"...Eight boys set out on a Halloween night and are led into the depths of the past by a tall, mysterious character named Moundshroud. They ride on a black wind to autumn scenes in distant lands and times, where they witness other ways of celebrating this holiday about the dark time of year. Bradbury's lyrical prose whooshes along with the pell-mell rhythms of children running at night, screaming and laughing, and the reader is carried along by its sheer exuberance.
Bradbury's stories about children are always attended by dread--of change, adulthood, death. The Halloween Tree, while sweeter than his adult literature, is also touched at moments by the cold specter of loss--which is only fitting, of course, for a holiday in honor of the waning of the sun. This is a superb book for adults to read to children, a way to teach them, quite painlessly, about customs and imagery related to Halloween from ancient Egypt, Mediterranean cultures, Celtic Druidism, Mexico, and even a cathedral in Paris. ..." -Taken from GoodReads.com
This short novel was made into a move in the early 90's, narrated by Bradbury himself. I used to watch it all the time on TV. At the time it scared the begebbers out of me, but that never stopped me from watching it. ;) I was researching Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes, when I came across The Halloween Tree. As I read the description, I wondered if it was related to the movie. I found the movie in pieces on YouTube, if anyone is interested.* Reading this book took me back to my childhood. I will keep the book for sentiment, and hopefully be able to pass it on to my little one someday.
*There are video clips on my lj, but I was unable to figure out how to post them here. :( Here is a link to one of the clips on YouTube. You should check it out if you have time! :)
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