This is my trusty servant Patsy

A 5th grader at school today was dressed as Terry Gilliam's character from Monty Python - coconuts banging together and all. This will serve to make me happy for at least a week to come. I have a renewed faith in today's youth.

Tonight I:
Carved my third jack-o-lantern in a week.
Watched Scream for the second time this month.

Tomorrow is the Halloween party at school. I'm Little Red Riding Hood - again.
Drinking wine and reading some H.P. before bed. Should make for some great dreams.

Happy Halloween weekend, all.

Start a New Tradition

Give scary books for Halloween.

Writes Neil Gaiman on his blog:

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You know, there aren't enough traditions that involve giving books.

I propose that, on Hallowe'en or during the week of Hallowe'en, we give each other scary books. Give children scary books they'll like and can handle. Give adults scary books they'll enjoy.

I propose that stories by authors like John Bellairs and Stephen King and Arthur Machen and Ramsey Campbell and M R James and Lisa Tuttle and Peter Straub and Daphne Du Maurier and Clive Barker and a hundred hundred others change hands -- new books or old or second-hand, beloved books or unknown. Give someone a scary book for Hallowe'en. Make their flesh creep...

Give a scary book.

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I love this idea. I already ran out and bought the book I'm going to give. Pass it on.

**UPDATE** I received this book, and I gifted this.

I also like what Joe Hill had to say:

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I’m going to adopt this as a Halloween habit and I hope you will too. The only thing I’d add is that I think you should also take twenty minutes on Halloween evening to read a scary story to your kids, or with your friends, or your family. Everyone reads The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, which is fine, but Halloween is really a time to share a good bone-shaking horror story that will keep your loved ones awake at night.

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I couldn't agree more. As Alvin Schwartz pointed out, scary stories want to be told. So, what are some of your favorite scary books?