Friday, July 26, 2013

The Witch's Guide to Cooking With Children by Keith McGowan

Cover Art for The witch's guide to cooking with children  You have to love the title, and the story is about what is sounds like it is about.  Sol and Connie move into a new house and meet their new neighbor.  Ms Holaderry seems like a kindly old lady, but Sol is puzzled by the fact that her dog seems to be chewing on a human femur bone.  Sol is smart, and Connie is clever, so together they figure out that Ms Holaderry is a witch,  but not just any witch.  She is the witch form "Hanzel and Gretel" fame, who loves to capture and eat children. Now in the 21st century she has modernized.  She agents and convenient drop off locations where parents can leave unwanted and disobedient offspring.  What Connie and Sol do not know is that someone has nominated them to be her next dinner.  This is a wickedly clever modern retelling of the old, and rather dark, fairy tale. It is a great book for kids who liked "A Series of Unfortunate Events" but is not nearly a dark and scary as Coraline. There is plenty of tongue in cheek here, and the reader is never really in doubt that the children will triumph in the end. (180 p.)

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