Long Live the Pumpkin Queen: Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

by Shea Ernshaw

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Nightmare Before Christmas fans rejoice! Long Live the Pumpkin Queen picks up where the beloved film left off, with Sally in her new role as the Queen of Halloween Town. This delightful return to The Nightmare Before Christmas universe is sure to appeal to fans old and new.

Return to Halloween Town in this #1 New York Times bestselling companion novel to Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Jack and Sally are "truly meant to be" . . . or are they? Discover the next chapter in their story, penned by New York Times best-selling author Shea Ernshaw.

Following a whirlwind courtship with her true love, Jack Skellington, Sally the rag doll has officially stepped into the role of Pumpkin Queen. But while she adores Jack with every inch of her fabric seams, she can't quite say the same for her new job. Cast into the spotlight and tasked with all sorts of royal duties, she starts to wonder if all she's done is trade her captivity under Dr. Finkelstein for a different cage.

Then, while exploring the Hinterlands beyond the holiday doors, Sally stumbles upon a long-hidden entrance to another ancient realm called Dream Town—and unknowingly sets a chain of sinister events into motion. Before she knows it, both her future as Pumpkin Queen and the future of Halloween Town itself have been thrust into into jeopardy.

Can Sally discover what it means to be true to herself and save the town she's learned to call home, or will her future turn into her worst... well, nightmare?

This darkly romantic fantasy comes to paperback alongside the forthcoming sequel, Hour of the Pumpkin Queen!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368115988
Publisher:	Disney - RHCB
Publication date:	07/08/2025
Series:	Pumpkin Queen
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Shea Ernshaw is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestselling author. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and repeatedly chosen as Indie Next Picks, and she is the winner of the Oregon Book Award. She lives in a small mountain town in Oregon and is happiest when lost in a good book, lost in the woods, or writing her next novel. Connect with her online at sheaernshaw.com.

Editorial Reviews

08/01/2022

Gr 7–10—Exactly 50 weeks after the events of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack and Sally Skellington have returned from their honeymoon to begin their work as the Pumpkin King and Queen. Unfortunately, Sally finds being a queen rather suffocating and chafes at the drudgery of new gowns and dealing with the mayor all the time as Halloween approaches. When Jack's beloved ghost-dog Zero and Sally accidentally fall into the forgotten world of Dream Town, a series of events occurs that threatens everything she knows and loves. Sally uncovers some family secrets in her search for the answer to her situation. She must decide once and for all if she can be the Pumpkin Queen and save all the holidays for everyone. Ernshaw's atmospheric and spooky writing lends itself well to Burton's world. The adult age of the main characters and the juvenile tone and quick pacing of the novel create a juxtaposition that is questionable but not altogether uncomfortable. Sally's doubts about her suitability for the position she finds herself in will resonate with many readers, but the assumption of familiarity with the characters themselves may keep the story from being accessible to some readers. VERDICT Details about Sally's past and a chance to spend more time with beloved characters will appeal greatly to fans of the original movie but may not tempt others.—Allie Stevens

School Library Journal

2022-03-29
Sally must save her town from a sleeping curse before Halloween comes.

Sally is at last married to Pumpkin King Jack Skellington. Nothing could be more perfect as they depart for a one-day honeymoon to Valentine’s Town. But after a chance meeting with elegant Ruby Valentino, Queen of Valentine’s Town, Sally begins having doubts about her newfound status as Pumpkin Queen. These doubts only grow upon their return to Halloween Town, as the residents begin pressuring Sally into fulfilling their ideas of a good queen. With Halloween only two weeks away and Jack focused on making the holiday a success, Sally despairs. Upset, she flees to the grove of portal trees, where she is drawn to one with a mysterious hidden door. Loyal ghost dog Zero stops her from passing through it, but on returning home, Sally discovers she may have let a terrible monster out of its prison. With the Sandman on the loose, the citizens of Halloween Town fall under his sleeping spell, and it’s up to Sally to save the day. Sally’s adventure gives some much-needed expansion to the other holiday worlds and her backstory with Dr. Finkelstein. The perspective through which Sally sees the world keeps the narrative grounded in Halloween Town even while she explores other areas. While some parts of the ending are unsatisfactory, witnessing Sally uncover her true self and come into her own takes readers on a satisfying journey.

A delight for both existing fans and newcomers. (Fantasy. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews