A Halloween How-To: Costumes, Parties, Decorations, and Destinations

Lesley Pratt Bannatyne
Pelican Publishing (2010)
ISBN 9781565547742
Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (09/10)

 

“A Halloween How-To” is a complete primer for anyone interested in hosting a Halloween party, visiting a haunted house, decorating their yard, putting together a costume, or just learning a little more about why people love this holiday.

Author Lesley Pratt Bannatyne really loves this holiday! This is obvious by her Introduction which includes personal stories of her own Halloween memories. She immediately sets the mood and reminds the kid in all of us why Halloween is important and should be celebrated, even as an adult.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, partially because of my sweet tooth. But mostly because it is a chance to be someone different, just for one night, to live out my fantasies, my childhood dreams, or to be just plain silly. It is an exhilarating holiday, a time to indulge in an adrenaline rush. I remember being a kid and sitting on the bed with my sisters in the dark, listening to our Halloween sound effects records, and when it got to the part when a door creaks and a man's voice says, “Don't look behind you” we would shriek and clutch each other and scream for my mom to come in and turn on the lights. Over and over we would torture ourselves. But it was fun! And that is what Halloween is all about.

In “A Halloween How-To” the devil is in the details. And this book is full of details. It includes how to distress your costume for that aged look, what songs to include in your mood music, the best pumpkin recipes, how to get the most out of your dry ice, how to make Monster Mud, and so much more.

The best thing about “A Halloween How-To” is that the ideas for costumes and decorations and events are all doable no matter what your budget. Bannatyne encourages the reader to scrounge up what is laying around the garage or in the closet, or to shop at thrift stores. It is not about the latest and greatest gadget.  I think for Halloween this year I am going to make a “Daylight Saving Time” costume, hang some shrunken heads around the house, and make Halloween Fruit Salad, all while watching the movie “Lair of the White Worm.”

Make comment on weblog

FTC Disclosure