Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas

by Megan Shepherd

First published 2023

Jack Skellington rules Halloween Town as the Pumpkin King, but the annual cycle of frights has lost its appeal. Deep in the Hinterlands, he discovers a tree-shaped door that leads him tumbling into Christmas Town, a world of snow, elves, and twinkling lights. The experience transforms him. Jack returns home determined to bring Christmas to his fellow citizens of Halloween Town. He enlists help from Zero, his faithful dog, and Sally, a clever rag doll who can see the future. Sally's visions show Jack in mortal peril, while the sinister Oogie Boogie plots from the shadows. Jack pushes forward with his Christmas plans despite the mounting dangers. His dream of creating the perfect holiday celebration battles against forces that threaten to turn his vision into disaster.

Genres: fiction, fantasy, horror, young-adult

Vibes: atmospheric, dark, whimsical

Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family

Setting: Halloween Town, Christmas Town, Hinterlands

Period: Annual Cycle

304 pages · Hardcover · Random House/Disney

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