38 pages • 1 hour read
Barbara RobinsonThe Best Halloween Ever
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1981A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
What, in your opinion, makes this Halloween the best ever for the students at Woodrow Wilson School? Would you consider this to be a great Halloween? Use examples from the story to discuss why or why not.
What are some of the Halloween traditions discussed in the book? How do they compare to your family’s Halloween traditions?
What role do the stories that people tell about the Herdmans play in the novel as a whole? Choose two or three examples to think about.
Beth claims that even though it is possible to buy candy all year round, Halloween candy is special. Why does she make this claim? Do you agree with her? Why or why not?
Why do you think the Herdmans turn this year’s Halloween into the best ever? What clues does the text provide about why the Herdmans would want to save Halloween?
Why does the Mayor cancel trick or treating this year? Use the Herdmans’ antics in the past to support your answer.
Which character in the novel did you most relate to and why?
Beth notes that “this Halloween was going to be exactly what my mother said it would be—safe and controlled (by Mr. Crabtree and Mrs. Wendleken and the PTA) and peaceful and boring” (40). Why do you think Beth thinks “safe and controlled” means “peaceful and boring”?
Write your impression of the Herdmans, based on Beth’s narration. Use examples from the book to support your answer.
Discuss Beth’s relationship with her younger brother, Charlie. Why is she so proud of him when he tells their mom that Halloween should include the Herdmans?
