Witch Watch
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-- School Library Journal, 05/26/2010
Teen witches have been around for a long time, but today’s tweens and teens may be more familiar with Alex, Selena Gomez’s character from The Wizards of Waverly Place, than with Abigail Williams or Ann Putnam, both 11 years old and residents of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Put the following titles on display along with Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin's The Salem Witch Trials (Marshall Cavendish, 2009), Phillip Margulies and Maxine Rosaler's The Devil on Trial (Houghton Harcourt, 2008), Christopher Hart's Drawing Witches, Wizards and Warlocks (Sixth & Spring, 2008), and other nonfiction titles to help make those cross-curriculum connections.
DOWELL, Frances O’Roark. Falling In. S & S/Antheneum. 2010. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-5032-5.
Gr 4-9–Known for her realistic fiction for young readers (Dovey Coe; Shooting the Moon), Dowell’s first foray into fantasy is a winner. Middle-schooler Isabelle is a bit of an outsider, a little sullen and a lot snarky. When she falls into a parallel world through a supply closet at school, she is forced to confront a witch who is feared by the local villagers. Isabelle often speaks directly to readers, drawing them further into the story. This is a charming, playful take on the pros and cons of being different.
MARRONE, Amanda. Revealers. S & S/Pulse. 2008. pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-5874-1.
Gr 9 Up–Jules and the other young Revealer witches in her coven have always done magic for the good of others, but as the girls turn eighteen and are initiated into the inner circle of the coven, things take an unexpected and frightening turn. Trying to balance her "normal" days in high school with her vampire slaying, Jules eventually gets romantically involved with the coven leader’s son, which may not be such a good thing. A first-rate supernatural thriller.
MCGOWAN, Keith. The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children. illus. by Yoko Tanaka. Holt. 2009. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-8050-8668-3.
Gr 5-8–In this goth retelling of Hansel and Gretel, McGowan tweaks the classic fairy tale with wonderful results. Brother and sister Sol and Connie Blink live with a man they suspect is not their father and across the street from a woman they suspect is a witch (her dog plays with human bones). Readers will follow the sibling’s challenges closely as they try to navigate their way to a safe life for themselves. Tanaka’s illustrations are a perfect creepy complement to the text.
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors at NoveList, the leader in readers' advisory electronic resources. For more information, visit NoveList.
