Spook

Spook was one of the books I ordered from Scholastic Books when I was in grade school in the 1960's. As a Halloween lover, it was the best book ever and I cherished it. Lost it years later but got a copy on Ebay. Glad to see it is available again. That was when life was a lot simpler.

This was a great book i read as a child and has become one of my most cherished memories over the years. Its a wonderful story about love and its magical qualities. I cant wait to share this book with my own children someday. Its a must have for every family.

I read this book in 2nd or 3rd grade & re-read it just last week The years haven't washed this wonderful little book of its magic. After falling off the broom of a resentful old witch who secretly wishes she could have a cat instead, Spook lands on top of little Jamie, who falls into a rain barrel while bobbing for apples with his older brother and two older sisters on Halloween night. John, Jamie's bossy brother announces that poor Jamie is "too young for Halloween" which dissolves Jamie into tears. Spook follows the kids into the kitchen where their mom washes and puts a nightgown on Jamie, then they feed Spook, who then becomes very attached to Jamie.It's a story of love & Spook's longing to be in a warm caring home & little weak Jamie's desire to be able to do the same things as his older siblings. I rather liked little Jamie & felt kind of sorry for him when his siblings went to the Halloween party without him. I also get the feeling that his older brother teased him a lot.I thought it was neat that Jamie grew to love Spook so much that he risked his own life to ride on mischievous Grimalda's broomstick and over to the witch coven at the hillside cave. I suspect Jamie was a bit frightened of the large, imposing Head Witch, but it turns out that the Head Witch is a fair judge, is not really a bad witch & I think she was impressed by Jamie's supernatural power to turn Spook back into a normal dog after Grimalda hexes Spook into a caterpillar. I think by the end of the contest, the Head Witch rather liked little Jamie & saw that Jamie had a rather big heart & kind soul. I wonder if Jamie's a wizard, but doesn't know it?It's so touching how sweet Jamie loved Spook so much and there were several funny parts like the witches (all old crones, the kind you'd mostly find in Knockturn Alley of Potterverse) cackling and fussing to each other and Grimalda's frightening poor Jamie at the Halloween party and the rather amusing, yet touching part where Spook, in the guise of a leaf accidentally lands in the Head Witch's lap and Jamie's so nervous, being still a bit frightened of the Head Witch, that he swallows as he tries to touch the leaf.The ending is truly a scene of pure magic as Halloween ends and November begins. I think after that fateful Halloween, Jamie's siblings will have a new respect for their little brother and Spook goes thru a transformation himself. It's one of the most memorable childhood books that I've read.

This was one of my all-time favorite books as a child. It's a wonderful Halloween story that's exciting, adventurous, AND really sweet, all at the same time. It's about a little black dog named Spook, who belongs to a wicked witch. She's supposed to have a black CAT, like all witches, but she's allergic to cats, so she has this dog instead. Then one Halloween, he falls off the broomstick and lands in a rain barrel where some kids are bobbing for apples. The kids are about to go trick or treating, except for little Jamie, who's told he's "too young." Oh, it's SUCH a wonderful, sweet story!