The Halloween Goblin: A Branches Book (Pixie Tricks #4) - by Tracey West

About the Book

Originally published: New York: Scholastic, 2000.

Book Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Tracey West's sparkly Pixie Tricks series is filled with magic and adventure, making it perfect for fans of her Dragon Masters series!

Pick a book. Grow a Reader!

This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line, Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!

A creepy goblin is scaring people all over town! Bogey Bill -- whose favorite holiday is Halloween -- likes to magically change normal things into spooky things. Violet, Leon, and their fairy friend Sprite need to send Bogey Bill back to the Otherworld. But their task gets harder when a pixie named Buttercup casts an annoying hiccup spell on the whole school! Can Violet, Leon, and Sprite trick TWO pixies at once? With engaging black-and-white artwork on every page, kids won't be able to put down this action-packed book!

This is an exciting refresh of the popular Pixie Tricks series, with updated text and brand-new art on every page -- perfect for fans of Tracey West's Dragon Masters series.

Review Quotes

Praise for Sprite's Secret (Pixie Tricks #1):

"The early-aughts Pixie Tricks series, about using trickery to catch mischievous pixies, is back, lightly massaged, for a new generation of readers... The fresh, friendly new illustrations of this edition factor heavily in the seamlessly child-centered book design. Besides breaking up the text with images (so as not to intimidate young readers with text blocks), the illustrations are thoughtfully placed to fit the exact moment they occur in the story, working exceptionally well when the art crosses a double-page spread. Just like the short chapters and simple vocabulary, the text blocks' avoidance of hyphenated words at line ends or sentences that carry over to the next page keeps the book easily digestible for its emergent-reader audience. The inviting format and zany fun of the plot will leave readers excited for the next installment... A very welcome series revival." -- Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Rise of the Earth Dragon (Dragon Masters #1):

"In this first of the Dragon Masters series, vocabulary is accessible; sentences, paragraphs, and chapters are short; and dialogue moves the story along rapidly. Black-and-white sketch-type drawings add depth to the story and feelings to the characters (both children and dragons). Emergent readers will find happy success here." -- Booklist

"The first of a new series of early chapter books, this entry is sure to attract fans. Brief chapters, large print, lots of action, attractive illustrations in every spread including a maplike panorama, an enviable protagonist... who wouldn't want to be a Dragon Master?... all combine to make an entertaining read. With plenty left to be resolved, the next entry will be eagerly sought after." -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Tracey West is the author of the New York Times bestselling series Dragon Masters, for Scholastic Branches. She has written more than 400 books for children, including the Underdogs series, illustrated by Kyla May; the Dragon Hill series, illustrated by Carolina Vázquez, and the perennially popular Pokémon chapter books. She lives with her husband, adopted dogs, and chickens in the western Catskill mountains of New York State.

Xavier Bonet is an illustrator and comic-book artist. He creates works full of textures and emotions, blending both traditional and digital tools. He illustrates the Pixie Tricks early chapter book series by New York Times bestselling author Tracey West. Xavier lives in Barcelona, Spain.