Halloween Books

Johnny Maxwell is an ordinary boy, living in the all-too ordinary town of Blackbury. However, when Johnny takes a short-cut through the local cemetery, he finds out he can see the dead. Their not ghosts...at least they don't think that they are ghost, they are just...post-living citizens. However, there's trouble afoot - the council has sold the cemetery to a developer, and the dead are determined to do something about it. Just what has Johnny started?

This is the second book in Terry Pratchett's charming Johnny Maxwell trilogy. The story is fantastic, and yet, at the same time it is quite ordinary. There are no monsters (though an old Pratchett favorite, Death (capital "D", he's the man, or rather the anthropomorphic personification) puts in an appearance), no body snatching, no horror, just life...well, sort of.

If you like good fiction, then I can't recommend this book enough. And even though it is part of a trilogy, you can read it by itself and feel like you missed nothing. This is a charming book, with interesting characters, and a highly entertaining storyline. I highly recommend this book!

As Halloween approaches, Johnny Maxwell and his friends prepare by planning a party, fussing about costumes--and by visiting a graveyard. The graveyard is old and largely abandoned--except by the dead. And the city has sold the property to a corporation in hopes of creating jobs. But when Johnny, jokingly, knocks on one of the grave monuments, he's greeted by one of the dead. They don't like the idea of their graveyard being turned into an office building and instruct Johnny to do something about it.

Even Johnny's friends refuse to believe that he actually saw the dead (they aren't ghosts or zombies, just even-more-senior citizens). But their urging persuades Johnny to speak up at a hearing about the planned construction--as well as learn more about the most recent man to die, a former World War I soldier who was the only survivor of his regiment.

Author Terry Pratchett continues his Johnny Maxwell series with a cute and funny story about history, urban development, early-teen friendships, and war. JOHNNY AND THE DEAD is intended for young readers, but should appeal to adults as well. It's themes are even more current for it's re-release in 2006 than they were in 1993 when this book was first issued. In particular, adults are likely to find the antics of the dead--and their growth as they, inspired by Johnny, begin to step beyond the boundaries of their graveyard, to hold some important lessons for those of us who let day-to-day life get in the way of actually living.

JOHNNY AND THE DEAD is a short book, and it certainly lacks the magnitude of Pratchett's Discworld universe, but it is an enjoyable work in its own right.

Johnny Maxwell, of ONLY YOU CAN SAVE MANKIND fame, is the only one who can see and chat with dead people. He and his buddy, Wobbler, are strolling through the cemetery talking about how it's just been sold to developers who will build offices on the land.

On a whim, Johnny knocks on the mausoleum door of Alderman Thomas Bowler --- who opens it! As the Alderman says "Yes?" Johnny skedaddles with Wobbler sprinting behind. That's strange enough, but Wobbler didn't see or hear a thing and insists the padlocked door couldn't open. After Wobbler heads off, Johnny returns to chat with the dead Alderman and to teach him to dance like Michael Jackson. (The Alderman manages a moonwalk but says "Ouch!" instead of Jackson's "Oooowwwwwweeeeeah!")

Because of his parents' marital problems, Johnny is now living with his grandfather. When Granddad and Johnny go to the cemetery, Johnny meets another dead man, communist William Stickers, "hero of the working class." Stickers adamantly doesn't believe in the stupid notion of life after death, even in the face of his own evidence to the contrary. Johnny soon discovers that all dead people despise being called "ghosts."

When Johnny persuades his (alive) buddies to visit the cemetery, they gaze upon a particularly ornate mausoleum and decide the dead person is showing off: "There's probably a sticker on the back saying 'My Other Grave Is a Porch.'"

The dead folks persuade Johnny to defend their resting place. But can he do it, realistically? Who will listen to a twelve-year-old? In the meantime, Johnny's dead friends rediscover the joys of living. They find unique ways to communicate with the living and indulge in activities including swimming, TV watching, pub hopping, horror movie watching, and journeying to the moon.

Terry Pratchett has done it again, causing the reader to howl with laughter and yet contemplate serious issues. At one point Johnny looks at the dismal crowded projects his buddy Bigmac lives in and muses on how weird it is that so many people are crammed into such a small area while the "post-senior citizens" have a spacious cemetery. Pratchett also humanizes the dead, giving them unique personalities; he does the same for soldiers in long-ago wars. There's also a mystery running through the story: Who is the aptly-named "Mr. Grimm"?

JOHNNY AND THE DEAD can be read (and thoroughly enjoyed) as a stand-alone book, but if you haven't read Johnny's previous story, the amazing ONLY YOU CAN SAVE MANKIND, you are totally missing out! Highest recommendation.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

I always find it immensely pleasurable to come across writers who can effortlessly write for audiences which cut across age groups. Rushdie's "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" epitomizes that ability, and while this book is not really in the same league, it nonetheless serves up some fairly pleasant fare.

The book revolves around Johnny Maxwell's valiant attempts to save a cemetery in his hometown when he establishes "contact" with the dead and gets an appreciation of their viewpoint. His realization that the dead are not really over and done with, and deserving of respect from the living, prompts him into action along with his suspecting, but very supportive group of friends. (This, on a side note, is one of the funnily nice "morals" of the story. Johnny's friends Yo-less says to Johnny, "Now, personally, I think you're very nearly totally disturbed and suffering from psycho-somatica and hearing voices and seeing delusions, and probably ought to be locked up in one of those white jackets with the stylish long sleeves. But that doesn't matter, 'cos we're friends.")

The book is written in a very simple and accessible fashion, ensuring that young audiences can very easily grasp and enjoy it. What's truly wonderful, however, is the ease with which Pratchett manages to bring home profound thoughts, making it a worthwhile read for people of all ages. I also found myself charmed by some of the nicest lines I have read in a while, a couple of which I quote below:
"Mad is a word used about people who've either got no senses or several more than other people."
"It occurred to Johnny...that the human mind...was like a compass. No matter how much you shook it up, no matter what happened to it, sooner or later it'd carry on pointing the same way."

Summarily, this is a book which can easily be shared and enjoyed by generations of a family. This was the first Pratchett book I read, and I definitely plan to pick up some more.

For the Terry Pratchett fans out there, nothing more need be said. It's Pratchett, you want to read it, the only reason you've been hesitating is because it's marked as a kids book (juvenile, young adult...) But this one isn't just for kids. As with any Pratchett book, there are layers and layers, and some of them wouldn't be obvious to kids at all.

In fact, some of them wouldn't be obvious to adults who haven't taken a college physics course or two, and/or kept up by reading all the science magazines. I'll bet I missed a couple of jokes or two, maybe a pun here and there, because my college physics courses were too long ago.

But that's OK, the book's enjoyable even without those - there are enough layers that there is something for everyone. The humor flows from the characters, the story, and the writing style. As with any Pratchett book, the humor also contains some serious ideas, hidden until you suddenly realize you need to pay attention to them.

The protagonists are Johnny, and his friends Wobbler (who wobbles), Bigmac (who is large), and Yo-less, who is apparently the only black in Blackbury who doesn't say yo. Each of this team has his own strange store of skills or knowledge, and Johnny's erratic talents turn out to include being able to talk to the dead, who definitely don't like being referred to as ghosts. The dead are characters too, especially Mr. Einstein - not the famous one, but his distant cousin, who should have been famous too, but was too busy being a butcher.

As you're reading, take note of the project on World War II that Johnny is doing for school; it also features in the next book in the series, "Johnny and the Bomb." (One of the funny bits in the book is how, whenever a kid claims he's doing "a project," he winds up with all sorts of information that is unsuitable for kids, and/or hitherto classified or secret; the remembered horror of school projects makes all the adults give in so that they don't have to think about it any more!

The series has no noticeable sexual content, and no real bad language; the most dangerous things in it for young readers are the ideas, which may make them *gasp* think! It may also make them lifelong Pratchett addicts. Some parents may object to the casual car thievery that is one of Bigmac's habits, and perhaps might find that the ability of kids to evade adult supervision is disconcerting, but it's no less true for all that. And some American younger readers may find the Englishness of it a bit hard to follow in some spots - housing projects referred to as blocks, french fries as chips, and so on. Well, a little bit of education in the ways of the world outside the USA won't hurt them any!

read it when i was a kid and grew up to own this crazy-fun book.

Mark Teague uses catchy characters names like Mona and Leona Fleebish and other poetic and frolicky language that is fun to read with a little attitude. This book contains a great adventure that we go on each time we read it. My kids (ages 7 and 4) love the magic in the story and the delightful twists and turns as Wendell, Mona and Floyd escape from the awful, taunting Leona Fleebish and her nasty friends. Even though this is a halloween book, we read it all year long.

One halloween night Wendell,Floyd,and Mona go trick or treating. And all of the sudden these horrible wichs start going after them.So they go into to a dark allie and so then they go down the allie so they try to hide in there but they duck to late and the witches saw them so yhey get little allice to bay and then floyd does a jump over a fence.
IF YOU LIKE gouls ghosts and witches i recamend this book to you.It has all of that in it .like when Wendell turns them invisable and Mona turns the witches
into frogs .
by mark teauge

The characters in this story are two boys, Wendell, Floyd, and a girl named Mona. The story takes place on Halloween night. Wendell is dressed as a doctor and he has invisible potion that makes him invisible. Then four witches come and call the kids names. I could relate to this story because people have called me names. This book is a good book to read around Halloween time.

This book was a big hit in my kindergarten classroom last Halloween. The illustrations are colorful and vivid and the text simple yet engaging.

My father actually bought this book for my daughter to read. Being a parent to a child who will and does read anything, I took it upon myself to read this book so that I would know what she was reading. Once I started, I couldn't put it down! It was that riveting. I would love to see a follow-up of this book, to know what happens to Susan, Deirdre, Julio, Edmund, and even Trudie as they get older. I would also like to see a measure of justice directed at some of the characters, which is yet another reason that I want to see a sequel.

Please, oh, please, continue the story!

Susan was perfect. She had to be, or her father would make Mother suffer. Once she had a friend, Julio, her housekeeper's son, but Father put an end to that. Now she does a lot of extra-credit reports and listens carefully to the house, so she can tell where everyone is - and when she needs to hide. She's gotten permission to stay away from home every afternoon for a month, doing research on her current project. In the library she overhears Julio and two friends discussing various sites where they can pursue their interests without disturbing anyone or being interrupted. They decide on the local haunted house and Susan is invited to join them. But this House really is haunted. Nathan was about their age when he hung himself in 1918, and when Susan listens to this House, it talks to her. Hoffman has smoothly created unforgettable characters with real issues, some magic, and a forever friendship. A page-turner, with people you don't want to say good-bye to.

Nina's writing had a similar feel to Richard Peck's writing, although a little darker in "reality." They both succeed in creating characters that are able to make friends with the odd ones that have crossed over to the other side. As a teen, Richard Peck's ghosts became my friends. Nina's Nathan has that same ability to come off the page and become a friend.

Then I see warnings on its Satanic Imagery. No. It has Pagan/Wiccan imagery, and if you have read anything about Wicca, you'll know that one of the basic tenants of Wicca is that what you do to others will come back to you tenfold. So, if you want to use wicca for evil purposes, expect 10 times that evil to befall on you.

That aside, the book has a slow start. I almost gave up before I got to the second chapter, but I'm glad I kept with it. The story is not about Wicca. It is about a girl, Susan, who has grown up with a father who is so controlling and abusive that she has come to believe that her body is not her own. She no longer even feels pain. He has successfully isolated her from other people her age, and even all other people except the housekeeper. Then Susan finds a way to sneak out of the house to join others at a "haunted" house. And there, she learns about the power of friendship.

This book has achieved a balance of fun, seriousness and mysticism that is rare. Definitely a book worth reading. Unless you feel children shouldn't read A Wrinkle in Time because of Mrs. Who, Mrs. What and Mrs. Which.

This prequel to Hoffman's other books is just as juicy and delicious as the others. She can really get inside the adolscent heart and make us bleed for the characters. I don't know why this is listed as adolescent fiction, because it's not. If you love contemporary fantasy these are great books for you. READ THEM!

Susan, a seventh-grader, has terrible secrets. Her father beats her mother and then blames Susan. He controls Susan, telling her what to wear, what to watch on television, and how to spend every minute of her time. At school, she is a lonely outsider. Her only real friends are the family's housekeeper, Juanita, and Juanita's son, Julio.

At the library one day, Susan overhears Julio and his friends plotting to visit the local haunted house, and she invites herself along. There, they meet a ghost named Nathan. Susan is oddly drawn to both Nathan and the house, and she begins to carry one of Nathan's finger bones. Her talisman emboldens her away from the house, and she finds herself able to connect with people a little more easily.

Susan finds refuge when Nathan invites each of the visitors to keep a room at the house. She develops relationships with her new acquaintances, both the living and the dead, and spends an unforgettable Halloween night with Nathan --- a mystical evening that makes her supernatural host even more alluring.

Many facets of Susan's life gradually become better. However, her home situation does not improve. Susan's unbearable pain plus her attraction to the boy ghost lead her to ponder whether or not she would be better off joining Nathan forever.

Susan and Nathan are heartrendingly sympathetic characters. The lyrical writing weaves together a dreamy ghost tale and the harsh realism of Susan's home life, ending on a hopeful note. The fact that there is no easy resolution only adds to the believability. This memorable story left me longing for more, so I was happy to learn that A STIR OF BONES is a stand-alone prequel to two previously published novels, A RED HEART OF MEMORIES and PAST THE SIZE OF DREAMING.

--- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon (terryms2001@yahoo.com)

Steven usually make fun of his twin sisters. After that, however, he's ususally give tit for tat. But he never thinks him over. I think he is foolish boy. But I like him. I also think no to chenge his mind forever.

I think Jessica is selfish. I felt relieved they wear a princess dress each other at last. Mrs.Wakefield bought a princess dress for Halloween. Twins want to wear it. Jessica comes up with good idea.

It's almost Halloween and everyone in Mrs. Otis's second-grade class is excited. In preparation for the upcoming school parade, each student draws a pumpkin and then votes on the best one. That picture is then added to the school-wide contest, where the final winning drawing determines which class is chosen to lead the Halloween school parade. The picture Mrs. Otis's students choose to represent their class is drawn by Todd Wilkins, and it looks exactly like Elizabeth, gap-toothed grin and all. (Elizabeth just lost her front baby tooth.)

Meanwhile, the twins (Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield) are arguing over who will get to wear the princess costume on Halloween, while the other twin is left with the witch costume, which neither twin really wants to wear. Jessica insists she should be the princess this year since she has all her teeth and "princesses should have perfect smiles". However, Jessica's logic fails her when she also loses her front tooth before Halloween. Now who will get to wear the princess costume? And which grade will get to lead the Sweet Valley Elementary School parade? Find out in "Sweet Valley Trick or Treat". Recommended for 5 to 8-year-old girls.

I thought Halloween will fun. Because everybody put on many kind of clothes. I felt this event can enjoy from children to adult. I thought this event is nice. I read this book happily.

The Halloween Parade is very excellent! All the Sweet Valley school students wear many kinds of unique costumes. Here's where it's interesting. Jessica and Elizabeth wear a princess and a witch costume one after the other. I feel that they think good thoughts!

You won't know all the title entails until you read the whole book. I'll admit it doesn't take much to take me by surprise but this books ending fits it very well.

It takes slight madness to be genius. Vivian Vande Velde's an entertaining author. Short, short read, but it's worth it.

Only VVV can pack so much in just 120 pages. Nyssa is a witch. When she goes to sleep with a token under her pillow (a lock of hair, a stone, a knife, a piece of clothe) she falls into the dreams of that person. Nyssa thought herself a selfish child until her parents were killed, now, six years later their killer has returned and she plans to expose him or else. But this strange young man seems to know more than Nyssa expects.

I can't say more, otherwise I'll ruin it. This book is advertized as young adult, but believe me, it doesn't matter if your an adult or young adult you'll love VVV's books. They're vivid, interesting, action packed, definitely worth your time. I've loved everyone I've read thus far.

Sixteen year old Nyssa is a witch; she has the power to share other people's dreams. In the medieval town of Lindenwolde, that's not a good thing. If anyone finds out she is a witch, she will be killed. However, Nyssa is compelled to use her witchcraft to answer the question which has been haunting her for the last six years: who broke into her father's woodworking shop and murdered her parents? Nyssa is sure that it was Elsdon, the son of the most powerful man in town. Witnesses saw him in the area near her father's shop several days before the murder, and one of Nyssa's neighbors even saw him fleeing the shop right after the murder took place. Of course, the magistrate is much more likely to believe Elsdon's parents than a hysterical orphan. How do you prove someone guilty when the only evidence you can get will condemn you to death?

The solution to the murder mystery in Witch Dreams is fairly obvious if you spend a while thinking about it. This doesn't stop the story from being engrossing and exciting. Although certainly not Vivian Vande Velde's best book (Never Trust a Dead Man and Heir Apparent share that distinction), it's still original and unusual. As in all of Vande Velde's books, there are several plot twists and red herrings thrown in to keep the story interesting and the reader guessing. Nyssa is an unusual, sympathetic protagonist, though very obviously driven to the point of obsession by her parents' deaths. The dream sequences are also done in a very unusual style: each dream sequence takes place in present tense, and from the point of view of the person having the dream.

All in all it's a good book. The mystery is a bit obvious, but the rest of the book is innovative and surprising.

Omigosh! I never wanted to stop readingthis book. Chapter after chapter I read. There is a surprising ending that kept me guessing throughout the book. All I can say is "Spine Tingling!"

Arguably, this book was written for someone much younger than myself, yet I found I still enjoyed reading it. The sentence structure is a bit choppy, but considering the lead character and the age group this book was intended for, it works.

The lead character, Nyssa, discovers that there is something about her that makes her different... she's a witch. So not only does she have to learn to deal with that fact, the fact she can enter other people's dreams, and then having to deal with the death of her parents, all at a very young age, there is plenty in this book to keep the action and suspense going.

The subject matter of the book, sorcery and witchcraft, may not appeal to everyone, but it is written from that fantasy perspective, and shows the human side of a very tough time for a young girl, written during a time period when things such as witchcraft and sorcery were a part of history. Remember, this was during a time period when witches were burned for practicing sorcery of any kind, thus adding to the drama of this young girl's life.

All in all, not a bad little book.

This is a great book for 6 - 8 year olds. With a fun and imaginitive story line. A young girt buys a chest of "junk" at a yard-sale only to discover that the chest holds a secret tresure. This is a fun easy read and I can't wait for the sequel.A Young Witch's Magical Adventure

"A Young Witch's Magical Adventure" is a absolutely delightful story for children of all ages. It is a fast-paced tale about the fun things that happen when a young girl and her best friend find magical items hiding inside an old antique trunk that once belonged to a witch. This is a book that even adults can enjoy while reading it to their children/grandchildren. Lillie Lemire is a talented writer. I look forward to reading the sequel!

I must admit, as an author, Lillie is very talented. As a person, I can say she is one of the best people I've ever met. She also inspires me to work harder than I already do. I loved the part in it about the dogs. One in the mailbox and one in the tree(hey I thought only cats hung out there),haha. Lillie did extremley well in capturing the children's voices in writing. You can feel her own excitement and love for the characters in her story line. I wish,however there had been more detail in describing the objects RayAnn found, but I also like to be able to picture things with my own creative mind as to how the items might have looked. I would recommend this book to anyone that has children. Or if you are a kid at heart, You'll love this one

Genre: Children's Fantasy

Title: A Young Witch's Magical Adventure

Author: Lillie Lemire

RayAnn is about to jump into (or fly into) an adventure of a lifetime. RayAnn buys an old trunk from a neighbour's garage sale, and with her best friend, they discover the magical powers of the items inside the trunk. As they learn about the magic, RayAnn and her friend go on mini adventures and get into all kinds of mischief.

This is a good short novel about friendship and the shared magical adventures of two friends. The story is geared to a younger age group, especially those that are interested in magic and adventures; however, an older audience might appreciate the story as well. The author tells a compelling tale of high adventure and magical fantasy.

This is Lillie Lemire's first children's novel. Lemire was born in Selmer, Tennessee. She is also a children's book illustrator. Look out for the sequel to A Young Witch's Magical Adventure coming soon.

This book is a good read, especially for younger children and it is recommended by: Margaret Orford, Allbooks Reviews.

This book was very cute and magical! It used alot
of expressive language for children, and it made
you feel as if you were part of the story. It had
a creative balance to it, and anyone from children
to adults would enjoy reading this. Although I do
wish it had a few pictures to actually see what the
characters looked like. I read this book to my 3 1/2
year old grandson, and he really enjoyed when I
changed to different voices for each character! Well
worth every penney!!!!!!

My class loves Arthur! 'Arthur's Halloween' was a real treat for them!!

Arthur's Halloween is about Arthur who is afraid of pretty much everything. When Halloween comes, he is told he has to take his sister. When trick or treating the two get lost behind and D.W. goes in the so-called Witch House, and Arthur has to go get her. The book teaches that you shouldn't judge somebody by what other people tell you. This book is good for kids 4-8. I thought it was an ok book.

I really like arthur's book's I remeber that I liked this book since I was in kindergarten and I'm in middle school and I still read those books. It is very intersting and I love how some of the words ryum.and I will not stop reading those books.

This Arthur installment is a cute Halloween story that reminds us appearances can be deceiving. Arthur is scared of everything this Halloween -D.W.'s costume, the family decorations, the batwing brownie snacks at school - things that everyone else seems to enjoy. Obligated to bring little sister D.W. along while trick or treating with his friends, Arthur is crabby about everything, expecially when D.W. runs into the creepy house on the corner. Everyone's afraid to go in, but Arthur has to go in after D.W. When he does so, he finds D.W. contendly eating chocolate doughnuts with the elderly lady owner. He realizes that the old lady is not a witch, just unable to keep up the maintenance on her house all by herself. At the end, Arthur and D.W. leave hugging the old lady and promising to help her rake leaves. All Arthur's friends are impressed, Arthur has learned that there is nothing to be afraid of, and even leads the group home through the cemetary! This is a really important lesson for little ones to learn; not to judge by appearances. My kids love the Arthur books. Despite the fact that they are all aardvarks, rabbits, monkeys, and rats, the problems they encounter are very real-to-life, and D.W. the pesty sister is just perfect! You won't be disappointed with this book if your kids like Arthur!

If you're looking for entertaining Halloween picture books for 3 and 4 year olds, Arthur's Halloween fits the bill.

Arthur and his friends go trick or treating. Arthur is very scared at first, but he learns to overcome his fears along the way. Only D.W. is brave enough to approach the "witch's" house, but then Arthur and D.W. learn that the "witch" is really just a misunderstood elderly lady with a messy house and yard.

Arthur's Halloween is about trick-or-treating, mainly, and there is no mention of Halloween parades, bobbing for apples, or other Halloween traditions. If your children are afraid of trick-or-treating, this book may help them to escape their fear.

Often characters in Arthur videos and books daydream or imagine episodes, and I find that those episodes are presented in a way that my three year old finds confusing. He does not distinguish between the trappings of characters' imaginations and the regular plot. Now I know that I can add commentary so that he understands that certain elements in a book are just the dreams of a character.

For example, in Arthur's Halloween, some of the kids imagine that the "witch" is harming Arthur and D.W. in several different ways. When a toddler sees illustrations of the "witch" doing such things, he believes it just as he believes the rest of the plot. I have learned that I can say "Francine (or The Brain, or Buster, etc.)just THINKS this is happening. It's not really happening, is it?" Then my child doesn't confuse the "real" plot with the characters' fanciful thoughts.

In any case, Arthur's Halloween is not a bad Halloween picture book, and even if you steer your child away from "series" books or books allied with television series, give this one a try.

ken32

From kids to adults, everyone loves being someone (or someTHING!) else for Halloween. Singleton's book provides a wealth of ideas and resources, and the interior illustrations, photographs, and black-and-orange two-color printing make for a very attractive product.

I found this book to be very enlightning for ideas on creating Halloween costumes. It is full of so many good tips, many requiring a minimal amount of effort in putting together a costume. I would recommend this book to many, both young and old and particularly to parents who every year need to come up with a new and unique costume for their children to dress for Halloween.

This is such a fun book for Halloween! I have enjoyed looking at the photographs and illustrations. I can't wait to try some of the creative costumes out on my children. The book makes it so easy to put together and understand! In this day of rush, rush, rush, its so wonderful to have a book that makes life simple. Thank you for such a great tool!

Suzanne Singleton has certainly outdone herself on this release. Clever Costume Creating for Halloween is jam-packed with unique ideas for easy to make, NO SEW costumes. The illustrations help you visualize the overall effect and the instructions are packed with appropriate props and accessories.

Although I am an artist and consider myself to be pretty creative, when it comes to Halloween costumes I go blank. The creative part of me wants to do something original, unique. I definitely could never bring myself to buy those mass produced, plastic-masked versions available in the stores. When I flipped through Suzanne Singleton's book, my mind began to race with all the possiblities. I found myself thinking, "Why didn't I think of that? This is sooooooo clever!" Now my only problem is choosing which idea to try first!

I am returning this book because although it looked like it had creative ideas and received very good reviews, I didn't feel it would serve the purpose I had intended which was to have a book I could give my 6 and 12 year olds to look through to choose a costume.

There were too many costume suggestions that I don't think are appropriate for kids - like a "Mammy" costume, a "Vodka Cocktail" costume and a "Cigarette Girl" and "Bag Lady" to name a few. Personally, I don't think these are very appropriate for adults either, but I really don't think they are appropriate or in the spirit of fun that I want to promote at Halloween with my kids.

I'll be looking for another book that has fun costumes that don't reinforce negative stereotypes.

I first checked this out from our local library...it was so GREAT, I went out and bought one for my company. The book comes with a CD that has templates that you fill in the blanks...it also tells you in Layman's terms what the documents are, when/where/how/why to use them, provides clear examples, and steps on how to fill out the templates. I would highly recommend this and "How to Form Your Own Texas Corporation" (from the same author).

* NOTE: I have the 2nd Edition, which is no longer available, but there is a 3rd Edition.

The new version of this book is now being sold under a different title: "The Corporate Records Handbook". Don't buy this old version.

I've recently set up several corporate structures for small business ventures. In preparation, I took a couple of short classes at a local community college and read several books.

Most of the information in other books was very general. They would say something like, "you must do X to protect your corporate status," without telling you *how* to do it.

This is the only book I've found that clearly describes all the steps needed to properly set up and maintain your corporation. It does not cover choice of corporate structure or the actual incorporation process, but instead explains all the things you must do to maintain the legal and tax protections provided by your corporation once it is established. It also includes an extensive set of forms, all on CD-ROM. The forms are supplied in Rich Text Format, also known as rtf, and can be read by most word processors.

(Note to Macintosh users - although the book says that the CD-ROM is not "supported" on the Mac, I had no trouble opening and using the forms.)

I borrowed this from the library to check it out and now I own it. It covers everything you can think of needing. And it explains every form in detail ....the why and how.

I borrowed an older version of this book from the library and had to buy it. This is THE best book on corporate minutes I hve ever read...and I have read many! It is very specific. It has all the forms in print and on disk. It not only tells you how to fill in the forms but why! If you run a small corporation and don't want to pay a lawyer to do all you minutes, this book is a must!

Franklin and his friends are into Halloween in this story. As one reviewer so well put it, this story is a good reminder just how much fun Halloween was when we were kids (in my case, that was near sixty years ago and the times were much simpler). Again, as with all the Franklin books, we have messages, good messages, stuck here and there throughout the story. Like the other Franklin books, the illustrations in this one are of the same excellent quality. The more you look a them, the more you find which allows a lot of fun, in particular with the younger kids. I love this series and do recommend this one like all the rest.

My sons wants to be Franklistein for Halloween. In the book all of Franklin friends'costumes are a secret, but Bear's. They think Bear is the ghost, but it's Mr. Owl. They find out that Bear is home sick and take some of their candy to them. It teaches sharing and caring for others.

Franklin is a little cutie and he has lots of nice friends. They are all excited that Halloween is coming and they are making big plans. The bright colored, detailed illustrations of the quaint woodland world where they live are brimming with wholesome, good-natured fun. This is a good book for introducing Halloween to little ones so that they will not be unnerved by mysterious ghouls who'll come knocking on their doors on Halloween. It shows Franklin and friends getting their costumes ready for a party, painting, cutting and pasting decorations, bobbing for apples, playing a pumpkin toss game, and trick-or-treating in their neighborhood. They're a little spooked when they visit a make-believe haunted house but it turns out to be fun and they solve a mystery! They pool some of their goodies to deliver to their friend who is ill and can't go out trick-or-treating. It also shows little Franklin getting carried home in the arms of Daddy with Mommy walking along beside. It's heart-warming and has enough action to hold a little one's attention so they can become familiar with common Halloween disguises. It's easy to see from the pictures that Franklin is Franklinstein, Fox is clearly the mummy, Skunk is Dracula, and Goose is a wolf. Our friends dress up but we know it's still them underneath the make-up and masks. Franklin is a lot of fun at Halloween. Enjoy!

We love Franklin books (and videos) My sons are 3years & 9 months. Every night we read at least one Franklin story. we'd read them all if it was up to them. I like the stories because they are interesting, yet quick. They like the colorful pictures, and now that he is older,the actual story that goes with them. He thinks about it, asks questions, & relates the topic to our day. This is a special favorite this time of year. When we get to the haunted house part, my 3 year old puts his fingers in his ears & squints from one eye & loves every minute of it.

This is a great Halloween book. My children -boy and girl-- both enjoy it, and they ask for it to be read at various times throughout the year. One of the things that draws them back to the book is the familiarity of all the classic activities Franklin and his buddies engage in. Everything from talk about what everyone wants to dress up as, to how many goodies they plan to acquire. In addition, even though my kids have never bobbed for apples, they enjoy hearing about it.

The other thing my children like about the book is that there are several 'mysteries' woven into the plot. The fact that they already know the answers doesn't seem to keep them from enjoying the story one bit.

Now, as a mom I happen to have my own preferences. In particular I like how the dilemma of Bear's untimely illness is solved. You see, he gets a bad cold and isn't able to attend the cool school party nor go out trick-or-treating. How Bear's friends come through for him is simply heart warming.

Four Stars ::: The usual nice Franklin artwork. Good Read-Aloud. The Accelerated Reading designation for "Franklin's Halloween" is 2.7, which means that it is generally suited for 2nd Graders in the 7th month of school.

Note on AR designation: The AR description is a general "guide" that rates books on a relative scale of difficulty. Children can certainly read at levels above or below their group range, so that this number should only be used as a aid to help choose books that are appropriate and not frustrating.

Pam T~