The Best Halloween Ever [Paperback]

Barbara Robinson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

The Herdmans plus Halloween have always spelled disaster

Every Halloween, the six Herdman kids steal candy, spray-paint other kids, and take everything that isn't nailed down. And this year promises to be the same, until the Mayor decides to up and cancel Halloween. True, that means there'd be no Herdman trouble to contend with, but that also means no candy, no costumes, and no trick-or-treating! Is it possible that the Herdmans themselves could make what looks like a horrible Halloween into the best one ever?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–The Herdmans are back and still causing havoc. This large family of ruffians has terrorized the community in the past by turning on the sprinklers and nearly drowning all the turkeys, spray painting kids, stealing cakes, and making kids buy back their own candy. This time, in an effort to avoid the inevitable Herdman-induced chaos of the Halloween activities, Principal Crabtree proposes that the celebration be held at the school, under the watchful eyes of parents and teachers. The kids are bummed because it will be a trick-or-treatless night, and they would rather face the Herdmans on the street than miss the candy. However, the Herdmans manage to turn the event into a disaster for the adults, and the best Halloween ever for the children. The writing is fast paced and funny, and the plot takes some unexpected if not entirely believable twists; for example, a trap door in the teachers' lounge leads to a boiler room filled with holiday candy stolen and stashed by the Herdmans over the years. This book will have a wide readership, particularly with fans of Robinson's The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1972) and The Best School Year Ever (1994, both HarperCollins).–Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. Except for Imogene, the Herdmans have stayed out of sight, and that's been worrying Beth Bradley and the other kids at Woodrow Wilson Elementary School. It's also worried the mayor, who has canceled trick-or-treating and suspended all candy sales because of previous Herdman Halloween mayhem. The kids aren't looking forward to the alternative celebration--a tame, school-sponsored party, "with a lot of fake witches and spooky music on the PA, and little kid games." But could the Herdmans be planning to sabotage the event? With all the kids in one place, the possibilities are terrifying! Robinson's suspenseful romp will delight fans of previous books featuring the Herdman kids: the buildup to the mischievous collaboration is deliciously tense, the actual pranks are satisfyingly scary, and readers will agree that the Herdmans' interference results in the best Halloween ever. Chris Sherman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060766018
• ISBN-13: 978-0060766016
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Holidays & Festivals > Halloween
  • #87 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Halloween

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another entertaining read, August 15, 2004

By 

D. Connolly - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best Halloween Ever (Hardcover)

Barbara Robinson has provided another fast-paced report on school life - this sequel is entertaining and enlightening for adult readers as well as children. The host of minor players are well described, both funny and believable. Read her other books first if possible, because 'Best Christmas Pageant' and 'Best School Year' give more detailed descriptions of the terrible Herdmans and some other main characters, and this background will increase your enjoyment of 'Best Halloween'. That said, it can certainly be read and enjoyed alone. Recommended!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...a spooktacular tale featuring some tricks, and quite a few treats..., October 5, 2006

By 

Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best Halloween Ever (Paperback)

It's a known fact that whenever there's trouble, the six Herdman kids are behind it. Lose a pair of pants? It's the Herdmans. Find your window broken? The Herdmans are behind it. Find yourself painted green? Blame the Herdmans. It never gets old. Or, at least it never got old before. But this year is different. This year, as everyone is preparing for Halloween, and loading up on candy, the Mayor does something drastic to protect the town from the Herdmans...he cancels Halloween. Sure, without Halloween, the Herdmans are sure to keep their distance from everyone, and cease from stealing the candy that every child has collected. But without the Herman's to contend with, it would also mean that candy is banned for the season. And Halloween just isn't Halloween with a heaping bag full of goodies that will rot your teeth and make you sick. Now, Halloween has turned into a horrible, boring event that will take place at school, with a bunch of parents dressed up as witches and ghouls, ghosts and monsters. Instead of candy, there'll be donuts. Instead of trick-or-treating, there'll be supervised bobbing for apples. This is sure to be the worst Halloween ever, Herdmans or not. But when the lights go off, suddenly everything changes, and everyone begins to wonder whether the Herdmans have what it takes to pull off a spooktacular Halloween that will leave the town cheering.

I don't know how Barbara Robinson does it, but she manages to turn every holiday from a bad experience into the best day ever, and all with the help of the Herdman clan. The Herdmans are enjoyable characters, who, regardless of their bad behavior, knack for pulling pranks everywhere they go, and ability to steal just about anything, obviously have a soft spot, and it is showcased in Robinson's Halloween effort THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER. Robinson shows a different side of the Herdmans in this particular installment into their trying life, allowing readers to see the kindness that they can emanate, when they feel the need. If you're looking for a spooktacular tale this Halloween featuring some tricks, and quite a few treats, look no further than THE BEST HALLOWEEN EVER.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars charming sequel that can be read alone, October 12, 2010

By 

audrey (white mtns) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Best Halloween Ever (Paperback)

It's not necessary to have read Robinson's two previous entries about the dreaded Herdman family, but I'd say this one is a bit weaker than the first (Best Christmas Pageant Ever), so read that one if you haven't. This will stand alone fine on its own, however.

In this sequel, Halloween has been cancelled because everyone in town dreads the involvement of the Herdman kids, who steal everyone's candy and pull destructive pranks. This year the whole celebration is limited to the school, where everyone can wear costumes -- but NO candy! Only lame "spooky" stuff manned by the parents -- the kids are not at all happy with this -- until weird things start to happen. And hey, where *are* the Herdmans?

Lots of fun and another rewarding, twist-y ending, courtesy of the Herdman kids.