Trick-or-Treating in the City

K-Gr 3–A look at how Halloween is celebrated in a great, diverse metropolis. Janelle, a young girl with brown skin, finds herself in a quandary when the family’s spooktacular night of fun in the suburbs is canceled. She is faced with much uncertainty on where exactly to enjoy festivities within her urban landscape: “No one on her block really celebrated Halloween.” Dreams of seeing spooky houses while going door to door for candy seem completely dashed, until Janelle’s streak of inquisitiveness leads her to discover where she can go to spend a “boo-tiful,” fun-filled night with friends. Jackson, a Brooklyn native, and Cloud take readers on a colorful autumn journey to depict what trick-or-treating looks like for young, costumed city dwellers who traverse main avenue merchants, bodegas, and high-rise complexes for candy. This story successfully demonstrates how a densely populated city of strangers becomes a community during Halloween to safeguard youthful masqueraders.