Halloween ABC

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Halloween ABC
Halloween ABC cover.jpg
Front cover
Author Eve Merriam
Illustrator Lane Smith
LanguageEnglish
Genre Children's poetry
PublisherMacmillan
Publication date
1987
Publication placeUSA
Pages28 (unnumbered)
ISBN 978-00-2766870-4

Halloween ABC is a book of poetry for children, written by Eve Merriam and illustrated by Lane Smith. It includes a poem related to a scary or Halloween related theme for each letter of the alphabet.

Contents

Reception

Kirkus Reviews calls it "elegant in design, precise in image, this is a sophisticated style that should be popular for its subject, with appeal for any age that enjoys the macabre side of Halloween". [1] Publishers Weekly describes the poems as "fresh, original creations" and "illustrator Smith is a perfect accomplice..." [2] The School Library Journal recommends Halloween ABC for children K and up, and states that: "This is not a book for young children to learn the alphabet, but it is a witty, whimsical, and happily shivery book for Halloween sharing. It is also a wonderful book for monster- and horror-loving youngsters at any time of the year and a diabolic way for poetry-loving adults to introduce the work of one of our best contemporary poets [...]"

Challenged book

Halloween ABC is on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000 [3] as "it allegedly contains demonic references, cult symbols, and promotes violent and deviant behavior". [4]

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References

  1. "Halloween ABC". kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Media LLC. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  2. "Halloween A B C". publishersweekly.com. PWxyz LLC. November 1987. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  3. "100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999". ALA.org. American Library Association. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  4. Edwards, June (1997). Opposing Censorship in Public Schools: Religion, Morality, and Literature. Routledge. p. 50. ISBN   978-11-3568616-1 . Retrieved 24 June 2015.