"Boo" Goodnight to Halloween

by Tracy Harrison

This story was written by Tracy Harrison, a graduate student at Temple University as an assignment to develop a story to be told to a group of preschool children at-risk for stuttering. The assignment was to focus on the needs of a particular child in the group but develop a story for everyone. Tracy's story is included in the appendix of Starkweather and Ackerman's book Stuttering. It was illustrated as a group project by Ben W. (age 8), Brad M.(age 10), David Y. (age 7), Lawrence M. (age 13), and Yehoshua L. (age 10), while attending the 1997 NSP convention in Buffalo, NY, and put together as on online book by Judy Kuster. It is copyrighted, but parents are permitted to download a single copy for their child if they wish. No commercial marketing of this book is allowed. Other such books are welcome to be submitted to the stuttering home page.


Every Halloween, after all the candy is collected and all the children have gone to bed, the Halloween ghosts come out to "boo" goodnight to Halloween. When the clock strikes midnight all the ghosts fly around in the night sky and "boo" goodnight to Halloween.

Some ghosts "boo" loud, some ghosts "boo" soft, some ghosts "boo" long and some ghosts "boo" short. It's the ghosts' favorite night of the year.

On one Halloween many years ago one ghost almost didn't get to say goodnight to Halloween. This is what happened. . .

One Halloween just before midnight, all the ghosts were knocking on each other's door and rushing around to get ready to "boo" goodnight to Halloween.

Knock, knock, knock. "Hurry up, it's almost time to 'boo' goodnight to Halloween," one ghost said to another.

Peter the ghost was flying high in the sky with all the other ghosts when he noticed his best friend Sammy the ghost was not around.

"Where is Sammy?" asked Peter ghost.

"I don't know," said Lisa ghost.

"I don't either," said Bobby ghost.

I will go and find him," said Peter ghost.

"Hurry up," said Lisa ghost. "It's almost midnight."

Peter quickly flew to Sammy's house and knocked at the door. Sammy opened the door.

"Sammy, c'mon. It's almost midnight, and we have to 'boo' goodnight to Halloween."

"I'm not 'booing' goodnight to Halloween," Sammy ghost said.

"Why?" asked Peter.

":Because sometimes when I "boo, boo, boo' I get stuck."

"Sometimes you get stuck?" asked Peter.

"Yes, sometimes I get stuck."

"Well, that's okay, Sammy, every ghost gets stuck sometimes when they 'boo.'"

"Really? Sammy asked.

"Really. I get stuck sometimes, too," Peter said.

"Well, in that case, let's hurry before it's too late,' Sammy said.

Sammy and Peter ghost then flew as fast as they could into the night sky so they could catch up with the other ghosts in time to "Boo goodnight to Halloween!"

The End