Product Description

This story is about "real witches" - who dress in ordinary clothes, look like ordinary women, but loathe all children. The seven-year-old hero and his grandmother are pitted against them at a witches convention, at which the witches are plotting to exterminate every child in England.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #62042 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Amazon.co.uk 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 centrepiece 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) --Susan Harrison

Amazon.co.uk 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 centrepiece 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)

About the Author
Roald Dahl, the best-loved of children's writers, was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. After school in England he went to work for Shell in Africa. He began writing after "a monumental bash on the head", sustained as an RAF pilot in World War II. Roald Dahl died in 1990.

Customer Reviews

Scary!
Plot: To witches children smell like dogs droppings and you never know where one is. On the outside (with a disguise on), a witch can look like any ordinary women. Without the gloves to cover their cat like claws; they wear wigs because they are actually bald; witches are very difficult to tell apart from humans, or are they?

Fact: The boy (who is unnamed) in the story's grandmother is Norwegian and is really based on Roald Dahl's mother who inspired him a lot!

Rating and recommendation: I would rate this brilliant book 7/ 10; I think would recommend this perfect paperback to all Roald Dahl fans, especially 7 - 12 year
olds

THE WITCHES
Thewitches is dead good book I love it when the witches get
turned in to mice.
The grand high witch is crazy and funny I love Roald Dahls
books.
The witches is the best book in the world I love the book it is
funny ther is a little boy in it with his grandma they went to a
hotel then the boy got trapt.
I recommend this book for age 5 and add

Highly Recommended
I am currently reading this book to my children at bedtime, and it must be the most gripping book they have had so far! Unusually for them, they sit silently, listening and hanging on every word. I read just a few chapters a night and every night so far they have cried, "NOOOO! Not yet!! one more chapter...PLEASE just ONE more chapter!!".

The style in which the book is written is the key to it's success I believe. The book has been written as though it is a true story.

We have previously finished reading James & the giant peach, and although they enjoyed it, The Witches is most definitely more popular.

A truly great read. Well done Mr Dahl!