Customer Reviews

The Best Halloween Ever

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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

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.

I read The Best Christmas present ever so I ordered this book. It was as good as the first till the ending which made no sense. They never explained why what happened happened. I was disapointed.

This book is crazy! The Herdmans go into their school for halloween and steal all the candy. When the other kids are looking for the candy, they turn off the power! You really should read this cause it will make you fall over laughing!

No tricks only an enormous treat in this performance by acclaimed Broadway actress Elaine Stritch. She of the gravely voice who won a Tony for her one woman show, and is also a four-time Tony nominee.

Look out, it's almost Halloween and the Herdmans (a family of six rowdy, trouble making kids) are on everyone's minds. They've created such chaos in the past that this year the mayor's going to totally erase Halloween from the city calendar and the principal of Woodrow Wilson School has decided that they'll have a celebration at, of all places, the school. Who can have fun surrounded by parents and teachers?

Not to worry the Herdmans aren't easily foiled. They outwit the adults and show the kids "The Best Halloween Ever."

The fun is in hearing Elaine Stritch telling how it was done. Youngsters in grades 3-5 will love this.

- Gail Cooke

Thank you so much for the book. I am reading it now to the class and they love it! The book came in great condition.

This little book is a Halloween treat, with some great tricks thrown in. It keeps you going from start to finish, a really spirited little story with wonderful characters. An extra treat for me, the book brought back wonderful memories of the great Halloween Carnivals held at my old grammer school in Doraville Georgia. The Spook House, the Cake Walk, the Mad Science Lab and the homemade costumes we all wore, it was like being back there again. It is a Halloween treasure. Enjoy it.

I enjoyed the Best Halloween Ever, but probably more because Robinson's Best Christmas....will forever be one of the best books I've ever read then for any other reason.
The Herdmans are almost just as wonderfully Herdman-esque during Halloween as they were in Christmas. I think if you read the books as the holidays fall, you will not be disappointed in the least. The same message exists in both books and despite it happening in a non-PTA approved way, the Herdmans do care about the community that they take pleasure in terrorizing.

My nine year old son and I bought this book to review and present a report to his class for Halloween. My son is not a fan of reading however, this book kept his attention. The descriptions were vivid and entertaining.