Book: The House in Windward Leaves

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The House in Windward Leaves
Katherine L. Holmes
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Costumes make the child in this fantasy about identity.

Halloween night, the wayward Sadie leads her friends past cardboard cut-outs of the painter Mistral and a lady at the leaf-covered house on Windward Road. A wall mural transports them to an enchanted star where their costumes become real.

As Fortuneteller, Sadie only has to look in her crystal ball to help the others with their transformations. Her friend Candy is the Homecoming Queen and her brother has turned into a zebra. The neighbor boy has become George Washington and his brother is a musician in the star band.

That begins the adventures of Sadie and the enchanted children who make up the bizarre star community. Then Mistral's woman friend finds that her star-of-sapphire necklace is missing. After the gangster Riff Raff is accused, he displays a map and riddles for a treasure hunt. The winner must locate the Tooth Fairy, pass by a weredog, and follow directions to an invisible unicorn to be granted a boon from Enchanter Mistral. But other wishes have to be discovered.

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Perhaps it's me: Halloween is not a big thing for me. I know of the costumes and trick or treating activities, but it's probably a culture thing, it doesn't mean anything to me.

So, I wasn't all too sure what the whole hype and hoo-haa was about that had the kids think so long of their costumes.

I've also probably lost the childhood glamour so I found this an entirely confusing read.

A group of children dress up for Halloween and approach the house of a strange man (recluse?), where they are enchanted away to another world becoming what they've dressed up as. The only way to go back home is to remember their true identity.

Cute while it lasted, but the ending seemed rushed.