The Big Book of Halloween: Creative & Creepy Projects for Revellers of All Ages [Paperback]

Laura Dover Doran (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 31, 1999

This complete source book is the perfect treat (with lots of tricks, too!). Adults and kids will enjoy the mixture of fun, food, and fright. There are 50 great projects and loads of imaginative ideas—everything from decorations to costumes, party ideas to pumpkin-carving patterns. A wealth of Halloween legend and lore help illuminate the holiday’s rich history.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Make your home come alive with ghoulish spirit by plucking clever Halloween ideas from Laura Dover Doran's The Big Book of Halloween. From indoor décor to yard trimming, eerie edibles to easy costumes, Doran supplies a pleasantly spooky assortment of decorating and party-making ideas. Greet trick-or-treaters with authentic-looking gravestones and a procession of paper-bag luminaries, set the table with a bat runner and a pumpkin-spoon centerpiece, then serve up haunted-house cake or graveyard pudding washed down with spicy witch's brew (cider punch). Lots of color photos supplement good directions, and as an added bonus Doran throws in eight ghost stories to tell at your next Halloween party--illuminated by ghostly gourd lights, of course. --Amy Handy

From School Library Journal

YA-Beginning with a short historical overview and background, Doran focuses on festivities for a contemporary celebration of the occasion. Each separate section covers a main theme perfect for a delightfully frightful time. Ideas and detailed instructions, with photographs, for Devilish Decorations, Spooky Lighting, Eerie Edibles, Clever Costumes, and Frightening Fun are included. The projects range from easily constructed with minimal time required to projects that call for substantially more in the way of the investment of supplies and effort. Instructions are clearly written and the finished products appear on the same page, a bonus for those who like to see what the end result will be without flipping from one end of the book to the other. Tidbits of Halloween trivia are featured throughout. Several stories of reported hauntings, as well as some spooky folktale-type stories, are also included. YAs looking for additional ideas for seasonal fun can find a wealth of information; projects to make or easily adapt; and a variety of foods, costumes, and things to do.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Lark Books; 1st edition (December 31, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579900631
• ISBN-13: 978-1579900632
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,126,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good resource for all aspects of Halloween entertaining, September 28, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Big Book of Halloween: Creative & Creepy Projects for Revellers of All Ages (Paperback)

This book has lots of great craft ideas for decorating for Halloween, as well as fun recipes for party food. Costume ideas were lame. Section on Halloween collectibles was superfulous. Ghost stories and folklore were an added bonus. A good resource for Halloween revelers.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice easy projects for fall decorating., June 23, 2002

By 

"ptebbe" (Melbourne, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Book of Halloween: Creative & Creepy Projects for Revellers of All Ages (Paperback)

Nicely written and illustrated with color photos of virually all projects. Projects are not too complicated, but more decorative than scary. More fall oriented than strictly Halloween. I prefer Martha Stewarts book; it was smilar but more original.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More fun to flip through than actually use as a "How to", September 10, 2004

By 

alexxcz "alexxcz" (Baltimore, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Big Book of Halloween: Creative & Creepy Projects for Revellers of All Ages (Paperback)

I'm always a little disappointed by any book that says it has it all, and the craft and recipe offerings in this book are either overly complicated or very well-worn. We've all seen painted pumpkins, graveyard pudding, and knitted pumpkin skullcaps many times before.

What I do like about the book is the holiday stories and lore sprinkled in throughout the book, the list of "last minute costume ideas", and photos of vintage Halloween collectibles. The book is fun to flip through, but there's nothing much new I'd use here for decorating or party throwing.