The Witches [Hardcover]

Roald Dahl (Author), Quentin Blake (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

A young boy and his Norwegian grandmother, who is an expert on witches, together foil a witches' plot to destroy the world's children by turning them into mice.

 

The Witches is a 1984 New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of the Year and Outstanding Book of the Year.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"This is not a fairy tale. This is about real witches." So begins one of Roald Dahl's best books ever, and, ironically, it is such a great story because the premise is perfectly plausible from the outset. When the narrator's parents die in a car crash on page two (contrast this terribly real demise with that of James's parents who are devoured by an escaped rhinoceros in James and the Giant Peach), he is taken in by his cigar-smoking Norwegian grandmother, who has learned a storyteller's respect for witches and is wise to their ways.

The bond between the boy and his grandmother becomes the centerpiece of the tale--a partnership of love and understanding that survives even the boy's unfortunate transformation into a mouse. And once the two have teamed up to outwitch the witches, the boy's declaration that he's glad he's a mouse because he will now live only as long as his grandmother is far more poignant than eerie.

Of course, there's adventure here along with Dahl's trademark cleverness and sense of the grotesque. Dahl also communicates some essential truths to children: if they smoke cigars, they'll never catch cold, and, most importantly, they should never bathe, because a clean child is far, far easier for a witch to smell than a dirty one. (Ages 7 to 10, or read aloud to younger children)

Review

"An orphan boy...discovers the true nature of witches and then has the misfortune to be transformed into a mouse by The Grand High Witch of All the World...A curious but honest tale which deals with matters of crucial importance to children: smallness, the existence of evil in the world, mourning, separation, death." --The New York Times Book Review

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1ST edition (October 1, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374384576
• ISBN-13: 978-0374384579
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 6.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (284 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #563,243 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Riot!, March 10, 2002

By 

C. A. Matha (Erie, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Witches (Hardcover)

I purchased this book for the purpose of reading it allowed to my daughter who is 5. Boy did we BOTH enjoy it. I found myself laughing out loud to many parts in this book, what a fun sense of humor! It read very quickly. It is interesting he (the author) uses his heritage of Norwegian parents and living in Wales. The book takes place between Norway and England. Even though I am not completely for making witches the vile things as he presented, his sense of humor made it a very worth while read. We really really enjoyed this book and will be looking for his other works.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A 10-year-old from Canada says:, April 9, 2001

By 

Katie T. (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Witches (Paperback)

This is the third Roald Dahl book I have read. The first was called Matilda, and I think it is his most famous. I have also read George's Marvelous Medicine. The Witches is a funny book and has wonderful drawings.

The witches in this book wore wigs and pointed shoes to hide their bald heads and square feet with no toes! The witches in this book had eyes that changed colours, and were mean and mischivious. The witches in this book where cruel to children and turned them into mice. They live in a castle in Norway. The other characters in this story are a grandmother, her 7-year-old grandson, and the grandson's friend, Bruno. The witches were having a meeting in the hotel where the others where staying. The witches turned the children into mice, but in the end the children get even.

I really enjoyed this book. Roald Dahl is a wonderful children's writer. I would recommend all his books!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Witches, February 17, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Witches (Hardcover)

The Witches is a fantasy story by Roald Dahl where this average boy gets turned into a mouse at the annual witch meeting being held at a hotel in England. After the boy's parents died, he travels from Norway to England with his grandmother. The boy meets up with a gang of witches that aren't scary, but they do have a big secret and a very special formula to turn children into mice. The repugnant witches' plan is to buy a candy store to entice children. Children are not the witches' favorite type of people.
The boy and his grandmother want revenge on these witches. This involves some drastic measures that include the hotel kitchen, a humongous pot of soup and some formula. The metamorphosis of the witches will make you want to cheer for the boy and his magnificently brave plan.
I would recommend this book to many other people because it is a great adventure and you won't want to stop reading it. This is a wonderful book to read.