Teen Reader
The Halloween Tree (1972)
By Ray Bradbury
Text Version of The Halloween Tree
Audio Version of The Halloween Tree
Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury, (born August 22, 1920, Waukegan, Illinois, U.S.—died June 5, 2012, Los Angeles, California), American author best known for his highly imaginative short stories and novels that blend a poetic style, nostalgia for childhood, social criticism, and an awareness of the hazards of runaway technology.
The Halloween Tree
A fast-moving, eerie...tale set on Halloween night. Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween. After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy must sacrifice something to save Pipkin.
Discussion Questions for The Halloween Tree
Why does Bradbury give his main character the name of Pipkin (think of Halloween)?
Who do you think Moundshroud really is?
Why do you think Moundshroud wants Pip’s pumpkin?
What doyou think the pumpkin represents (symbolism)?
What will happen to Pip when Moundshroud gets possession of Pip’s pumpkin?
Easy Reader
How do Apples Grow?
Storybooks for Elementary, Intensive Support, and Preschool
Grumpy Pumpkin
That Monster on the Block
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything
Pete the Cat and the Five Little Pumpkins
In Spanish
Froggy y el dia de Halloween
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