Shadow Over the Pumpkin Queen
Megan Shepherd
- Pages
- 417 pages
- Published
- 2026
Content report card
What's inside
Violence
Fighting, weapons, death
Language
Swearing, crude humor
Sexual content
Romance intensity, nudity
LGBTQ+ themes
Presence of characters or themes
Scary or mature
Horror, trauma, heavy themes
Substance use
Alcohol, drugs, smoking
What it offers
Positive messages
Kindness, courage, honesty, resilience
Positive role models
Characters who model good judgment and growth
Educational value
History, science, culture, how the world works
A note for parents
This middle-grade/YA fantasy adventure set in the Nightmare Before Christmas universe features a capable female protagonist on a quest to rescue her king and save her town from a dark villain. While there is conflict and some peril (missing citizens, magical threats, pursuit), the violence is fantasy-based and not graphic—appropriate for the age group. The story emphasizes courage, loyalty, friendship, and problem-solving, with Sally as a strong role model who refuses to give up despite obstacles.
Analyzed by AI · 1 hour ago
Parent age guide
Is “Shadow Over the Pumpkin Queen” right for your kid?
Ready from about age 10.
From about 9, okay with a grown-up nearby.
For younger readers
- Suggested for ages 10+.
Based on this book's content report card and typical guidance by age. You know your reader best.
For your family
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From the publisher
Follow Sally to a dark realm called Shadow Town—where a powerful foe awaits her—in the #1 New York Times bestselling series inspired by Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas! Can Sally save Jack from the shadows? Sally should be at ease now that she has proven herself as Pumpkin Queen by saving Halloween T... Follow Sally to a dark realm called Shadow Town—where a powerful foe awaits her—in the #1 New York Times bestselling series inspired by Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas! Can Sally save Jack from the shadows? Sally should be at ease now that she has proven herself as Pumpkin Queen by saving Halloween Town from destructive spells twice. But the villain behind the town’s most recent troubles—a mysterious figure cloaked in darkness—is still at large, and Sally refuses to rest until she and her king, Jack Skellington, can find their enemy and stop them forever. Then, strange storm clouds and directionless wind begin to haunt Halloween Town, and soon, citizens start to go missing. It becomes clear that the dark foe has decided to make the first move, and Sally will need allies from across the Hinterlands to stop him. But as Sally and Jack gather their friends to fight back against this attack, the unthinkable happens: the mysterious force takes Jack, too. After learning that her nemesis is a dark prince who lives in a lost realm called Shadow Town, Sally embarks on another cross-realms quest to find a solution, one that will connect her to new locales like Chance Town and the Hinterlands Maze. With the prince tracking her at every turn, seemingly bent on revenge, Sally will need to fight with every fiber of her being to prevent Halloween Town from utter destruction. But what secrets is the prince hiding—and could the truth undo everything? Don’t miss the other New York Times bestselling titles in the series: Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw Hour of the Pumpkin Queen by Megan Shepherd
Shelved under
- Young Adult Fiction
ISBN 9780736447256 · Random House