Yah - A lot of people loved the book; guess I just didn't. It's interesting that you bring up the age difference because if I remember correctly, my dad really enjoyed Something Wicked, though I didn't really share his enjoyment.
I realize that Bradbury used a lot of super natural elements in his writing, but they were definitely more subtle in his other works than in Something Wicked. I personally preferred his more science fiction-leaning Martian Chronicles, however, (which will forever be on my all-time Favorite list). In regards to the life of a boy growing up in the midwest, I'd assume that you would empathize more with Dandelion Wine (also one of my absolute favorites); I feel as though that one is definitely more grounded, though possessing the subtle elements of the super natural.
As for short story books, The Illustrated Man is at the top of my list followed by October County. The Toybeen Convector was weak as a whole, though the short story "The Attic" (I believe that's the title) was one of the most horrific stories I've ever read and even read it aloud to a middle school class that I was student teaching a few years ago.
I read Something Wicked after I had read the other pieces of work that I mentioned above (along with Fahrenheit 451 which I honestly think is one of his weaker works as well; function outweighing form on that one), so it might have been that I fell in love with Chronicles and Dandelion Wine and did not so much care for the dark, mad carnival depicted in Something Wicked. I think my biggest problem, honestly, was suspending my disbelief (oddly enough, not something that I had trouble doing in any of his other works), but that might have been more of a personal issue - circumstantial over anything else.
MAN this conversation makes me want to pick up Bradbury again. Good to hear from other enthusiasts (even though we disagree on Something Wicked).
Edit: It was killing me because I couldn't remember the title of this other book of his that I remember enjoying back in High School and I just looked it up (
thank you http://www.raybradbury.com/books/books.html): Death is a Lonely Business. It was this strange, macabre, and whimsical summer murder mystery. I remember enjoying that one quite a bit.