Witch's Guide To Cooking With Children, The: A Novel (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
I first read this book in the 5th grade, then re- read it in 6th and 8th grade. So as you can tell, I really enjoy the book. It was the first book/series I really fell in love with. It's about two brothers and sisters in the modern day world and they move into a house with a peculiar neighbor; it's a twist on hansel and gretel. Though their neighbor is a witch who has a buisness in wich people donate their child to her, if the child is 'bad'. This book has a 2nd book about after this occurance. It is about the same people but a diffrent kind of witch.(its a large buisness with many witches). But this book is very meaningful and it has a wonderful purpose and theme. It taght me a lot about siblings and trust and sticking together. To keep fighting and dont give up. It is a great book with a creepy vibe, though very well done. 5 stars. Ten Second Synopsis:Siblings Connie and Sol suspect something's up when next door's dog goes past munching on a human femur. The kids will have to work together if they want to make sure they're not on Fido's dinner dish tomorrow.This was a retelling of Hansel and Gretel with some refreshing new layers added to the tale. Apart from the expected plot line featuring the witch who eats children, there is a mysterious, riddle-spinning, pet-shop owner who wants to help the children but is bound by a curse, some parents who may not be what they claim, and an unfortunate school science fair incident that haunts Sol and has impacted on his confidence. The illustrations are gorgeous and are appropriately atmospheric and the plot moves along at a steady pace. The only thing missing from this story for me was a sense of suspense or urgency - while the children were placed in danger a number of times, I never felt that the situation would turn out to be beyond there ability to sort out. Overall though, this should appeal to the younger end of the middle grade audience and has enough original features to make it worth the effort as a retelling.
What do You think about Witch's Guide To Cooking With Children, The: A Novel (2009)?
Good book - a little slow and confusing at first. Reads like the first book in a series.
—Boo Boo
A very different modern twist of Hansel & Gretel tale. Very enjoyable read.
—Chiara
