The Witches of Worm [Paperback]

Zilpha Keatley Snyder (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Jessica has read enough books to know that her cat Worm must be a witch’s cat. He’s cast a spell on her, but to whom can she turn? After all, no one will believe that Worm has bewitched her . . . or worse,

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A lonely girl, Jessica, finds a blind, almost hairless cat that she calls Worm. Worm seems to have a terrible hold on her, making her do mean things, but Jessica feels she has no one who can help her break free of the cat. PW found this Newbery Honor Book "acutely perceptive and compelling."
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

Cats. Jessica's never liked them. Especially not a skinny, ugly kitten that looks like a worm.

Worm. Jessica wishes she'd never brought Worm home with her, because now he's making her do terrible things. She's sure she isn't imagining the evil voice coming from the cat, telling her to play mean tricks on people. But how can she explain what's happening?

Witches. Jessica has read enoughbooks to know that Worm must be a witch's cat. He's cast a spell on her, but whom can she turn to? After all, no one will believe that Worm has bewitched her...or worse!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (February 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440800218
• ISBN-13: 978-0440497271
• ASIN: 0440497272
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,346,193 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what a sad, strange little girl, October 17, 2001

By 

Elizabeth Caudy (Wilmette, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Witches of Worm (Paperback)

You don't have to have a bombshell mother who spends all her free time with her boyfriend or have no friends to dig the sad, bleary-eyed, lonely, supernatural atmosphere of The Witches of Worm. I read this book when I was ten, and for me it's up there with The Secret Garden, The Little Princess, and Jane Eyre for telling it like it is about being a lonely little girl, just strange enough for the neighbors to talk and to know herself that she doesn't fit in. The cat could be possessed, or not; Jessica could be a witch, or not; but the big question for me is, is she really wise beyond her years or does her desolation just make her seem that way? My favorite quote is from this book: "Belief in mysteries, any manner of mysteries, is the only lasting luxury in life."

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A true classic, March 9, 2001

By 

Sean Cooper (The Midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Witches of Worm (Paperback)

I read this book about 15 years ago, when I was a very young man, and the impressions I got from it has never left me. I have devoted my life to the written word (as an editor), and I think that that my love of prose can be directly related to this small, strange novel I read one afternoon in the mid-eighties. Like the greatest of Gothic novels (think "Dracula" or Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey"), this is a novel of the imagination. While the protagonist may be certifiable, she is still extremely recognizable to all readers. While I would highly reccomend this book to young readers, it is adults that will relate, and remember, the alienation of youth. A highly original fantasy, this novel will stick whith anyone, of any age, who picks it up. An underpraised classic of teen literature. It deserves to be embraced by teens and adults of all ages for many years to come.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is He or Isn't He? Is She or Isn't She?, June 21, 2001

By 

Queen Cobra, Goddess of Truth and Justice (Altamont Springs, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Witches of Worm (Witches of Worm Nrf) (Hardcover)

Worm is a demon cat and he's turning twelve year old Jessica into a witch - or is Jessica the witch turning her cat into a demonic familiar? Or is she simply an unhappy, angry child and Worm nothing more than an ugly stray kitten? The Reader must decide for herself whether anything supernatural is *really* going on in this book. It is certainly disturbing, witchcraft or no there's real doubt if Jessica and Worm will both survive the evil they've fallen under.