Ghost Banquet written by Carole Marsh Longmeyer illustrated by Sarah McCarthy
Copyright Carole Marsh Longmeyer
Published by Gallopade International www.gallopade.com
A Bluffton Books book
www.blufftonbooksandmore.com Spooky Art Director: John Hanson
Candy-eating Editor: Janice Baker
Death-defying Designer: Susan Van Denhende Silly, Illy-strations: Sarah McCarthy
Written by: Pirate Carole Marsh Longmeyer
Printed by: the zombies, vampires, ghosts, and etc. at Gallopade Publishing
Did you ever wonder what the spooky things do on Halloween? YOU dress up in a costume and go Trick-or-Treating. But all kids love Halloween, right? So what do kid monsters, vampires, zombies, and such do on Halloween so they don’t miss out on all the fun? Hmm‌
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As the real kid reporter of the Trick-or-Treat Times, I decided to go out and find out: What Do the Spookies Do on All Hallow’s Eve?
After all, inquiring kid minds WANT TO KNOW!
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Monsters
We monsters make mash, of course! It’s our night to drag out
the pots and pans and make a big mess to see who can make the best mess o’ monster mash. We sing that Monster Mash song while we work!
By morning, there’s not a drop left- and we sleep for three days. Skeletons
No bones about it, we have a great Halloween! We drink a lot of milk- good for our bones, but it sure keeps us busy mopping up!
(Get it?)
Since we pretty much run around “nekkid” the
rest of the year, we spend the evening trying on clothes- it’s
so much fun! We shake, rattle, and roll while we’re dancing, and celebrate our hero, General Bone-a-part!
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Witches
Halloween was made for us! While all you kids are traipsing up
and down neighborhood streets and whining that you’re tired, we just hop on our broomsticks and zoom around!
We love
to zip in front of a full moon and hear you say, “Did you see
that?!” We really pile up the newts’ eyes and frog toes so we can fire up the cauldron and make a big ol’ witches brew- yum!
Zeesh!
Zombies
Whadaya think we do?
Halloween!
Play in the dirt?
Not on
We go stiff-legged walk-about and see what
the trick-or-treat fuss is all about.
Since all you kids are
in costumes, no one pays much attention to us. Oh, little kids might be a bit scared, but most kids just give us a thumbs-up or
high-five because they think we look so cool, so “real”- LOL!
What? You think we zombies don’t use computers, do email? Zeesh!
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Vampires
Vhat do you think ve do, human? Ve go shopping! Vhat? You
think our clothes don’t get old and dirty over the course of a year? Vell, they do! Ve pop in the tuxedo store, after hours of course. I love a new shirt, cape, and maybe even some shiny
black new shoes. Otherwise, it’s just polish the coffin and go to bed.
Not really too exciting, but ve look verrry handsome in our new duds! Pirates
Avast! We come ashore for candy and more, MORE!, MORE!
We like to play reverse trick-or-treat and when we pass you, toss a doubloon in your bucket! (Did you ever find one?) We clomp around town in our big buccaneer boots, doff our big-feathered hats to your mamas, and waggle our bony fingers at your dads. Later, we go back on board our ship and
put on our striped swimsuits and take turns walking the plank
to dive in the water. By the time we climb in our hammocks, we are tired as babies!
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Ghosts
Kid Reporter: So, uh, what do ghosts do on Halloween? Ghost: Are you, uh, kidding, kid? Kid Reporter: Uh, no. I’m doing a story for the Trick-or-Treat Times.
Ghost: Trick-or-Treat? Stick your hand through me and call me invisible! Why, we ghosties invented trick-or-treat, smell our feet, give us something really, really yummy to eat!
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Kid Reporter: Really? I just interviewed witches and pirates and vampires and skeletons and monsters and zombies and…
Ghost: Now what do those ding-dongs know about Halloween? Witches on those dumb broomsticks!
Why don’t they use a
Segway? And vampires- honestly, those fang teeth just creep
me out! Zombies? We ghosts don’t mess with the Walking Dead!
Pirates are just gross, don’t you think? And monsters are so old-fashioned.
You just gotta be a ghost to really “get”
Halloween, kid. Why don’t you come home with me and see?
After all, it is- wait for it!- HALLOWEEN! Not scared, are you?
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The kid was scared, but he had a job to do, and he was itchin’“I may be afraid, but I’m no chicken!” “Come on!” said the ghost. “Let’s take shortcuts. By the Haunting Lodge
And through Goblinville-
It’s All Hallow’s Eve…might as well Have a thrill!”
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As they marched through the night, It was quite a fright,
To see kids and the “real things” And not know who was who.
Sort of confusing and sort of fun. And when the kid was afraid, He started to run.
“Hey, look out, kid!” the ghost complained. “You ran right through me, Like I was rain.” “Sorry,” I said,
And ran on ahead.
What was I scared of Except the DEAD?
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“We’re here!” cried the ghost, Who stopped at a house. He opened the door And let me in,
Then closed it back, And walked right in!
“As you can see, they’ve been trick-or-treating,
And now the best part: EATING! EATING! EATING! So don’t expect them to talk to you. Their throats are hoarse from Screaming, “BOO!”
One ghost pulled up a chair for me. Another fixed me a plate-
Of brains and slime and chocolate-covered hair, And I sat down and ATE! ATE! ATE!
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So now you know what the other folks do, On Halloween when we kids are through
Pretending that this holiday is just for us,
All the costumes and candy and trick-or-treat fuss. When all this time,
They’ve been living Halloween up,
While we kids spend the next day‌ THROWING UP!
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About the author… Carole Marsh Longmeyer loves Halloween (and Christmas!). She lives on Hunting Lodge Road, which her husband, Bob, calls “Haunting Lodge Road.” Her favorite costume to wear on Halloween is pirate! Other books in this series are The Mystery on Haunting Lodge Road and Welcome to Goblinville.
About the illustrator... Sarah McCarthy felt that illustrating for Carole Marsh’s Halloween series books was her calling card. As a lover of all things spooky, Sarah was more than happy to make these monster-filled books come to life. Or rather...the “afterlife”? Check out more of her work on her portfolio website be.net/FrozenFire.
About the book designer... Susan Van Denhende loves dressing up in costume for Halloween almost as much as she loves getting free candy. She doesn’t do very well with all things scary and spooky though, and she’s pretty sure she would have chickened out at the things the kid in this book encountered. You can see more of her work at be.net/auroradesilva.
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Did you ever wonder
what GHOSTS do on Halloween?
And the rest of the year-round spooky
creepies: ZOMBIES, WEREWOLVES, VAMPIRES, MONSTERS,
and such? Well…you just might be surprised! Not only
do they not want to miss out on one of the most fun holidays of the year, they are actually really, really “born for Halloween”! So creak open this book and discover how the pros do Trick-or-Treat!
YOU are invited to The Ghost Banquet, you know...and the menu is, uh, delicious?
P.S. You’re not a scaredy cat, are you? No? Gooooood.
ISBN 13: 978-0-635-12064-9