What's not to love about this book? It's short and sweet and a little sad, and magical through and through. I felt so sorry for the protagonist's little-boy self; i wanted to give him a hug and tell him everything would be okay. And punch his dad in the face. And i absolutely wish i could go to the Hempstock ladies' farmhouse for breakfast sometime. Their cooking sounds even more wonderful than their magic. 
 This was a perfect magical/creepy story for Halloween time. I imagine it would be a very excellent audiobook to listen to on a car ride, much like The Graveyard Book.