The Witch Trade [Paperback]

Mike Molloy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2002 | Age Level: 9 and up

An exciting, magical fantasy from a talented new author, discovered by Barry Cunningham, the original publisher of Harry Potter.

Follow young Abby and Spike on their thrilling adventures through the fantastical world of THE WITCH TRADE. The evil Night Witches have invented a powerful new weapon and are threatening to take over the world -- and only Abby and Spike can stop them! Joined by Captain Starlight (aka the Ancient Mariner), Abby and Spike must travel through perlious seas and wild lands to reach the dark lair of the Night Witches. Can their ragtag bunch defeat the evil Night Witch forces before it's too late?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-This seafaring magic story about special powers, fantastic technology from Atlantis, and saving the world misses its mark. The world's supply of Ice Dust, a white powder that must be part of the Light (good) Witches' spells, is nearly depleted. The trade of Ice Dust was formerly controlled by the Sea Witches, but frequent raids by Night Witches have stopped the flow, and worse, they have found a way to combine it with toxic waste to create Black Dust. The impoverished Light Witches are also in danger of annihilation from wicked technologies enhanced by Black Dust. Orphaned Abby and her sea-foundling friend Spike meet Captain Starlight, who is hoping to revive the Witch Trade, take revenge on the Night Witches for destroying his New England sea village, and save the good witches. Tidy coincidences, touches of humor, and marvelous elements abound, but a sense of overall wonder is missing, perhaps because the story is so crowded and convoluted. The narrative moves briskly without pausing to examine the implications of any of the plot points or any but the surface motivations of its characters. Though Abby seems to be the principal protagonist, Molloy keeps his distance from her, and invests her with little in the way of emotions or thoughts about the events around her. This detachment flattens the dramatic tension that makes fantasy so satisfying. The Night Witches are bad indeed, but the outcome is never in doubt.

Kathie Meizner, Montgomery County Public Libraries, Chevy Chase, MD

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From AudioFile

Incomparable narrator Bill Wallis plus Michael Molloy's delightful adventure-fantasy about White Witches, Black Witches, Sea Witches, and some very smart, brave children equals an audiobook that one wishes would last forever. It's also a children's audio that adults will want to borrow for their own pleasure. This is a story about how Abby Clover and her friend Spike, who live in an unusual seaside village, meet Captain Starlight (a.k.a. The Ancient Mariner) and a giant albatross named Benbow, and how they all set out to save the Light Witches' ice dust and rescue the Sea Witches' children from the truly awful (and smelly) Black Witches. Wallis masters every voice, from that of the American Ancient Mariner to the dramatically British Master of the Light Witches. He also manages to make the children sound authentic and fully realized without being squeaky. In between, his warm, well-paced narration ushers us through the cliff-hanging adventure with nary a moment of panic. A book to treasure. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: The Chicken House; 1st edition (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439430208
• ISBN-13: 978-0439430203
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,302,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Children's Book, October 23, 2002

By 

snappyguynj (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Witch Trade (Paperback)

I read this book over the course of a few weeks to my six year old son and he enjoyed it immensely. It is wonderfully well written for a children's book and I enjoyed it very much. It's a shame this book hasn't gotten more attention in the U.S. A great find.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I enjoyed it, November 28, 2001

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Witch Trade (Hardcover)

Books from Chicken House are growing increasingly appealing to me, starting with Katherine Roberts' exquisite Spellfall and reaching to this one (and Roberts' upcoming "Crystal Mask"). This is not the best fantasy I've read, but a nice read anyway.

Abby Clover and the curious Spike are washed ashore after a storm. They soon find that they are in strange new surroundings that include witches, shark-infested seas, captives and missing people, and Ice Dust, which is the cause of magic.

They team up with Captain Starlight (huh?) and his albatross Benbow; also Chadwick Street, who is the leader of the Light Witches (why not wizards? I don't know). But as they travel over the shark-y water to the Night Witch fortress, they will have only their wits and a few insufficient talents to defeat a terrible enemy, without the help of the Ice Dust...

I liked this book. My breath wasn't sucked away like the best works of fiction do, and while I found it a pleasant pasttime, I wasn't hungering for more once it was finished.

Perhaps it was the rather lightweight feel of some aspects of it, such as the names: Starlight, Abby Clover, Chadwick Street -- and Spike only brought to mind the blond vampire. Slightly more exotic or indistinguishable names might be better -- these feel rather cutesy. Also the concept of Light and Night witches (wizards?) is far from new. The Ice Dust brings a feeling rather reminiscent of Philip Pullman's Dust as well (though I far prefer Molloy's book to Pullman's!)

The writing is pretty good, fairly descriptive. The characters of Abby and Spike are pretty well-done, as is Benbow the Albatross. I didn't really connect with Starlight, though, and Chadwick Street just annoyed me. I can't say why; perhaps he seemed a little too showy and two-dimensional.

Overall, this is a pleasant read, especially for those who prefer British fantasy to American fantasy. It's not deep, but is a pleasant book nevertheless. Simply do not expect something that will take your breath away.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books, April 14, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Witch Trade (Paperback)

Abby Clover lived a normal life but that doesn't last forever. One day she and her friend, Spike, meet Capitain Starlight, who tells her about her parents, who disappeared years ago. Soon, she, Spike, and the Capitain have joined forces with the light witches (good witches), who are fighting the night witches (the bad witches). Abby joins the light witches and realizes she will need all her courage to fight the night witch's terrible leader, Wolfbane. I loved the book because it really gives you a picture in your head so you can see what is happening. I feel like I know the characters. I think it is very well written and the author really worked hard on this book.