A Halloween Story is a tale of magical realism that takes place in a struggling, rundown neighborhood. The main character is 10-year-old Linda, followed in equal parts by 8-year-old Street Urchin and timeless Grandma Roads. Linda’s thoughts and memories clue us in as to the flavor of the place. ‘The place’ is given no name or period in time, because it characterizes so many beleaguered such towns. Linda’s and Grandma Roads’s kindness to Street Urchin is also characteristic of so many who people these places, and pitch in where needed. On this particular Halloween, hardboiled Street Urchin repays that kindness in a way that gives this story its bitter-sweet ending. The charm and flavor of this story is enhanced when read aloud, preferably to children of all ages.
