The Witches

Dahl, R. (1999). The Witches. Turtleback Books. Illustrated by Quentin Blake.

Plot: A young boy who has recently lost his parents is living in England with his Norwegian grandmother. She is an expert on witches, and teaches him how to look out for them. On a vacation at a hotel they find themselves among hundreds of witches, for they are having their annual convention at the same hotel! The young boy finds himself locked in the same room with these witches, they turn him into a mouse and he must get to his grandmother because the witches are plotting to turn all the children in England into mice!

Genre: Humor, Fantasy

Subjects/themes: witches, death, magic, family

Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6

Other Books by Roald Dahl:

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• The BFG
• Matilda
• Fantastic Mr. Fox

Annotation: Do you know how to spot a witch? They aren't easily recognizable. They could be any woman, your next door neighbor, the woman walking across the street, your teacher even. There are witches everywhere, and if you want to be prepared (and I think you should be) then you will want to read this book!