A Halloween Treat of the Literary Kind

While Boo was at his acting class this morning, Betty and I went to the library. This is our usual weekly routine. Instead of hitting the large regional branch that's a 20 mile trip (each way), we stayed local and went to a branch that we call "the little library."

Each branch of our library system is different, and each has its pros and cons. "The little library" tends to have the best selection of new children's books. It also has an ongoing children's book sale, usually consisting of an overflowing cart of books. Betty loves to look through these (almost moreso than the library books) and we've usually gotten some good finds.

"Oh look, Mommy, it's a Halloween book and today is Halloween!"

There was no way I would be able to say no to whatever she was holding, I thought.

She held it up. "It's called Halloween Treats!"

I looked at it ... and blinked.

"Oh my God, it's the missing Carolyn Haywood book!"

"She was your favorite writer when you were a little girl, right, Mommy?"

"Yes."

Longtime readers of this blog might remember the post I wrote back in January as a tribute to Carolyn Haywood, who was, indeed, my favorite author as a child. I wrote to her when I was 6 and received a handwritten reply. I've never forgotten that.

And her book of short stories, Halloween Treats, was long out of print, published in 1981. At 12 years old then, I'd apparently outgrown Carolyn Haywood's timeless, innocent stories about Betsy and her friends Billy and Eddie, and their life as elementary school students, because I never read this. I looked for it not long ago, and it didn't seem to exist anywhere.

For a mere 25 cents, now it does. So forget the candy (I'm on a self-imposed chocolate ban again to see if it helps my headaches) ... I've got my Halloween treat!