Participate

Y'all, come on.  You gotta give out tricks-or-treats.  You really shouldn't have to be told this.

The last two years, on my block, not a single house except mine has given out Halloween candy. When I look up or down the street, there’s only darkness. No friendly porch lights, nobody out front, no candy for the kids of the Upper Ninth Ward. These newer neighbors have opinions about how New Orleans should be, how it needs to change. Most want to be part of making New Orleans “better,” but there’s a fundamental disconnect. Every one of them I’ve asked about it went trick-or-treating as a kid. So why don’t the kids in this neighborhood deserve that same opportunity?

Seriously, there's plenty of time for other stuff.  Here is the route for tomorrow night's Krewe of Boo parade. The big haunted houses are open all week.  (This is supposedly the final year for House Of Shock.) Halloween is on Friday night this year so most of you will have plenty of time to head out to the shows and parties and stuff after the kids have all gone to bed.

But trick-or-treat only lasts a few hours in the early evening.  Get out there and make an effort.



Speaking of children's Halloween stuff, I noticed this book listicle the other day.

Those are pretty good but here also are these read-aloud favorites:

What's In The Witch's Kitchen by Nick Sharratt
This is a flap book tour of a witch's kitchen.  Open the jars, and pots, and cupboard doors, and such to reveal either treats or tricks. 

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
Leonardo is terrible at being a monster; puts together a plan to get better at it. 

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds Illustrated by Peter Brown
Jasper Rabbit likes to eat carrots.  He eats lots and lots of them. Until one day, some of them start following him....

Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberly
Each new page describes a new part of the monster until it fully manifests.  Then you get to yell at it until it goes away.  It's kind of like the employment cycle of a football coach.