Engagement:
Genre:
Horror
Published:
1972
Page Count:
145
Where to Buy:
The Halloween Tree
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On Halloween night, eight boys follow their friend Pipkin—who may be dying—on a journey through time guided by the mysterious Mr. Moundshroud, learning the origins of Halloween traditions from ancient Egypt to Mexico's Day of the Dead. A lyrical, educational dark fantasy that treats death with philosophical seriousness.
Content Ratings
Moderate Themes
The entire novel is about the reality of death and cultural responses to mortality; Pipkin is dying and the boys must confront this; themes of mortality, the purpose of Halloween, and cultural attitudes toward death are central; the tone is lyrical and philosophical rather than scary but the subject matter is genuinely heavy.
Mild Violence
Pipkin is dying and the boys are racing to save him; they witness historical death rituals and traditions; death is ever-present but handled philosophically rather than graphically.