The Witches Paperback – August 16, 2007

Great story

Grandmother tells her grandson how to recognize a witch, what he should do if he sees one, how he can avoid being taken by a witch. The grandson listens carefully and keeps watch. She almost makes me believe there are witches. The grandson does have an encounter with not one witch but an entire conference room full of them. He is turned into a mouse. He is a clever boy and is able to escape. Instead of being depressed that he is now a mouse, he and grandma hatch a plan to put the witches out of business for good. He is the one with the ideas and Grandma is always amazed at his cleverness and helps him carry out his plan.Another boy was also changed into a mouse. His parents are disgusted by him now that he is a mouse. Grandma is very sad that his parents don't love him just because he's a mouse. But Grandma continues to be loving and considerate. She re arranges the house so her grandson/mouse can be safe and independent. She carries him in her purse when they go out. The adventure with the witches is funny and clever but the real story was in the tenderness between Grandmother and Grandson. As the boy/mouse considers his new reality he asks her how long a mouse would live. She is honest as well as hopeful. A mouse does not live as long as a boy would. But he isn't an ordinary mouse so he will live longer than an ordinary mouse.I liked Roald Dahl before but this book sealed him as one of my favorite authors.

I first read this book when I was in the third grade, 25 years ago. I instantly decided then that it was my favorite book and I read and re-read it many times. I loved it. I recently took on a research project involving children's and young adult stories and have a long reading list of Children's stories to read - I put "The Witches" at the top of my list for nostalgia's sake, not sure what to expect.As an adult, I can report, that it is simply a magnificent story. I can see why I loved it so much as a child. Dahl never dismisses the reader (children) as being inept. Like the Grandmother in the story, Dahl knows children don't require extreme coddling. He's not timid about using fear to tell a great story.Parent's strive to create a safe world for their children. But that illusion is one that all parents must slowly deconstruct to prepare children for reality. Fairy tales are an integral part of that deconstruction. In fairy tales, monsters can exist in a way that allows children face their fears and walk through those fears to the other side where strength, courage and confidence are found."The Witches" is a frightening, yet thrilling read for children. Dahl is a masterful storyteller and in "The Witches" he has weaved imagination, fear and courage into a fantastically fun story that has stood the test of time and remains refreshingly relevant for each generation.

I loved reading and discussing it with my ten-year-old student! The audible version is great, too! I think it is interesting not only for kids 😀

My son loved to read.

I am 8 years old and have read 2 Roald Dahl books. Both were good but by far the best was The Witches. People may say this book is scary and it is a little creepy but you should not be scared by it. I especially loved Roald Dahl's funny and fun elements in the story! I think this book would be good for ages 6+. If I could, I would rate this book 10 stars.

This will be a gift for a young reader.

I read all of this authors books when I was little and they were a huge part of my childhood.My child now LOVES hearing the stories and it’s a routine to read every night! We look forward to the books!