Monthly Archives: October 2010

The Witches

Those of you who only are familiar with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory may not know that no one does creepy like Roald Dahl.  A collection of his short stories that I read when I was eight has traumatized me … Continue reading

Posted in Middle Grades, Tween | 2 Comments

Jennifer, Hecate, MacBeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth

E. L. Konigsburg writes hard books.  It’s too bad in a way, because they really are exceptional, but I believe grown-ups are often guilty of pushing them on children before they are ready. If a child is faced with a … Continue reading

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Witch in the House

Witch in the House by Ruth Chew Witch in the House may be a dangerous book to let your kids get a hold of.  The absolute highlight of the book is a flying bathmat named Pinky, who answers questions by … Continue reading

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The Witch and the Ring

Well, I can’t say as this is the best written Ruth Chew book I’ve read.  It’s actually pretty marginal.  Charlotte and Walt get a magic ring out of one of those supermarket vending machines designed to lure children into squandering … Continue reading

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What the Witch Left

What the Witch Left by Ruth Chew Friends Louise and Katy are playing in Katy’s room when Louise becomes curious about the tall chest of drawers.  Louise pressures Katy into opening the locked bottom drawer where they discover lots of … Continue reading

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The Witch at the Window

The Witch at the Windowby Ruth Chew Marjorie and Nick are not the brightest of children.  They befriend a talking bird and think nothing of it.  Clearly they are not able to see the distinction between birds that talk in … Continue reading

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No Such Thing as a Witch

No Such Thing as a Witch by Ruth Chew My copy of No Such Thing As a Witch is so well worn and well loved that it lives its life inside a ziploc bag.  When you take it out little … Continue reading

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October Preview

I’ve always been a huge fan of holidays, and Halloween is one of my favorites.  In order to get that feeling to last (hopefully through a whole month of slowly building anticipation), I love to read anything Halloweeny.  This month … Continue reading

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