Hall-Lore-Ween: Thrice the Fright, by Josh Spero, illustrations by TT Hernandez

Castle Bridge Media, October 2026

ISBN: 9798994041062

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition

Buy: Bookshop.org |  Amazon.com

In what’s become a happy Halloween tradition, author Josh Spero returns with his third collection of spooky tales, poems, and illustrations, just in time for Halloween. It’s good, clean Halloween fun for younger readers.

As always, the stories are introduced by Jacko, the creepy looking, pumpkin-headed mascot of the series. There are three stories, ranging in length from 40 to 80 pages. The theme is still spooky good, Halloween fun that tends to have somewhat happy endings. Keep in mind, this is oriented to younger readers, so the cheerful finishes (well, relatively cheerful) are good for the intended audience.

The first story, “The Collector”, deals with a spate of missing kids in a small town, and the Halloween angle is, goblins of some sort keep showing up. It’s a fun tale, and thankfully, never veers into the ugly side of abduction, a la The Black Phone. This is written for kids, so there is some magic and monsters involved with the disappearances. This one was a good tale.

“What Answers Back” didn’t work as well for me. This is a story of a young schoolgirl being picked to join an actual witches’ coven. I think I may just have seen that plot one too many times, and am worn out on it, but other readers will probably like it. The last story, “Three Lantern Pumpkins Farm”, is the best of the bunch, as it contains a good dose of that Halloween ‘”magic” that the series sprinkles throughout its spook-themed, but also very uplifting, stories. This one has a very thoughtful ending that leaves you feeling happy all over.

The author did very well with the “cemetery ghost jamboree” in the previous volume of the series, and he does it again with the “Pumpkin Farm” story. This is a story of two kids who go to a fantastical Halloween-themed farm festival every year with their uncle. The fair keeps getting bigger and better, and the ghostly angle works into the story towards the end. It’s a great ending, and the author does a good job keeping the surprise under wraps until the last few pages. This story alone is enough to justify the price of the book.

One happy addition to the series: more illustrations! I know I groused about the fact that the last two books usually only had one illustration per story, this time there are two to three per story. Hooray!

Bottom line is, it’s as much fun as the last two books. Please keep the tradition going, I’ve grown to look forward to it each year. Recommended.

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson