Recently i had read The Hobbit to my nearly 7 yr old daughter and she amazed me with her comprehension and continued interest in the story. So with Halloween approaching i was looking for something in the holiday spirit that we could read together. So after some googling, a few lists recommended The Halloween Tree (never heard of it) and Something Wicked This Way Comes (wasn't that an 80's disney film and a chorus line in a Harry Potter movie?). So i bought both and chose Halloween Tree to read to my daughter and read SWTWC for myself. We're a handful of pages away from finishing both. Honestly, the rich (almost overload) of imagery has been alot for my daughter to listen to, yet "Pipkin!" gets her every time and we're having conversations about other culture's Halloween traditions and historical inspirations. So Bravo Mr. Bradbury!

And conveniently, Disney Video On Demand was playing SWTWC and we watched it as a family yesterday and now she is curious about that book too (which has been a terrific read).

What blows me away is the timeless aspect of these books written 40 and 50 years ago, as they continue to be re-discovered, and i'm sure, re-enjoyed for years to come.

I have no idea how much, if any, of these posts Mr. Bradbury sees, but my daughter and i thank you and applaud you, me especially for enriching our bedtime reading!

forgive me forgetting to mention that i enjoyed bradbury short stories throughout school, but i wasn't a mature enough reader back in the day to commit to 'a whole novel'. Sad but true. Better late than never i guess. Hopefully this is a spark in my daughter's basket of interests that will continue to grow as she does.

I am envious of your (and your daughter's) ability to discover these 'new' works! I first read them years ago, and it is now hard for me to recall their initial impact.

Having said that, I still find something new in them with each reading, and when seeing/hearing them in different media - radio, film for example.

Welcome to the board, and welcome (back!) to the wonderful world of Bradbury!

McKinney Texas? I know someone in McKinney. Eh, Mr Dark?

I'll bet you weren't aware, whilst you were reading about Will & Jim's adventures with the evil carnival man, that he lived in your very town. Or perhaps you were.