Skip to main content

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children

By

by Keith McGowan, read by Laural Merlington
Brilliance Audio, 2010. Audiobook. Fiction
Book: Henry Holt, 2009. 192 pages.


McGowan's modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel is the more disturbing for being contemporary. The story begins with the witch reading from her diary about how she lured children to her home and the tasty meals that followed. When Sol and Connie Blink move to the town where the witch lives now, they don't know their father and icky stepmother have moved there on purpose to get rid of their children (the witch has convenient drop-off locations near movie theaters). Sol is a brilliant but unlucky nerd, whose science fair project goes badly awry because his little sister Connie has been secretly fiddling with it. Connie is precocious in an often annoying way, and the two soon figure out that the overly friendly Mrs. Holaderry is up to no good, when they find her little dog with a human bone in his jaws. When the two think they are outwitting the witch, they are actually running right into her clutches. In the frightening closing scenes, Sol and Connie manage to escape and push the witch into her own firepit, but unlike in Hansel and Gretel she gets back out, leaving the (oven) door open for a sequel. . . . In the award-winning audio version, Laural Merlington is a frightening witch, her tone unctuous but dripping with menace, and it is definitely not for children prone to nightmares. But kids who like to get just a little bit scared will love the dark comedy of McGowan's story.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Golden

By
The Bakery Dragon By Devin Elle Kurtz New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2024. Picture book. Ember, a small dragon with an unimpressive roar, fears he will never be as good at stealing gold as other dragons, but discovers a different path to joy after a chance encounter with a baker.--Editor Sona and the Golden Beasts By Raani LaRocca New York: Quill Tree Books, 2024. Fiction. 385 pgs. Discovering an orphaned wolf pup she believes is related to the five sacred beasts of Devia, which a Hunter has been killing one by one, Sona embarks on an epic adventure during which she realizes that the fate of the sacred beasts, and the future of Devia, is in her hands. --Publisher Gold and Silver, Silver and Gold By Alvin Schwartz New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2009. Informational. 128 pgs. Presents legends, true stories, and tall tales about the hunting, finding, and losing of treasure, including pirate treasure and treasure not yet uncovered.--Editor Golden Girl By Reem Faruqi New York: Harper, 202...
Post a Comment
Read more

From Story Time: The Letter "F"

By
Preschool Time Frank and Bert By Chris Naylor-Ballesteros Lincoln, MA: Nosy Crow, 2023. Picture Book. This laugh-out-loud picture book follows best friends Frank and Bert as they play hide-and-seek, but when Bert isn't so good at hiding (despite thinking he is), Frank must decide between winning or making Bert happy. --Editor Preschool Time All at Once Upon a Time Written by Mara Rockliff Illustrated by Gladys Jose New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2024. Picture Book. Fairy Tale land experiences a topsy-turvy transformation where classic stories become mixed up and makes Prince Charming climb a beanstalk, Cinderella kiss a frog, and Rapunzel's nose grow every time she tells a lie. --Editor Toddler Time Sometimes I Am Furious Written by Timothy Knapman Illustrated by Joe Berger New York: Penguin Workshop, 2023. Picture Book In rhyming text, a small girl admits she sometimes gets angry when she is frustrated, and her grandmother shows her how to cope. --Editor Book Babie...
Post a Comment
Read more