The Best Halloween Story of All Time

It was a small town by a small river and a small lake in a small northern part of a Midwest state. There wasn’t so much wilderness around you couldn’t see the town. But on the other hand there wasn’t so much town you couldn’t see and feel and touch and smell the wilderness. The town was full of trees. And dry grass and dead flowers now that autumn was here. And full of fences to walk on and sidewalks to skate on and a large ravine to tumble in and yell across. And the town was full of…

Boys.

And it was the afternoon of Halloween.

Thus begins Halloween Tree, by Ray Bradbury. Originally published in 1972, this classic Halloween tale is the best Halloween story of all time.

Yes, that’s just my opinion. But I happen to think I’m right and also have very good taste. So there.

If you’ve never read the story, he’s a quick overview. On Halloween night, eight boys approach the perfect haunted house to find in its yard a perfect Halloween Tree, filled with jack-o’-lanterns. There, they meet Mr. Moundshroud. He’s a tall, menacing but all-over joyful man who offers them not a Halloween treat, but a trick.

When they’re friend Pipkin is whisked away and dropped back in time; the boys follow Mr. Moundshroud to save him. They travel through ancient Egypt, the dark ages of England, the building of the Notre Dame Cathedral, and the celebrations of Día de Los Muertos.

This book reads like a poem. The text is so lyrical, so expressive. Every line is gorgeous. Every page brings you back to those good scary feelings of Halloween as a kid. When you ran off to go trick-or-treating with your friends, hoping for a good scare.

It might not feel like a modern Halloween night, when kids are more likely to dress like superheroes and gather at a well-lit and adult-supervised party. Maybe this sort of Halloween has never existed. Or maybe it existed only for a privileged few. At any rate, it’s gorgeous to imagine.

I also adore the history involved in this book. Especially as a witch who celebrates Samhain as well as Halloween. Younger people may wonder why we celebrate Halloween. Well, there’s a reason, and it’s as old as humanity itself. After the harvest was a scary time for older civilizations. Had they collected enough food for Winter? Would they make it through? Would the Sun ever return? These are the real monsters that stalked our ancestors. We remember this fear generationally. There’s an ancestral instinct that tells us to be wary. To gather around the fire, share food and stories. Most importantly, to remember those who were around our fire last year and aren’t anymore.

Finally, I want to talk about the artwork in this book. Now, I have the edition that was published in 2015 with illustrations by Gris Grimly. I actually lucked out and got a library copy from Thriftbooks. I love this thing.

The artwork in this edition is fantastic. It’s creepy, whimsical, and so much fun.

If you have little ones, I can’t suggest enough reading this book with them during the Halloween season. And if you’re a grown-up who’s still a kid at heart, you’ll probably love it too.

Want another book recommendation? Check out my review of The Children.

My book, Station 86 Volume One, is available now on Amazon! It’s got two dark sci-fi stories about murder and mayhem on the station of First Contact.