Children eagerly look forward to trick-or-treating dressed up as ballerinas, cowboys, and dragons, but preparing for Halloween by making decorations and costumes can be part of the fun too.

"Cooler mornings, cicadas buzzing, apples ripening . . . Can shopping for school supplies be far behind? The evening before the first day means laying out your outfit, loading up your backpack, and filling a lunch box with your favorite things. When the alarm goes off, there's Dad's extra-special breakfast (and, of course, some picture-taking), then the feeling of bubbly excitement as you and your friends climb onto a bus, ready to see your new classroom...