The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children
By Keith McGowan; Yoko Tanaka (Illustrator)
(Square Fish, Hardcover, 9780805086683, 192pp.)
Publication Date: July 19, 2011
Other Editions of This Title: Google eBook, Paperback, Compact Disc, Compact Disc, MP3 CD, MP3 CD
Categories: Action & Adventure - General, Humorous Stories, Mysteries, Espionage, & Detective Stories
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Selected by Indie Booksellers for the Autumn 2009 Kids' Indie Next ListWhen Sol and Connie Blink move to Grand Creek, one of the first people to welcome them is an odd older woman, Fay Holaderry, and her friendly dog, Swift, who carries a very strange bone in his mouth. Sol knows a lot more than the average eleven-year-old, so when he identifies the bone as a human femur, he and Connie begin to wonder if their new neighbor is up to no good.
In a spine-tingling adventure that makes them think twice about who they can trust, Sol and Connie discover that dangerous secrets lurk in even the most pleasant neighborhoods.
KEITH MCGOWAN has worked most of his life as an educator and is an avid traveler. This is his first novel for children and a sequel is in the works from Henry Holt. He lives in Vienna, Austria, with his wife.
YOKO TANAKA is the illustrator of several books, including The Magician’s Elephant, written by Kate DiCamillo. She lives in Thailand.
“Fans of Lemony Snicket’s best-selling A Series of Unfortunate Events should love Keith McGowan’s beguiling debut, a modern version of the Grimm Brothers’ chilling tale of Hansel and Gretel.”—USA Today
“A semisweet literary treat for the kiddies . . . Keith McGowan’s re-telling of Hansel and Gretel’s misadventures, The Witch’s Guide to Cooking with Children, retains the disturbing vibe of the original, but spices it up with some seriously cerebral humor that will delight and challenge the inquisitive youngster.”—The New Yorker
“Oooooh. That witch from Hansel and Gretel is back and she very well may be living right . . . next . . . door. In a conspiracy of lunacy, a whole town seems to be in cahoots with chaos to get those two little urchins to succumb to being the entree on the witch’s table. This updated book is still deliciously naughty.”—Kiwi magazine
“McGowan makes a strong debut. . . . Shades of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket hover over McGowan’s tale, but up-to-date touches . . . make it especially accessible and appealing for thrill-seeking readers.”—Publishers Weekly
“Evoking Roald Dahl’s The Witches, McGowan’s edgy debut novel incorporates magic, clever references to the original tale, a cast of diverse characters, and Snicket-esque narration. The witch’s interspersed journal entries, including the opening chapter, ‘How to Cook and Eat Children: A Cautionary Tale by the Witch Fay Holaderry,’ breezily, and ominously, set the book’s dark tone. Periodic shadowy illustrations add unsettling eeriness to this open-ended story that will likely draw fans of shivery, suspenseful mysteries.”—Booklist
“Readers know what’s in store for Sol and Connie right from the riveting opening line. . . . Tanaka’s occasional full-page views of grim, heavy-lidded figures add a suitably gothic tone. Yum.”—Kirkus Reviews
“McGowan’s modern retelling of the Hansel and Gretel plot is nuanced, fascinating, and gratifyingly dark without being graphic or horrific.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“A modernized version of Hansel and Gretel. . . . Highly stylized illustrations . . . enhance the story.”—School Library Journal
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