#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Find out what happens after Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in the first book of the hit series that’s told from the perspective of Sally, the determined rag doll and love of Jack Skellington! And don’t miss the sequel, Hour of the Pumpkin Queen, available now! Jack and Sally are “truly meant to be” . . . or are they? Following a whirlwind courtship with her true love, Jack Skellington, Sally the rag doll has officially stepped into the role of Pumpkin Queen. But while she adores Jack with every inch of her fabric seams, she can’t quite say the same for her new job. Cast into the spotlight and tasked with all sorts of royal duties, she starts to wonder if all she’s done is trade her captivity under Dr. Finkelstein for a different cage. Then, while exploring the Hinterlands beyond the holiday doors, Sally stumbles upon a long-hidden entrance to another ancient realm called Dream Town—and unknowingly sets a chain of sinister events into motion. Before she knows it, both her future as Pumpkin Queen and the future of Halloween Town itself have been thrust into jeopardy. Can Sally discover what it means to be true to herself and save the town she’s learned to call home? Or will her future turn into her worst . . . well, nightmare ? Gr 7-10-Exactly 50 weeks after the events of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack and Sally Skellington have returned from their honeymoon to begin their work as the Pumpkin King and Queen. Unfortunately, Sally finds being a queen rather suffocating and chafes at the drudgery of new gowns and dealing with the mayor all the time as Halloween approaches. When Jack's beloved ghost-dog Zero and Sally accidentally fall into the forgotten world of Dream Town, a series of events occurs that threatens everything she knows and loves. Sally uncovers some family secrets in her search for the answer to her situation. She must decide once and for all if she can be the Pumpkin Queen and save all the holidays for everyone. Ernshaw's atmospheric and spooky writing lends itself well to Burton's world. The adult age of the main characters and the juvenile tone and quick pacing of the novel create a juxtaposition that is questionable but not altogether uncomfortable. Sally's doubts about her suitability for the position she finds herself in will resonate with many readers, but the assumption of familiarity with the characters themselves may keep the story from being accessible to some readers. VERDICT Details about Sally's past and a chance to spend more time with beloved characters will appeal greatly to fans of the original movie but may not tempt others.-Allie Stevensα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Shea Ernshaw is a #1 New York Times , USA Today , and Indie bestselling author. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and repeatedly chosen as Indie Next Picks, and she is the winner of the Oregon Book Award. She lives in a small mountain town in Oregon and is happiest when lost in a good book, lost in the woods, or writing her next novel.