Halloween Pumpkin

This was one of my favorite books when I was little. The language of this picture-book mystery was so engaging, I can still hear my mother reading it to me: "My knees were apple butter. My heart skipped rope in my chest."Two little girls are searching for the villain who has been going around town smashing jack-o-lanterns. The story is set in the past -- horses and buggies abound. One townsperson who owns a car is viewed as very strange indeed: "Get a horse," he is told. I had the pleasure of meeting author Judith St. George a couple of years ago; I was familiar with some of her other books, but I had no idea she'd written this one. Sadly, it's out of print, but scratch up a copy if you can. The humor is sweet and wry by turns, and the identity of the Halloween Pumpkin Smasher is a big surprise.