and 'shucks' of a story set in the 30's. As in Something Wicked This Way Comes, a great book, you have one character who is described as the best, most loved boy, the sweetest of boyhood. Bradbury romanticized boyhood to a weird degree, even to the point where he couldn't include a single girl, not even for the character dressed as a witch. Even the witch was a boy.
Show More
each branch, and a strange man who offers to show them what Halloween is about. He whisks them through time, back to the Ancient Egyptians and Romans, to the Dark Ages and modern Mexico, explaining the truths behind the skeleton and mummy costumes they wear.I don't know how much interest this story would hold for a kid, either now or when it was first published in 1972. It's meant to explain all the different cultural aspects that make up an American Halloween, but it's written by Bradbury, who I really like, so you have a lot of sorta explanations mixed in with florid language that would likely confuse a child. And he's still using all the 'golly's and 'shucks' of a story set in the 30's. As in Something Wicked This Way Comes, a great book, you have one character who is described as the best, most loved boy, the sweetest of boyhood. Bradbury romanticized boyhood to a weird degree, even to the point where he couldn't include a single girl, not even for the character dressed as a witch. Even the witch was a boy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Nickelini
In The Halloween Tree, some pre-teen neighbourhood boys gather to trick or treat and instead find themselves whisked off on a time-travelling romp through Halloween history. The book invokes the mythical mid-twentieth century world where there were no parents, or girls either, to get in the way of
Recommended for: I don’t actually recommend it, but if you like andocentric worlds where boys are named Ralph and Wally and say “shucks!” and “gosh,” well you might like this book better than I did.
Show More
your fun. Despite a certain charm and some wonderful phrasing by Bradbury, the dialogue—with its unwavering barrage of excitement—and endless run-on sentences was exhausting to read. In the end, this book completely fell flat for me. Recommended for: I don’t actually recommend it, but if you like andocentric worlds where boys are named Ralph and Wally and say “shucks!” and “gosh,” well you might like this book better than I did.
Show Less
LibraryThing member ecataldi
Hands down the greatest Halloween book ever. It always holds up, ALWAYS. Nothing gets me in the Halloween mood more than this classic. It's written with such imagination, prose, and imagery that it sucks the reader right in and takes them on the same incredible journey that 8 young boys go on one
Show More
Hallows Eve. The creepy and mysterious Moundshroud takes the young boys on a journey back in time to relive Halloween in all it's variations, celebrations and changes. To Egypt, Ireland, England, France, AND Mexico; they journey on the scariest night of the year to save their missing friend Pip and to discover the true meaning of Halloween. No one can weave a tale like Ray Bradbury can and make you feel the breeze in the trees, see the jack o lanterns swaying, and smell the pies cooking. Even the movie adaptation is a classic. I can't wait to share this book with my future children (as of yet unborn and unplanned). Show Less
LibraryThing member bookwyrmm
I like Bradbury and there is a reason he is a master, but I think what he was trying with this story fell flat.
LibraryThing member WhiskeyintheJar
4.5 stars
For the Tree was hung with a variety of pumpkins of every shape and size and a number of tints and hues of smoky yellow or bright orange. “A pumpkin tree,” someone said. “No,” said Tom. The wind blew among the high branches and tossed their bright burdens, softly. “A Halloween
I ended up really loving this! It was a fast paced flight of fancy with just the right amount of light spookiness. The story starts off with eight boys, dressed in different costumes, skeleton, witch, gargoyle, etc. Although we do get all the boys' names, their pov is mostly led by Tom Skelton. The exuberance of the boys is felt as they set off to go trick or treating.
The house beckoned with its towers, invited with its gummed-shut doors. Pirate ships are a tonic. Ancient forts are a boon. But a house, a haunted house, on All Hallows’ Eve? Eight small hearts beat up an absolute storm of glory and approbation.
Their Halloween night was planned with a haunted house visit when they realize their fun leader, Pipkin is missing. They stop at his house and he comes out holding his side, looking pale, and obviously not feeling well. They're worried but also thirteen year old boys and when Pipkin says he's fine, they take off running to start their night as Pipkin says he'll catch up.
For coming up out of the pile of leaves was a bony white hand, all by itself. And following it, all smiles, hidden one moment but now revealed as it slid upward, was a white skull.
At the house, the door is answered by a creepy man who says trick instead of treat and their attention gets drawn to the tree in the yard. It has hundreds of pumpkins that seem to come alive and a Halloween song is sung that I wish was on Amazon music so I could play it on Halloween. There are a couple other songs in this and the writing style overall has a musical beat to it that I thought held the fast pace really well. After the song, a skeleton being rises out of a pile leaves (very Jake Skellington-ish sounding) and when a Dark Something steals away Pipkin who finally makes an appearance, asks them if the boys want to go on an adventure to save Pipkin and learn what Halloween means. Who could say no??
“All the more reason for you to come along, lads. If we fly fast, maybe we can catch Pipkin. Grab his sweet Halloween corn-candy soul. Bring him back, pop him in bed, toast him warm, save his breath. What say, lads? Would you solve two-mysteries-in-one? Search and seek for lost Pipkin, and solve Halloween, all in one fell dark blow?”
Is there a harder hitting line for the month of October than “Grab his sweet Halloween corn-candy soul.”?? NO. The boys are game and fly off with the being calling himself Mr. Moundshroud. This is probably where the story loses some readers, the boys fly back in history to the time of the Egyptian pyramids. Pipkin is the mummy being put into the sarcophagus! This trend continues as the boys are flown by Mr. Moundshroud to Greece, Italy, England, France, and Mexico. Pipkin is at turns a mummy, dog, and knocker, each time the boys learning about the origins of Halloween and how it has morphed and been shaped by the time period and culture celebrating it. It was a little lesson on hows and whys of humans creating their own mythos. I also liked how each of the boys' costumes was a small representation of the different periods and cultural tie-ins; the gargoyle fit with Notre Dame, the witch for the Druid ceremony. There was also a line when Mr. Moundshroud was talking about prehistoric humans and how in their understanding “ghosts” came about, Memories, that’s what ghosts are, that I thought was touching.
“But, stop and think. What does the word ‘witch’ truly mean?”
“Why—” said Tom, and was stymied.
“Wits,” said Moundshroud. “Intelligence. That’s all it means. Knowledge. So any man , or woman, with half a brain and with inclinations toward learning had his wits about him, eh? And so, anyone too smart, who didn’t watch out, was called—”
“A witch!” said everyone.
When they got to their last destination, Mexico, around 60% I did think the loose, somewhat chaotic dancing style and pace was starting to need more structure but the adding in of more emotion to talking about and having the boys discover El Dia de los Muertos made up for some of the wildness. This is where their journey to save Pipkin comes to ahead as he's trapped in a catacomb and the little darkness that was emitting from Mr. Moundshroud rears its head. As with many a journey, friendships are tested, prices are paid, and we are given an ending that fit the learning, fun, spooky, and at times dark tone.
“Well,” asks Moundshroud at journey’s end, “which was it? A Trick or a Treat?”
“Both!” all agree.
This is a story I could see myself reading every October, it's short, fast paced, fun, and brings some spooky vibes. The sing-song writing style and chaotic structure won't be for some but I'm wanting to add the Halloween Tree song to my playlist.
For the Tree was hung with a variety of pumpkins of every shape and size and a number of tints and hues of smoky yellow or bright orange. “A pumpkin tree,” someone said. “No,” said Tom. The wind blew among the high branches and tossed their bright burdens, softly. “A Halloween
Show More
Tree,” said Tom.I ended up really loving this! It was a fast paced flight of fancy with just the right amount of light spookiness. The story starts off with eight boys, dressed in different costumes, skeleton, witch, gargoyle, etc. Although we do get all the boys' names, their pov is mostly led by Tom Skelton. The exuberance of the boys is felt as they set off to go trick or treating.
The house beckoned with its towers, invited with its gummed-shut doors. Pirate ships are a tonic. Ancient forts are a boon. But a house, a haunted house, on All Hallows’ Eve? Eight small hearts beat up an absolute storm of glory and approbation.
Their Halloween night was planned with a haunted house visit when they realize their fun leader, Pipkin is missing. They stop at his house and he comes out holding his side, looking pale, and obviously not feeling well. They're worried but also thirteen year old boys and when Pipkin says he's fine, they take off running to start their night as Pipkin says he'll catch up.
For coming up out of the pile of leaves was a bony white hand, all by itself. And following it, all smiles, hidden one moment but now revealed as it slid upward, was a white skull.
At the house, the door is answered by a creepy man who says trick instead of treat and their attention gets drawn to the tree in the yard. It has hundreds of pumpkins that seem to come alive and a Halloween song is sung that I wish was on Amazon music so I could play it on Halloween. There are a couple other songs in this and the writing style overall has a musical beat to it that I thought held the fast pace really well. After the song, a skeleton being rises out of a pile leaves (very Jake Skellington-ish sounding) and when a Dark Something steals away Pipkin who finally makes an appearance, asks them if the boys want to go on an adventure to save Pipkin and learn what Halloween means. Who could say no??
“All the more reason for you to come along, lads. If we fly fast, maybe we can catch Pipkin. Grab his sweet Halloween corn-candy soul. Bring him back, pop him in bed, toast him warm, save his breath. What say, lads? Would you solve two-mysteries-in-one? Search and seek for lost Pipkin, and solve Halloween, all in one fell dark blow?”
Is there a harder hitting line for the month of October than “Grab his sweet Halloween corn-candy soul.”?? NO. The boys are game and fly off with the being calling himself Mr. Moundshroud. This is probably where the story loses some readers, the boys fly back in history to the time of the Egyptian pyramids. Pipkin is the mummy being put into the sarcophagus! This trend continues as the boys are flown by Mr. Moundshroud to Greece, Italy, England, France, and Mexico. Pipkin is at turns a mummy, dog, and knocker, each time the boys learning about the origins of Halloween and how it has morphed and been shaped by the time period and culture celebrating it. It was a little lesson on hows and whys of humans creating their own mythos. I also liked how each of the boys' costumes was a small representation of the different periods and cultural tie-ins; the gargoyle fit with Notre Dame, the witch for the Druid ceremony. There was also a line when Mr. Moundshroud was talking about prehistoric humans and how in their understanding “ghosts” came about, Memories, that’s what ghosts are, that I thought was touching.
“But, stop and think. What does the word ‘witch’ truly mean?”
“Why—” said Tom, and was stymied.
“Wits,” said Moundshroud. “Intelligence. That’s all it means. Knowledge. So any man , or woman, with half a brain and with inclinations toward learning had his wits about him, eh? And so, anyone too smart, who didn’t watch out, was called—”
“A witch!” said everyone.
When they got to their last destination, Mexico, around 60% I did think the loose, somewhat chaotic dancing style and pace was starting to need more structure but the adding in of more emotion to talking about and having the boys discover El Dia de los Muertos made up for some of the wildness. This is where their journey to save Pipkin comes to ahead as he's trapped in a catacomb and the little darkness that was emitting from Mr. Moundshroud rears its head. As with many a journey, friendships are tested, prices are paid, and we are given an ending that fit the learning, fun, spooky, and at times dark tone.
“Well,” asks Moundshroud at journey’s end, “which was it? A Trick or a Treat?”
“Both!” all agree.
This is a story I could see myself reading every October, it's short, fast paced, fun, and brings some spooky vibes. The sing-song writing style and chaotic structure won't be for some but I'm wanting to add the Halloween Tree song to my playlist.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cyderry
Every year for October my Book Club tries to read a book that leans toward the scary Halloweenish type book so we thought that this book would be perfect.
Well, I didn't like it. I think it would have been fine as a short story stopping right where the Halloween Tree lights up with all the different
Well, I didn't like it. I think it would have been fine as a short story stopping right where the Halloween Tree lights up with all the different
Show More
Jack O-lanterns and having the kids run home. Instead it took these kids traveling through time trying to tell the history of Halloween or the day of the dead or whatever. I just didn't get it. I don't know if it's because I'm not particularly enamored of Halloween or Sci Fi but I definitely did not enjoy this book. It rambled too much, IMO. Show Less
LibraryThing member punkypower
This was one of the first three books I put on my Amazon wishlist so many years ago. I finally broke down and bought it. I'm used to Bradbury as an adult author, trying to chill our bones. He doesn't mince words or talk down to the children he's writing for in this book. He has an ingenius way of
Show More
incorporating Halloween's history into this fictional story. He has such a great way with words: "He sunk into sunflowers and came up all onions." Things like that. Show Less
LibraryThing member LauraT81
I remember watching an animated film version of this when I was young and thinking it was wonderful. I would love to find that film. This is considered a children's book, but is really perfect for halloween. Yet again, I love Bradbury's writing style.
LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: One Halloween, in lieu of trick-or-treating, a bunch of costumed young boys sneak down to the haunted house in the ravine outside of town. They meet Mr. Moundshroud, who - true to his promise of "no treats, only tricks" - takes them on a strange journey into the past and around the world,
Review: I've been a fan of Ray Bradbury's for almost longer than I can remember, and I'm really surprised I'd never come across this one before. The setting - a small Midwestern town populated (seemingly) by the nostalgic ideal of boyhood - and the writing style are pure Bradbury. But I think this is the first time that I can remember that Bradbury really tackles mythology and culture so directly, and the effect is a little disconcerting, almost like Bradbury got stuck writing a Neil Gaiman story. It's an interesting idea, to ask why the symbols that we choose to represent fear things that scare us in the first place, and Bradbury handles it well. Its dark and unflinching approach to the real origins of the holiday is also a refreshing counterpoint to the more familiar "true meaning of Christmas" treacle.
I was a little disappointed, though; for all it was about death and scary things, I wanted it to be... well, scarier. It can't be because of the author or the format, because there are moments in some of Bradbury's short stories that are creepy beyond words. I don't read enough horror to be jaded enough that nothing scares me any more. The atmosphere and the story are right on, but there was a just something that was missing, something that failed to give me a good, seasonally-appropriate case of the shivers. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I can definitely see this becoming a yearly re-read, and I think it would be good for people or families who like traditions of that sort. It's definitely a seasonal read, though... don't pick this one up on a sunny day in April.
Show More
in an attempt to teach them the origins of the holiday... and what there truly is to be afraid of.Review: I've been a fan of Ray Bradbury's for almost longer than I can remember, and I'm really surprised I'd never come across this one before. The setting - a small Midwestern town populated (seemingly) by the nostalgic ideal of boyhood - and the writing style are pure Bradbury. But I think this is the first time that I can remember that Bradbury really tackles mythology and culture so directly, and the effect is a little disconcerting, almost like Bradbury got stuck writing a Neil Gaiman story. It's an interesting idea, to ask why the symbols that we choose to represent fear things that scare us in the first place, and Bradbury handles it well. Its dark and unflinching approach to the real origins of the holiday is also a refreshing counterpoint to the more familiar "true meaning of Christmas" treacle.
I was a little disappointed, though; for all it was about death and scary things, I wanted it to be... well, scarier. It can't be because of the author or the format, because there are moments in some of Bradbury's short stories that are creepy beyond words. I don't read enough horror to be jaded enough that nothing scares me any more. The atmosphere and the story are right on, but there was a just something that was missing, something that failed to give me a good, seasonally-appropriate case of the shivers. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: I can definitely see this becoming a yearly re-read, and I think it would be good for people or families who like traditions of that sort. It's definitely a seasonal read, though... don't pick this one up on a sunny day in April.
Show Less
LibraryThing member VioletBramble
A group of eight neighborhood boys go trick-or-treating on Halloween.Their friend Pipkin - the best boy - is missing. When they arrive at Pipkins house they discover that he is ill. Pipkin tells the boys that he will catch up with them in a little while. The boys head to the largest house in town -
Mr Moundshroud takes the boys on a trip back through space and time to discover everything that Halloween ever was. Traveling via the Kite of Autumn, the boys learn the myths, customs and history of Halloween. The boys visit ancient Egypt during the Festival of the Dead, caveman times, the Celtic New Year with Samhain, Druid God of the Dead, view the witches of Europe, hang out with the gargoyles of Notre Dame and spend El Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. Early in their travels Pipkin shows up but he gets carried away by the spirits of Halloween. As they travel through time the other boys try to find and save Pipkin.
This book is a great Halloween read for middle school aged children. It's atmospheric but not scary.
Show More
the haunted house. In the yard is a Halloween tree: 100 feet tall and hung with a multitude of jack-o-lanterns.They meet the occupant of the house, Mr Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud.Mr Moundshroud takes the boys on a trip back through space and time to discover everything that Halloween ever was. Traveling via the Kite of Autumn, the boys learn the myths, customs and history of Halloween. The boys visit ancient Egypt during the Festival of the Dead, caveman times, the Celtic New Year with Samhain, Druid God of the Dead, view the witches of Europe, hang out with the gargoyles of Notre Dame and spend El Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. Early in their travels Pipkin shows up but he gets carried away by the spirits of Halloween. As they travel through time the other boys try to find and save Pipkin.
This book is a great Halloween read for middle school aged children. It's atmospheric but not scary.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jenreidreads
Bradbury's use of language in this book is my favorite part about this book. He really evokes the feel of Halloween. However, there was just something I didn't love about the plot—eight boys have to rescue their friend, Pipkin, who is lost in time on Halloween. Reading about the different holiday
Show More
traditions was cool, but I suppose I was expecting something more from this book. It's creepy and worth a read, but I think I'll stick to Poe for my Halloween reading tradition. Show Less
LibraryThing member MartyAllen
Tom and his friends must save Pip while learning about the history of Halloween. Bradbury has a gift for writing from the child’s perspective. Readers, including girls and adults, will find themselves seeing with the eyes of a young boy. They will feel the excitement of the approaching holiday
Show More
and the love for the children’s friend. The story is creepy, and may prove too scary for some, but the author manages to generally keep it to a thrilling yet safe level. Illustrations are uncommon, but show up everywhere they should—from the masks adorning each chapter title page, reaffirming the setting and purpose of the story, to the image of the pieced together kite, to the final portrait of a spectral Moundshroud. The book is fast-paced and exciting as the characters race to save their friend, facing dangers and unexpected twists along the way. Information is not always accurate, but for a fictional book, actually provides a solid base on the history of Halloween and intrigues enough to pique the reader’s curiosity. Show Less
LibraryThing member RBeffa
I picked up "The Halloween Tree" for a change of pace, and as a book of the season. It was one of Bradbury's books that I had not read previously. Although noted for ages 12 and up this really struck me overall as a children's book, even for 1972 when it was first published. It has a good story
Show More
idea and Bradbury attempts to write with exuberance and very playfully, but it didn't really capture my imagination like many other works of Bradbury. A potentially interesting little story of children learning about All Hallow's eve through history. A group of boys go out for trick or treat and one of them gets carried off in the dark of night, perhaps by Death. A big adventure ensues. and then, kerplunk. Rather than a wild adventure, the story very quickly became tedious with it's mannerisms, and only picked up a bit at the very end. This is probably the weakest Bradbury I have read. Not recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sullywriter
Read it again after many years and thoroughly enjoyed it.
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
A group of boys is ready to go out trick-or-treating, but one of their friends, Pipkin, is nowhere to be found. Pip suggests his friends meet him at a haunted house, and from there, the boys are taken on a voyage through place and time to learn about the history of Halloween at those various times
It was ok. I listened to the audio, narrated by Bronson Pinchot. I thought he did a good job as narrator, but for the first half of it, my mind wandered too much and I did miss quite a bit. I managed to pay better attention through the second half and enjoyed that more. It's a quick little story and a good choice for Halloween.
Show More
and places, including Egypt when the pyramids were first built, Europe during the witch burnings, Mexico where they learn about Day of the Dead, and more.It was ok. I listened to the audio, narrated by Bronson Pinchot. I thought he did a good job as narrator, but for the first half of it, my mind wandered too much and I did miss quite a bit. I managed to pay better attention through the second half and enjoyed that more. It's a quick little story and a good choice for Halloween.
Show Less
LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
Rating: 4 of 5
A quick read perfect for October, read aloud around the fire. Probably most entertaining for those aged 11-15 years.
Note to self: The Halloween Tree was the first book I read by Ray Bradbury.
A quick read perfect for October, read aloud around the fire. Probably most entertaining for those aged 11-15 years.
Note to self: The Halloween Tree was the first book I read by Ray Bradbury.
LibraryThing member bookishbat
This should be read every October, and the style really works well with being read aloud. Though I believe I'm basing that on my remembrance of the animated film of The Halloween Tree, I think it's probably true.
A few quotes:
P. 4 "...Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and
p. 18 "...Until they stood at last by a crumbling wall, looking up and up and still farther up at the great tombyard top of the old house. For that's what it seemed. The high mountain peak of the mansion was littered with what looked like black bones or iron rods, and enough chimneys to choke out smoke signals from three dozen fires on sooty hearths hidden far below in dim bowels of this monster place. With so many chimneys, the roof seemed a vast cemetery, each chimney signifying the burial place of some old god of fire or enchantress of steam, smoke, and firefly spark. Even as they watched, a kind of bleak exhalation of soot breathed up out of some four dozen flues, darkening the sky still more, and putting out some few stars."
You could quibble with Bradbury being too fond of simile and metaphor, and that would be fair. Still I feel it gives a great adventure story take on why we still celebrate the holiday, with enough atmosphere to make it seasonal. And I'm probably biased since I have always enjoyed Day of the Dead.
A few quotes:
P. 4 "...Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and
Show More
the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallow's Eve. Everything seemed cut from soft black velvet or gold or orange velvet. Smoke panted up out of a thousand chimneys like the plumes of funeral parades. From kitchen windows drifted two pumpkin smells; gourds being cut, pies being baked."p. 18 "...Until they stood at last by a crumbling wall, looking up and up and still farther up at the great tombyard top of the old house. For that's what it seemed. The high mountain peak of the mansion was littered with what looked like black bones or iron rods, and enough chimneys to choke out smoke signals from three dozen fires on sooty hearths hidden far below in dim bowels of this monster place. With so many chimneys, the roof seemed a vast cemetery, each chimney signifying the burial place of some old god of fire or enchantress of steam, smoke, and firefly spark. Even as they watched, a kind of bleak exhalation of soot breathed up out of some four dozen flues, darkening the sky still more, and putting out some few stars."
You could quibble with Bradbury being too fond of simile and metaphor, and that would be fair. Still I feel it gives a great adventure story take on why we still celebrate the holiday, with enough atmosphere to make it seasonal. And I'm probably biased since I have always enjoyed Day of the Dead.
Show Less
LibraryThing member texascheeseman
The Halloween Tree
By Ray Bradbury
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Published In: New York City, NY, USA
Date: 1972
Pgs: 145
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
A trick or treat expedition sets out from the neighborhood on Halloween. When they discover one of their companions missing, they end up on a mission
Genre:
fiction, young adult, Halloween
Why this book:
I’ve heard about this for years and never taken the time to read it. It has resided on my “to read” list for a long, long time. Recently, I saw a list of Neil Gaiman’s in which he named this one of his quintessential Halloween reads. I was looking for a Halloween read for this year and was going back and forth between rereads of The Graveyard Book by Gaiman or The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. But when I saw this on Gaiman’s list, it jumped to the top of mine.
This Story is About:
courage, working hard, doing the right thing, greed, friends, jealousy, love, caring, happiness, sadness, family
Favorite Character:
Mr. Moundshroud. He’s magic. He is the night.
Least Favorite Character:
Pipkin, he’s the boy that everybody loves. I’ve always hated those guys. Not that I want bad things to happen to them. And I would have helped the rest of our friends to search him out.
Character I Most Identified With:
Tom. We’re all supposed to be Tom; afraid for our friend, swept along by dark and mysterious powers as we learn the origins of Halloween, filled with the wonder of childhood.
The Feel:
The run through the night streets on a Trick or Treat mission. Candy or bust. With an autumnal wind at your back. The wonder in the dark. The magic of the night.
Favorite Scene:
The lighting of the Halloween Tree when Moundshroud arises.
The circus kite building and the flight through the night skies and through time.
The appearance of Samhain and the scything of the autumnal wheat and the dead. The Fall of the Druids, the Rise of Rome, the Fall of Rome, the burning of the witches...the way these were pastiched together was very well envisioned.
Settings:
The neighborhood on Halloween night, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, old England, Europe, Paris
Pacing:
The pace of the story is easily enclosed in the exposition and poetry without dragging. Well done. Master craft.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
N/A
Last Page Sound:
N/A
Author Assessment:
It’s Ray Bradbury.
Editorial Assessment:
Well done.
Did the Book Cover Reflect the Story:
The cover shows the boys at the beginning of their quest all dressed up in their Halloween best. Love the negative image/illusion of Mr. Moundshroud made into the image of the boys in costume.
Illustrations:
Yes. Illustrated by Joseph Mugnaini. My favorite is the image of Mr. Moundshroud from the epilogue where he seems to stand before the whirlpool of infinity with his cape being part cape and part a locust’s veiny wings.
Hmm Moments:
The exposition about ancient Grecian autumnal practices, re: Halloween, mirroring the passing over of the spirit of death during the 10 plagues of Egypt from the Moses story in the Bible. Specifically, the painting of the lintel with pitch to keep out/catch the ghosts and keep them from entering.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
real classic
Disposition of Book:
Irving Public Library, Irving, TX
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
There was a Cartoon Network production with Leonard Nimoy voicing Mr. Moundshroud and with Ray Bradbury as The Narrator. Find it surprising that there haven’t been more adaptations.
Casting call:
Would love to see Brad Pitt or George Clooney as Mr. Moundshroud in a live action movie.
Angus Scrimm should have been Mr. Moundshroud.
Would recommend to:
All who love Halloween, Ray Bradbury, and the things that go bump in the night
By Ray Bradbury
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Published In: New York City, NY, USA
Date: 1972
Pgs: 145
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Summary:
A trick or treat expedition sets out from the neighborhood on Halloween. When they discover one of their companions missing, they end up on a mission
Show More
through time trying to find their friend. Along the way, they discover the origin of Halloween. The dead, the darkness, the ghostly, ghastly, ghoulies await in the dark of All Hallow’s Eve. Come one, come all to the Halloween Tree.Genre:
fiction, young adult, Halloween
Why this book:
I’ve heard about this for years and never taken the time to read it. It has resided on my “to read” list for a long, long time. Recently, I saw a list of Neil Gaiman’s in which he named this one of his quintessential Halloween reads. I was looking for a Halloween read for this year and was going back and forth between rereads of The Graveyard Book by Gaiman or The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. But when I saw this on Gaiman’s list, it jumped to the top of mine.
This Story is About:
courage, working hard, doing the right thing, greed, friends, jealousy, love, caring, happiness, sadness, family
Favorite Character:
Mr. Moundshroud. He’s magic. He is the night.
Least Favorite Character:
Pipkin, he’s the boy that everybody loves. I’ve always hated those guys. Not that I want bad things to happen to them. And I would have helped the rest of our friends to search him out.
Character I Most Identified With:
Tom. We’re all supposed to be Tom; afraid for our friend, swept along by dark and mysterious powers as we learn the origins of Halloween, filled with the wonder of childhood.
The Feel:
The run through the night streets on a Trick or Treat mission. Candy or bust. With an autumnal wind at your back. The wonder in the dark. The magic of the night.
Favorite Scene:
The lighting of the Halloween Tree when Moundshroud arises.
The circus kite building and the flight through the night skies and through time.
The appearance of Samhain and the scything of the autumnal wheat and the dead. The Fall of the Druids, the Rise of Rome, the Fall of Rome, the burning of the witches...the way these were pastiched together was very well envisioned.
Settings:
The neighborhood on Halloween night, ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, old England, Europe, Paris
Pacing:
The pace of the story is easily enclosed in the exposition and poetry without dragging. Well done. Master craft.
Plot Holes/Out of Character:
N/A
Last Page Sound:
N/A
Author Assessment:
It’s Ray Bradbury.
Editorial Assessment:
Well done.
Did the Book Cover Reflect the Story:
The cover shows the boys at the beginning of their quest all dressed up in their Halloween best. Love the negative image/illusion of Mr. Moundshroud made into the image of the boys in costume.
Illustrations:
Yes. Illustrated by Joseph Mugnaini. My favorite is the image of Mr. Moundshroud from the epilogue where he seems to stand before the whirlpool of infinity with his cape being part cape and part a locust’s veiny wings.
Hmm Moments:
The exposition about ancient Grecian autumnal practices, re: Halloween, mirroring the passing over of the spirit of death during the 10 plagues of Egypt from the Moses story in the Bible. Specifically, the painting of the lintel with pitch to keep out/catch the ghosts and keep them from entering.
Knee Jerk Reaction:
real classic
Disposition of Book:
Irving Public Library, Irving, TX
Why isn’t there a screenplay?
There was a Cartoon Network production with Leonard Nimoy voicing Mr. Moundshroud and with Ray Bradbury as The Narrator. Find it surprising that there haven’t been more adaptations.
Casting call:
Would love to see Brad Pitt or George Clooney as Mr. Moundshroud in a live action movie.
Angus Scrimm should have been Mr. Moundshroud.
Would recommend to:
All who love Halloween, Ray Bradbury, and the things that go bump in the night
Show Less
LibraryThing member kaida46
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury
A co-worker of mine told me that he reads this every year to get ready for Halloween. I decided to read it this year, too, to get me into the spirit of the season. This book is suitable for family reading or reading out loud in a classroom. This a delightful tale
A co-worker of mine told me that he reads this every year to get ready for Halloween. I decided to read it this year, too, to get me into the spirit of the season. This book is suitable for family reading or reading out loud in a classroom. This a delightful tale
Show More
about a group of neighborhood friends who go out trick or treating and come upon a spooky house in the neighborhood occupied by a mysterious Mr. Moundshroud. He has an exceptional tree in his yard; it is huge and filled with hundreds of jack-o-lanterns. As they search for their missing friend Pipkin, Moundshroud leads the group on an amazing journey through time and places in the world and they learn about customs relating to the Halloween holiday. They travel to ancient Egypt, to Britain with the Druids, to Rome, to Paris, and to Mexico where they experience a celebration of the Day of the Dead. This book is eerie, informative, and enjoyable, at the same time, a great way to get into the Halloween spirit. Show Less
LibraryThing member salimbol
I finally got around to reading this for my All Hallows Read this year (yes, I'm getting in a little early). The use of language is frequently magnificent, if at times overly-lush (more so than I'm used to from his short stories, certainly), the imagery is stunning and will stay with me for some
Show More
time, and there's some appropriate nastiness to the tale. Overall, it's a fun romp, and though the characterisation is paper-thin and the telling is a little dated, I think children in particular will still love it. Show Less
LibraryThing member Edward.Lorn
The Halloween Tree, by Ray Bradbury, is to Halloween what Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol is to Christmas. If the novella is not required reading, it should be. This short book proves that Halloween is so much more than a holiday created by candy bar companies, and is most certainly not a
The writing is as perfected as prose comes, not to mention, borderline poetic.
We lost Mr. Bradbury this past year. But, because of stories like this, he will live forever.
Favorite quote: "No wonder the town was empty. The graveyard was full."
Show More
satanic celebration. From the tombs of Egypt to the underworld of Mexico during Dia de Los Muertos, Bradbury whisks us away on an autumnal wind. The journey is poignant and purposeful. What exactly would you give to save a friend?The writing is as perfected as prose comes, not to mention, borderline poetic.
We lost Mr. Bradbury this past year. But, because of stories like this, he will live forever.
Favorite quote: "No wonder the town was empty. The graveyard was full."
Show Less
LibraryThing member Edward.Lorn
"It was like sweet and and sour sauce in book form. Not too sweet and not too sour."
That's a direct quote from my nine-year-old daughter.
I've read this book every year since I was seven years old. It was, as far as I can remember, my first experience with "horror" in literature, even if it's not a
I say this every year when I review this book and I will say it again:
The Halloween Tree is to Halloween as A Christmas Carol is to Christmas.
Mr. Moundshroud is one of the greatest characters ever created. Period.
In summation: My highest possible recommendation. Read it. Read it to your kids. Read it to your parents. Read it every year. Just read it.
That's a direct quote from my nine-year-old daughter.
I've read this book every year since I was seven years old. It was, as far as I can remember, my first experience with "horror" in literature, even if it's not a
Show More
scary book. It's one of the main reasons I love Halloween as much as I do: the tradition, a holiday even older than Christmas, a celebration of those we've lost. It also captures the reckless, carefree, adventurous nature of preteen boys. I say this every year when I review this book and I will say it again:
The Halloween Tree is to Halloween as A Christmas Carol is to Christmas.
Mr. Moundshroud is one of the greatest characters ever created. Period.
In summation: My highest possible recommendation. Read it. Read it to your kids. Read it to your parents. Read it every year. Just read it.
Show Less
LibraryThing member tapestry100
On a race through history, 8 boys must learn the secrets and origins of Halloween night in order that they might save the life of their friend, who has been stricken ill on Halloween. Ray Bradbury weaves an imaginative story that creates a rather simplified but no less interesting history of
This new edition has appropriately creepy accompanying illustrations by Gris Grimly.
Show More
Halloween night. With his usual imagery, Bradbury really creates a story with eerie and sometimes scary nature that is Halloween night.This new edition has appropriately creepy accompanying illustrations by Gris Grimly.
Show Less
Pages
181